Moo Thunder Stout by Butternuts Beer & Ale

Tonight's installment of Stout Week is brought to you by Butternuts Beer & Ale.  You'll remember that several weeks ago I reviewed their PorkSlap Pale Ale.  I wasn't overly impressed.  But, a friend pointed out that their stout was much better.  Enter...Moo Thunder!  Seriously, look at the picture below.  These people know how to market their beer.  I must say though, marketing can only get you so far.  The stout will have to beat out their pale ale if I'm going to try other styles.

As with all of their beers, Moo Thunder comes in a graphically fantastic can.  While they still make up a severe minority of the beers  at Julio's Liquors, their aluminum presence is growing.  I hope to some day be able to do a side-by-side comparison of the same beer in a can and a bottle and decide for myself, once and for all, whether cans affect the taste.

This stout pours a deep, dark brown, letting only the slightest amount of light through.  Getting your nose right down to the fluffy tan head rewards you with roasted malt melded with chocolate.  This is quite promising based on smell alone.

The taste?  In a word...yum.  Like the smell, the taste is deep, roasty and chocolatey.  While many stouts have both a chocolate and coffee flavor, I only taste dark chocolate here.  It's very rich, but not too rich.  Their website says they use lactose sugar in making this beer, to add to the body and mouth feel.  I have no idea if that's really the case.  All it leaves me wondering is if someone who is lactose intolerant could drink this?  Yes, these are the places my brain goes. 

I must quote part of their description on their website.  I'm really starting to like these people!  "Unlike a true bovine it has a malty, roasty aroma and a dry finish but no tail or teats, and leaves no unsightly cow pies laying around the yard for you to step in." 

What I can tell you with all certainty is that Moo Thunder is an excellent chocolatey stout.  Butternuts has redeemed themselves in my eyes.  Moo Thunder is a keeper, gets an A- from me and will no doubt make it into my rotation again.  Cheers!