Marshmallow Milk Stout

This beer was judged as a 30A-Spice, Herb or Vegetable beer, with a base style of 16A-Sweet Stout, with Vanilla added, though the bottle does say “Marshmallow Flavor.” The beer is a deep brown/black with ruby at the edges, with a big billowy tan head that sticks around. The nose initially does give the impression of toasted marshmallow and cocoa, but as it opens, the vanilla and cooked sugar notes grow and become almost cloying on the nose. On tasting, the roast helps mitigate the sweetness, but I can’t help but think that a drier beer would have better balanced the vanilla. The marshmallow notes really overwhelm the beer. Body is medium and round with moderately low carbonation. Cleanly fermented but just too sweet to drink much of. Oddly, the primary saving grace is the impression of toasted marshmallow and a soft bitterness. An okay beer, but too sweet on the whole.