Day 1 of the 4th Annual Advent-ure Calendar
Day 1: Noble Beast Brewing Co. Russian Imperial Cookies & Milk Stout
There’s no special reason as to why we started with this beer. Ok, there is a reason. It’s because Noble Beast does not distribute in bottles or cans so we had to get crowlers of this beer and it’s best to drink it as soon as possible! Inspired by their Kitchen Sink Cookie, this easy drinking Russian Imperial Stout is brewed with chocolate, cherries, vanilla, pecans, pretzels, oats, and milk sugar. “A light touch creates a balanced stout with aromas of chocolate and toasted nuts. The oats and vanilla impart a creamy mouthfeel while the cherries lend a touch of tart acidity to the finish.”
Reflections
Beard & Broad
Beard: This comes from what is easily one of my favorite Cleveland breweries. Love the name. Love the concept. Based off their kitchen sink cookie it has pretzels, cherries, vanilla, chocolate, pecans in the beer and you get subtle notes of everything. It finishes a bit dry for me, but I’m still a huge fan. Plus, at over 10% it’s well worth the price of a crowler from the brewery.
Broad: When we first had this beer at the brewery, it was love at first sight when it came out with a kitchen sink cookie. The beer is so flavorful and so smooth, I could drink it every day. It has notes of chocolate, vanilla and almost a very subtle smokey end flavor. It’s just so damn tasty. I think it’s the perfect beer for stout lovers and for people who are new to stouts. Noble Beast is one of our favorite Cleveland breweries and they never disappoint. It’s going to be hard to top this one!
Adam & Alex
Adam: What a beer to kick us off. This beer is a velvety and rich “iced hot chocolate”. I get notes of toasted marshmallow but mostly it tastes likes a s’more milkshake. I could drink several of these in a row and be quite joyous.
Alex: Happy Holiday Beer Adventure Season! Super excited to try the Ohio holiday beers this year! This is the first time I’ve tried Noble Beast Cookies and Milk and I really enjoyed it. It tastes like dark chocolate and has a light smoky flavor that reminds me of being fireside. Stouts have become of one my favorite winter beers and I would definitely drink this again.
Scott & Christa
Scott: I’m incredibly disappointed in myself for not adding a cookie crumb rim on my beer glass because Cookies and Milk by Noble Beast is dessert in a glass. At 10% ABV, it’s surprisingly not too alcoholic and has a really pleasant, smooth aftertaste. As I’m writing this review, I’m for sure going to pour some of this over ice cream tonight and get this beer review season started on the right foot!
Christa: Here we go, FIRST BEER FIRST BEER !! I was nervous about this one because it is SO dark and I don’t usually drink dark beer. I should also admit I am a little rusty in the alcohol department. Little secret: I was pregnant during last year’s beer adventure and had to rely on nose alone but because of this I feel like I pay extra attention to nose when evaluating beers now. This beer has a nice nutty nose with hints of vanilla. It’s much sweeter in taste than expected and super smooth. It’s warming after a few sips and gets me in the holiday spirit but I wouldn’t drink too much of it. It would knock me on my butt. If you want a nice nutty winter warmer that would knock you on your butt, Noble Beast is a noble addition to your holiday rotation.
Tony & Megan
Tony: Delicious start to the beer advent calendar. Never had this before but I like it. I like it a lot. I love dark beers and this is a great dark holiday beer. Smooth with delicious notes of dark chocolate, some smokiness, and a little bit of sweetness. Really enjoyed this one!
Megan: Wow the Noble beast milk and cookies is uh-maz-ing! This is a great way to start the Christmas season! It’s not an overly sweet beer but smells and tastes like creamy chocolate. I hope they’re all as good as this one. Love 💗