I love peanut butter. And, of course, I love me some milk stout. But when I saw a beer that puts them together, I will admit I was skeptical. I simply am not sure those flavours belong together, despite how many times I have spread peanut butter on a piece of dark chocolate.

That said, there was no other option for me than to pick up a can and try it. Right?

The beer I am talking about is Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Milk Stout. A weird beer in anyone’s book. Plus, I have heard, a stunningly well respected weird beer. This California brewery seems to have – they say – figured out the combination.

I was happy to see for myself.

It pours a midnight black with a dark tan head that rises fast but then drops to nothing quite quickly. I suspect that is the effect of the peanut oil.

The aroma begins with  an assertive peanut aroma and a backing of chocolate and hints of roast. I also get sweet milk and a bit of dark fruit. Call me crazy but it smells like crunchy peanut butter cup to me. Seriously. The smell is out of this world.

When I sip it I find the peanut character doesn’t follow in the taste as much. The front has a lactose sweetness, some dark chocolate, and a syrup character. The middle draws out a  light roast note and some plum. I find the finish is relatively sweet with a backing of roast malt to balance. Lightly riding on top of the whole impression is a generic nuttiness to the beer. The mouthfeel has a starchy character to it as well as being full bodied. The linger leaves a scratchy coating on the roof of my mouth that I don’t find particularly pleasant.

As I say I do love my peanut butter so was excited to get my hands on this. The aroma is mind blowing. It goes straight to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. But the flavour doesn’t follow up in the same way. The peanut butter character disappears and only offers up a vague background nuttiness. I was hoping for more peanut flavour. As it goes it is a rather decent milk stout and the nuts add an intriguing (although not wholly successful) angular note to the beer.

But is it peanut butter? Not to my palate.