If I can do little else to help out during the lockdown, I can get out to my local bottle shop and pick up some local brews to review. Yes, I think I can handle that responsibility.

Spiteful Brewing had punched out beers in a number of styles, especially trendy IPAs and also dark beers, since 2012. They’ve put out at least two Chocolate Milk Stouts under the name “Mrs. O’Leary’s,” and you’d think Chicago brewers would have jumped at that name before this. Their web page is a little thin on details. Presumably the “milk” part is lactose sugar, which does not ferment, so it keeps the beer sweet. But is the “chocolate” part just chocolate roast malt, or has chocolate been added in the brew? Well, in this version I can at least be certain they’ve added raspberries. Has it only been two months since I sampled a Valentine’s Day flight of “Box of Chocolate” beers, including one with raspberry? Time for another. Unlike those brawny candy beers, this one carries a “mere” 7% alcohol by volume.

This pours with a nice Guinness-like cascade of brown bubbles down the side. A black beer body with some brown highlights.

The nose is pleasingly like a Dutch cocoa, with, indeed notes of raspberry. The taste does start out sweet and chocolatey, but there is a side of roasty malt coming in after the initial sip. There’s little alcohol in the nose, which makes it an easy drink to take down. Milk sugar gives me a milky aftertaste on top of the malt roastiness. The raspberries remain subdued, but easily accessible.

This is well worth seeking out. Its more of a fall/winter seasonal (my can was packaged on November 13). I found this 16 oz. can at Orange & Brew, and the regular Chocolate Milk Stout version in bottles at Prestige Tap Room in Westmont. So watch for it on your local shelf.