Vanilla Java Porter
My wife recently signed me up for a beer of the month club and this is the first beer I’m reviewing out of that shipment. I wasn’t too excited about this beer just from the name alone. Don’t get me wrong I like coffee and vanilla, but to add them to beer seems like a taste mash-up made in hell. But to my surprise this beer is brewed in Detroit, Michigan at the Atwater Block Brewery instead of hell.
This is a thick beer, I would compare it to natural maple syrup consistency. The color is pitch black. Probably the darkest beer I’ve had. With most black beers you can hold a small portion up to the light to get little hint of color but not with this beer. When I first opened the bottle and took a whiff the scent was delightfully hoppy but once I poured it into the glass the hoppiness was accompanied by roasted coffee beans and vanilla. My first sip was very smooth, balanced and mild, with no sign of bitterness and a nice hint of smokey, roasted coffee bean taste. The lingering aftertaste gives you a little bitterness but its nothing horrible and actually goes well with the coffee beans. The alcohol content is lower than I expected at 6%.
This is a prime example of don’t judge a book (or beer) by it’s cover. I immediately dismissed this beer as a gimmick when I saw the label. This is an excellent beer and if you can get a hold of one you’d be a fool not to try it. While it is probably suited best for the winter months, it would go well as an after dinner drink.
Rating: 4
Loading ...If anyone is interested I have 2 more of these wonderful beers I may be willing to part with for the bargain sum of $4 each.
And yes, I do know I’m still behind on reviews by a week but I promise I’ll catchup and get back on track.