May 12, 2015

Lazy Magnolia Jeff Stout

I believe that Jeff Stout is my first encounter with Mississippi’s Lazy Magnolia Brewin — a quick search of this site and my own slightly polluted memory banks came back with no results. And I can’t think of a better way to introduce yourself than with a smooth milk stout. And that’s exactly what this company has with Jeff Stout.

At 4.65% ABV (22 IBU) this cream/milk stout is brewed with the addition of sweet potato. I can’t say that I pick up much of the root vegetable within this beer’s dark depths, but it does has one of the roastier presentations that I’ve run across in this style of beer. Combine that roast with Jeff Stout’s smooth mouthfeel and you’ve got yourself a heck of a tasty beer.

Appearance

The beer pours an opaque black in color with a rocky stack of dark brown foam.

Lazy Magnolia Jeff Stout photo

Aroma

The aroma is about the only place that I really pick up the potato and even then it’s fairly subdued. The brew also has a good amount of cocoa, tobacco, that solid roast, coffee and a touch of cream.

Taste

Not only does this beer have a tremendous roast coffee character, but there’s also a decent bit of a smokey char going on, as well. The sweet potato is maybe there, late in the finish along with the lactose that tends to present itself more there. For a milk stout, the beer is surprisingly robust as it fades slowly to a long lasting, slightly drying finish.

Overall

Jeff Stout is definitely one of the smokiest milk stouts I’ve encountered on my journeys. It’s not at the of, say, a rauchbier, but for the style, it’s got some serious char floating in the background. I wasn’t really expecting that trait, but in the end it suited the beer just fine. I’d pick this brew up again.

Rating: 3.75/5

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