Note:  let this beer warm up a little before you pour.  I was impatient and poured it right out of the fridge which did not account for much.  Now, I’m not sure  how they force carbonated the beer (probably the same as CO2), but the head on my beer was anti-climactic.  Seriously, that was the draw for me.  A Guinness-like cascading head that leaves a super dense mocha foam.  Instead, mine only developed a 1/8 inch head that lack the lacing found in most nitro beers.  The color was the same as their original variety and there was a noticeable difference in the head (i.e., not as rocky), but for the most part it did not impress me much.

Being that I live in Chicago, the first city in distribution, I’m eager to see if other people have a similar issue.  Therefore, next time I enjoy this beer I’m going  to let it warm a little and maybe pour it right down the center of the glass.  I will say, the appearance if not the only place the nitro plays an important role.  The mouthfeel.

Here is where this new, sleek, repackaged beer shines.  It is super creamy and the nitro almost makes you feel like your drinking chocolate syrup from the can.  The taste is very similar to the CO2 Milk Stout, but the finer bubbles allow for the sweet/milk aspect of the beer to shine through more.  It carries some great burnt malt and coffee tastes into the finish which lasts all the way through the aftertaste.  These flavors combined with the lactose sugar create a Lititz Wilbur Bud (the original Hersey Kiss) creaminess and chocolaty body.    With regards to the aroma, there were burnt grains, coffee, and chocolate notes.  The sweetness was slightly masked until the taste.   All in all it was a good beer, new take on a flagship product, and interesting mouthfeel.  However, I don’t know if I would call it “America’s Stout?”