When it comes to craft beer in London, you can't get much more classic than the stout. The dark and robust flavour of this type of beer has been enjoyed for centuries all over the world, but there's one particular variation that is starting to grow in popularity; milk stout.
Milk stouts are made by brewing with lactose sugar instead of regular table sugar. They're also brewed with oatmeal for added body and richness, giving them a creamy texture that makes them perfect for drinking at breakfast time. While milk stouts are relatively new, they're becoming more and more popular with brewers. The best brands have a subtle sweetness to them that makes them easy drinking even if you aren't usually an ale drinker. The basic ingredients that go into milk and oatmeal stouts include water, barley malt, lactose sugar and hops. While milk stout has been around since the early 2000s, it's becoming more popular with brewers today due to its subtle sweetness that makes them easy-drinking even if you aren't usually an ale drinker. The best brands have a creamy texture that adds another depth of flavour compared to normal ales or lagers.
The brewing process starts by mashing the grains which extracts fermentable sugars from malted barley, the key ingredient in most beers, as well as unfermentable carbohydrates such as dietary fibre found naturally in oatmeal. This is done by steeping the grains in water and heating them. Next, brewers add hops to balance out all of those malt sugars with bitter flavours that help keep beers from being too sweet or cloying. They boil oils released during the boiling process which lends a nice bit of bitterness and also helps stabilize their beer's flavour as it ages over time.
The taste sensations of milk and oatmeal stouts are a result of the ingredients combined with how it is brewed. The oatmeal helps to create a creamy texture and body while giving their beer some natural sweetness that doesn't overpower any other flavours or aromas in this type of craft brew. Oatmeal stouts are generally light-coloured which makes them easy on the eyes, especially when they're poured into a glass mug for drinking!
