Thursday, January 6, 2011

Vanilla Java Porter

Thank you Lucas Westblade for bringing this back from his home state Michigan during Christmas Break. He bought me Atwater Block's Assorted Craft Pack, complete with four types of beer. Tasted with a bean and collard green soup. I had tried this in the very beginning of my logging, but hardly have the notes to produce a credible post, so here's taste #2:

Appearance: Snifter poured. Black with an off white foamy head that started a fingers worth following a delicate pour, only to dissipate to a stable surface coat. Transparency is a word un-recognized to this beer. Nevertheless there are small micro-bubbles visibly rising along the glass.
Aroma: Chocolaty and sweet, vanilla is difficult to distinguish, but I know it's there. Mellow roasted malt aroma, with a coffee note that certainly takes a sideline here. Somewhat nutty as well with a tart-sweet finish. I would have though that this would have a stronger aroma than it really does.
Taste: Starts mildly sweet and then transitions into a nice and delicate roasted coffee flavor with the all too distinguishable vanilla taste.The vanilla and coffee are most notably recognized in the back of the mouth/throat where they maintain themselves well into the aftertaste. For the most part the strong vanilla tastes some what extract like, and toasted malt caramel or even rich coffee is lacking.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth and creamy, probably the most notable and positive quality of this beer. Foamy and rich with a none too aggressive carbonation. Body is definitely full.
Overall Impression: A decent porter, though the vanilla in the beer just seemed too out of place and maybe too up front in the end-taste making for a overly sweet synthetic finish. The roasted and toasted qualities took a back burner here too, making for less of a porter and more of a vanilla flavored malt beverage.
 

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