Oliphant Milkman Manbaby

Lately, I have been re-visiting the Adult Swim program "Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!", mostly due to the many references on Jeremy Hughes' chalkboard illustrations at Oliphant Brewing. Many of them make much more sense to me now, although I'd rather not re-live a few of them. Some of Heidecker and Wareheim's gross-out humor goes a bit too far for me, though I don't mind enduring the tasteless stuff to get to the inspired. Jeremy has chosen an image from a slightly disturbing Tim & Eric sketch for the latest Milkman Manbaby illustration, but given it a surrealistic twist. The name of the beer itself does not force us to consider man milk, the way the T & E sketch did. (oops. I gave it away.)

So, what is "Milkman Manbaby?" They alway call it a "German-style Milk Stout", which doesn't exist in reality. Germans don't brew stouts, and the milk stout is an English creation. Recently, the Oliphant Facebook book page called it a "Batman-style stout", for whatever reason, and when I asked them what this meant, they responded with a GIF of Adam West doing the Batusi, of course.

I like the mystery of Oliphant, and the surrealism, but I really like that the beers are well made and delicious. So, let's crack open a growler and contemplate their popular Milkman Manbaby beer for the first time.

6.8% ABV, 18 IBU.

Complete blackness, utterly ebon, under a creamy cocoa-toned head, looking luscious.

In the nose: Malty sweet, creamy, lactose, yum. Just about lovely. Very nice. Puts me in mind of a German schwarzbier. Interesting.

In the mouth: Smooth, creamy, malty, delicious. Very cool, very groovy. Some roast, a tiny toast. Just delicious. I'm getting it now. Milk stout meets black lager? And it's good. Very good. At the taproom, I was informed of it's popularity, but never got it. Who knows why. After having taken down this growler in it's entirety, I can see how this is such a pleaser.

There's nothing on this world like a German milk stout, just like we haven't seen a billionaire playboy philanthropist vigilante in real-life, either, but that doesn't mean we can't dream. Or drink, as the case may be.

I do kind of wish my craving for specific recipe information were satiated, just a bit, but as I said, I respect the mystery just as much. Here's as much as they'll tell us on the website:

in collaboration with the narrative voice of robert stack, we are excited to present to you: this beer. german-style milk stout. 6.8% abc


P.S. You know what I'm doing now, right? Checking out what shows Robert Stack narrated. Trying to solve those mysteries...