Robin Shepard
Owner, and brewmaster, Martin McNally pours this blonde milk stout from a nitrogen tap line.
The white stout, which seems like a contradiction in terms, has been around the craft beer scene for several years. Right Bauer Brewing has been getting a fair amount of well-deserved attention its Nitro Latte.
What is it? Nitro Latte by Right Bauer Brewing from Sun Prairie.
Style: This style is somewhat of an oddity. A traditional stout is made with dark-roasted malts that impart the rich aromas and flavors of chocolate, caramel and coffee. The white stout strives to achieve those same characteristics, without the deep black color. It’s made with a bit of beer trickery involving adjuncts that mimic the flavor notes of a smooth chocolatey milk stout without the dark roasted malts. In the case of Right Bauer Brewing the base beer is a blonde ale.
Background: “You get feedback from customers and you can be funky, experimental, because you’re a small brewery,” says brewmaster Martin McNally, who opened Right Bauer, his Sun Prairie brewpub, last fall. Nitro Latte illustrates how adventuresome McNally is when he breaks from traditional styles.
It’s created by first taking a light-bodied golden-blonde ale to which he adds two gallons of cold-pressed coffee from Sun Prairie’s Beans ‘N Cream Coffeehouse. McNally selected an organic/fair trade Guatemalan coffee that has its own chocolate notes. Two gallons of liquid cacao, vanilla for sweetness, anise for a licorice accent, and then lactose for a sweet creamy body similar to what one finds in a milk stout.
Unlike stouts and porters, there are no dark-roasted malts in this beer. McNally uses English Maris Otter malts, which lend a wonderful smooth breadiness. It lives up to the latte name because it’s served on a nitrogen tap, which makes it even softer on the palate and supports a thick creamy white-tan head.
Nitro Latte finishes at 6.2 percent ABV. It is available on nitrogen tap at Right Bauer where it sells for $6/pint.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: Coffee and light notes of vanilla and chocolate.
- Appearance: Initially pours cloudy tan, almost white, from the nitrogen tap. As it settles, the color turns clear, light golden. With the added nitrogen the beer’s head remains think, soft, and white (like one might find on a Guinness).
- Texture: Medium- to full-bodied. Soft and creamy.
- Taste: The coffee is forward, alongside the bready, sweet character of the Maris Otter malt. There’s a wave of chocolate flavor that blends nicely with the roastedness of the coffee.
- Finish/Aftertaste: Lingering notes of chocolate and vanilla, with just a hint of spicy licorice.
Glassware: Right Bauer serves Nitro Latte in a standard bar pint, which is a nice way to observe the effect of nitrogen gas as the beer settles.
Pairs well with: sweet desserts and cookies, much like a good latte. Consider something from Right Bauer’s rotating bakery items.
The Verdict: This beer is what drinking local is all about. I stopped by Right Bauer to try the Simcoe Jack Hazy IPA and stumbled across this eclectic, perky brew. I’ve had several white stouts over the years. The best fool the drinkers into thinking they might be drinking a dark beer.
Right Bauer’s Nitro Latte takes advantage of the slight sweetness from Maris Otter malts and the Guatemalan roast, which blend so well with the chocolatey cacao. This brew might be closer to a mocha than a latte. Regardless, it has the body and sweetness of a solid milk stout. Taking the lighter golden beer with stout-like flavor and accentuating that by serving it on the nitro tap sold me on this soft, creamy beer.