Left Hand from Colorado cracked something clever: a nitro stout in a bottle and can that pours with the same cascading, creamy head you normally only get from a bar tap. Milk Stout Nitro is their signature, a sweet, chocolatey milk stout made silky by the nitrogen. It is one of the most impressive at-home stout experiences going, and I poured a few for this guide to check it still delivers.
Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro at a glance
| Style | Milk (sweet) stout, nitro |
| ABV | 6.0% |
| Calories | Around 200 per 12 fl oz |
| Brewery | Left Hand Brewing, Longmont, Colorado |
| Character | Milk chocolate, cream, light coffee, sweet |
| Best served | Cold, poured hard down the centre of the glass |
How it tastes, by the numbers
This is the smooth, sweet, creamy end of the stout world, all texture and chocolate rather than roast and bitterness.
The full review
The pour is half the fun. Tip it hard down the middle of the glass and you get that beautiful cascading nitro effect and a thick, creamy, tight head that lasts. It looks the part before you have even tasted it.
The flavour is sweet and smooth. Milk sugar (lactose) gives it a rounded sweetness and a fuller body, and the flavour is all milk chocolate and cream with just a touch of coffee and roast at the edges. The nitrogen makes it silky and soft on the tongue with almost no bitterness.
It is an easy beer to love. There is nothing challenging about it, just a smooth, chocolatey, creamy stout that goes down beautifully. At 6% it is stronger than it tastes, so it is not quite a session beer, but it drinks very gently.
For the sheer at-home experience, the cascading pour and the silky texture, it is hard to beat. It is the beer I hand to someone who thinks they do not like stout.
Tip it hard down the middle of the glass and you get a cascading nitro pour that rivals a pint pulled at the bar.
- Wonderfully smooth and creamy
- Spectacular cascading nitro pour
- Sweet milk chocolate flavour
- Great for stout newcomers
- Too sweet for roast-loving purists
- 6% sneaks up behind the smoothness
Who it is for
If you like your stouts smooth, sweet and creamy rather than roasty and bitter, or you want to win over a stout sceptic, this is the perfect pick.
Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro FAQs
What is a milk stout?
A milk or sweet stout is brewed with lactose, a milk sugar that yeast cannot ferment. It stays in the beer, adding sweetness and a fuller, creamier body. Left Hand Milk Stout is a classic example.
Why does Left Hand Milk Stout pour like that?
The Nitro version is packaged with nitrogen, which comes out of solution in tiny bubbles when you pour it hard, creating the cascading effect and thick creamy head you normally only get from a nitro tap.
How do you pour a nitro stout?
Pour it hard and fast straight down the centre of the glass, not gently down the side. That is what triggers the cascade and builds the creamy head.
Where to buy Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro
Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro is widely available across the US in cans and bottles. Buy it using the button above and pour it hard.
The verdict
Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro is the smoothest, creamiest stout you can buy in a can, and a brilliant way to win someone over to dark beer. A modern classic.
FAQs
Who makes Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro?
Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro is brewed by Left Hand Brewing (independently, employee-owned).
What kind of beer is Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro?
Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro is a Milk (sweet) stout, nitro, at 6.0% ABV.
How much alcohol is in Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro?
Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro has an ABV of 6.0%.
How many calories are in Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro?
Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro has Around 200 per 12 fl oz, based on the brewery’s published nutrition information.
Is Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro gluten free?
No. Like most traditional beers, Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro is brewed from barley and/or wheat, both of which contain gluten.
How can I make Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro taste better?
Serve it at the right temperature and in the right glass (see below), or use it as the base for a beer cocktail. Our beer cocktails guide has recipes worth trying.
Where is Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro made?
Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro is brewed by Left Hand Brewing in Longmont, Colorado.
How do I open Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro without a bottle opener?
A lighter, a sturdy key, a spoon, or the edge of a table all work in a pinch. See our full guide on opening a beer without a bottle opener for 8 methods that actually work.
What glass should I use for Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro?
Cold, poured hard down the centre of the glass. See our beer glassware guide if you want to match the glass to the style exactly.
