Milk Stout's victory ends Malt Madness

  The top beer in Colorado Springs is one few folks in town are likely to have tried, or even heard of - Arctic Craft Brewery's Milk Stout.

   This sweet, dark brew came out on top in the Malt Madness beer tournament, in which five judges pitted 32 Colorado Springs beers in a head-to-head singleelimination quest to find the best.

   Milk Stout won by a single vote.

   A milk stout is a dark, full-bodied beer that gets its name from lactose sugar, derived from milk, added during the brewing process. The lactose gives the stout a smooth, sweet, balanced taste.

   The Malt Madness final four was made up of very different beers.

   Il Vicino's dark, malty Barbershop Brown Ale went up against Bristol Brewing's bright, hoppy Edge City IPA.

   Arctic's Milk Stout battled an esoteric, barrelaged, small-batch sour ale from Bristol, the Skull and Bones Cuvee.

   It was neck and neck for the Barbershop Brown and the Edge City IPA.

   "This is like comparing a hurdler and a long jumper . . . but I wouldn't throw either of these beers out of bed," said judge and metaphor mixer Mike Laur.

   Judge Jason Yester agreed. "There's nothing wrong with the brown, but I'm a hop head. I'm going with the IPA."

   Edge City IPA beat Barbershop Brown three to two and advanced to the final match.

   The other side of the contest was just as close. The complex, sour Skull and Bones Cuvee entranced some judges and made others wince.

   Yester said, "There's no contest, this is the best beer in town."

   But judge Zenia Brink said, "I just can't get into the flavor. It's too weird. And dark beers have always been my favorite. I'm going with the stout."

   The stout won three to two and moved to the final slug fest against the Edge City IPA.

   The judges swirled and sniffed, sipped and surmised. It came down to loyalties. Two IPA drinkers voted for the lighter beer. Two devotees of darks voted for the stout.

   It was tied. Award-winning brewer Yester said the fair thing to do was evaluate the beers on how well they embodied their styles. The IPA wasn't as hoppy as it should be, he said. "So I'm going for the stout."

   The milk stout is available at Arctic's tasting room, 2506 Platte Place, 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 477-1340.