Milk Stout (Lancaster brewing company)

Lancaster Milk Stout is thick selection from Wilkes-Barre, PA. This old world brew comes in six pack 12 ounce bottles, kegs, and is available in a twelve pack variety. The ABV for this brew is 5.3, but the complex flavor profile hides it well. The chocolatey goodness hits your nose and the beer is mellow on your tongue. You can definately taste the richness in the cocoa. The bitterness familiar with some stouts, is very mild in this case, a 3 or 4 on a scale of 10.

Lancaster is a brewery in dutch country and they draw on that old world charm. They keep things simple, and provide quality beers for a smooth drink. I would tend to describe this beer as a craft because of the care and way it is made more than the brewers tinkering.

You can find the the rest of the Lancaster offerings at . They have fun merch, like my set of Got Milk Stout glasses. I'm just a sucker for a beer company that puts their variety pack in a box that looks like a barn.

GUBNA (oskar blues brewing company)

Gubna Imperial IPA is a top notch beer from the Oskar Blues Brewing Company out of Longmont, Colorado. Gubna comes in 4 packs of 12oz cans, occasionally specialty shops will sell them as singles, or really get lucky and find it on draft. You get what you pay for with this one; at over five dollars a can in some markets, delicious. This IPA doesn't disappoint at 10% ABV, it surprisingly drinkable. Enjoying this beer is a three part experience. The piney/floral bouquet is very pure, and sets you up for a clean experience on your tongue. The finish is what you expect out of a typical IPA but it's bitterness is mellow like a well aged ale.

I enjoy Oskar Blues take on craft beers. They are one of the original craft brewers to use cans. The stamp of the bottom of the can often has a fun message from your friendly canning line worker. They have a sweet GUBNA mechanics jacket by dickie's and lots of other fun things at www.oskarblues.com.