[JJeffers09]

I am struggling with being too roasted in the RIS or too mellow like a robust porter.  I am missing the American piney dank balance with roast and creamy smooth mouth feel. So my target was a flavor compromise between Shakespeare, Left Hand Milk Stout, and Kalamazoo.

My last attempt
OG 1.069
IBUs 64.2
SRM 40
6.2%
Water Profile Black Bitter
Grist
33.7% Pale
33.7% Pilsner
4.8% Crystal 80
4.8% Chocolate 450
4.8% Roasted Barley 300
3.6% Special Roast
Boil
9.6% Lactose
4.8% D80 (brewcraft)

Bittering
28.3 IBUs Simcoe 60 mins
6.7 IBUs Vic Secret 5 mins

Aroma
29.2 IBUs Mosaic 40 min Whirlpool
Dry hop 1oz Vic Secret 4 days

I missed it, its smooth but not balanced enough, not as hoppy as I would like not enough roasted aroma.  I was thinking of adding Black malt at 5oz ~1.5% and adding 9.8 IBUs Challenger at 20mins with another 1oz of Mosaic with the Vic Secret.

[fmader]

I think the addition of black malt could help, or you can up the chocolate a bit as well. Adding Columbus with your Vic Secret could certainly contribute to your dank/piney that you're looking for. I've never used Vic Secret, so I'm not quite sure of its profile. But maybe plug something like Cents or Chinook in for it instead? Either way, I'd maybe start with Columbus at the end.... maybe even combo it with the Simcoe at bittering too.

I don't want to change the profile of what you're doing, but want to throw it out there. I don't care for lactose in a beer, so I use flaked barley to attain that creamy mouth feel.