FIRESTONE WALKER NITRO MERLIN MILK STOUT (PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA)

It is, indeed, the small things that make for compelling smaller beers, and Firestone Walker’s Nitro Merlin Milk Stout (at 5.5 percent ABV) abounds in these fine-tuned details. While we often focus on aroma and flavor as sources of pleasure in the drinking experience, the details begin well before the sip, with the pour and persistent, creamy foam that showcase thoughtful construction. Lacing along the glass tells the story of each gulp—an impressive achievement in a canned beer sold widely.

Merlin’s nose offers restraint and subtlety, with light roasted coffee and touches of chai spice, caramel apple, and marshmallow. It eschews the overt dessert that so many brewers pursue today, preferring suggestion over statement—intriguing, but with enough friendly familiarity to feel comfortable. The sip rolls in gently and smoothly, with a lush, mouth-filling creaminess that still feels succinct and not excessive. Milk- and dark-chocolate notes offer just enough decadence.

It takes a fine hand to produce a beer that feels so thoroughly polished and crafted, but that doesn’t lose its energy and spark. Nitro Merlin Milk Stout is an accomplishment, an example of masterful brewers at work.