on THE TAPHANDLE

In my youth, I enjoyed wandering around in the acres of woods behind our house, especially after or during a heavy rain. The forest smelled, amongst other things, of wet tree bark. So does Widmer Brother's Snow Plow Milk Stout.

The aromas I detect, moving from foreground to background, are (1) wet tree bark; (2) a slight earthiness; (3) some light spiciness; (4) a hint of caramel; and (4) a sweetness of milk. The flavor was very sweet, almost too sweet, with only a light bitterness. The flavor didn't quite match up with the aroma, being mostly milky with a strong dose of coffee, and a hint of tree bark lurking in the background.

Although the color was a beautiful brown, the thin head on the pour disappeared almost immediately and there was no detectable lacing. The palate was also too thin for my liking, almost watery. This is a beer I would be more likely to serve to unsuspecting guests than drink myself.

I had it with spicy chicken burritos my wife made for dinner, and the spiciness of the burritos masked some of the flavor, which made this stout more tolerable. Still not to my liking, however.