Urca Vanilla Porter - Dry Dock Brewing Co.

chugalug06

Colorado

3.66/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Great mound of fluffy tan head grown on thin black fluid. Lacing is voluptuous.

Vanilla , smoke, nutty, milky, chocolate. Slightly too hazelnutty.

Thin, sweet, underwhelming. Carbonation is much lighter than I expected. Milky, nutty, vanilla is not in sugary quantities, Chocolate flavor is dry and lasting and well buried in the vanilla. Nuts are nice, just not hazel varieties. (see aroma, too much hazelnut)

Cheers, this one is worthy @ $7/22oz. Recommended for the hazelnut lover.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 02:50:21 | More by chugalug06

cvm4

Mississippi

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A - Pours dark brown with light around the edges. The cream tan head dissipates quickly.

S - A refreshing hit of vanilla and light roasted malts.

T - At first it's like a hit of cream soda, just like the reviewer below me. Then the vanilla comes on in full force.

M - Just what I'd expect from a porter, lighter body & medium carbonation.

O - This beer captures the style of a vanilla porter in spades.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 23:11:36 | More by cvm4

beerdrifter

Germany

3.83/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Picked this up while on vacation in Denver. Dark brown, nearly black pour with a quickly fading one finger caramel colored head with decent lacing. As expected, the vanilla dominates the nose along with hints of coffee, subtle cocoa, and hazelnut. The taste is also dominated by the vanilla along with hints of maple, hazelnut, caramel, coffee, cream, and subtle chocolate. The mouthfeel is incredibly creamy and smooth, but at the same time a bit thin. Overall, I love the fact that the vanilla is very natural tasting as opposed to the artificial taste you sometimes get with vanilla beers. Unfortunately, it's a little too sweet for my tastes, but still enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 16:15:07 | More by beerdrifter

Beaver13

Colorado

3.03/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle. Pours dark brown with a small creamy light tan head that quickly goes to a thin film and leaves a little lacing.

The aroma is sweet perfumey vanilla, some wood and some roasted chocolate malts. Smells a bit like lodgepole pines.

The flavor is lots of sweet vanilla with some roasted malts. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and a bit watery.

Overall, a bit thin and too much sweet vanilla for me. Better than Breck's though.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 05:23:14 | More by Beaver13

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.84/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

On tap at Dry Dock. Heavy vanilla. A LOT of vanilla. Quite nice. Milk chocolate underneath. Medium body. Pretty good, but I expect a bit more from a vanilla beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2013 03:39:01 | More by Thorpe429

zachary80

Indiana

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bomber.

Super dark brown body, little to no tan head fades and leaves only slight lacing.

Aroma of strong vanilla, very sweet, some coffee, a hint of the roastiness but the vanilla is the star here.

Vanilla is at the forefront again, more roastiness and coffee flavors come through than in the aroma.

Mouthfeel is on the lighter side, right for a porter, but maybe a little too watery. Carbonation is fine.

Tasty, I would love to try an imperial version of this. Seems like it as is would be better in sixers.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 00:54:13 | More by zachary80

tlazaroff

Virginia

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nice moderate vanilla aromas over light mocha coffee. It's a nice aroma over all, and very inviting.

Very dark brown in color with a bubbly, and somewhat frothy tan head with pretty lacing. If anything, I would wish the head would stick around more.

Blasts of vanilla right up on your palate on the first sip. Mid palate is full of a lightly roasted coffee and little bits of chocolate. Bitterness comes through on the finish, but just a little bit. This isn't a sweet beer, it's just really vanilla-y. Dry finish brought on by a crisp medium bodied beer offering medium-light carbonation. It's a great after-coffee beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 18:07:47 | More by tlazaroff

kojevergas

California

3.28/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

1 pint 6 fl oz brown bottle glass with standard pressure cap served into a New Belgium pilsner glass in high altitude Fort Collins, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average.

Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a two finger head of fairly decent cream, nice thickness, and good retention. Colour is a solid nontransparent black. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Heavy vanilla, some cream, light roast, and a dark malt foundation. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Heavy vanilla, cream soda, some cream, and a dark malt foundation. Some nice layering. Not horribly complex or subtle, but certainly pleasant and enjoyable. It's a nice little beer. I do like it. Well balanced and pretty well built for the style.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Nicely thick for the style. Apt for a porter. Adequate carbonation. Nicely moderate on the palate.

Dr: A nicely drinkable little beer. I like it, but it does need work. It's a nice little Vanilla Porter, and is pleasant considering its aims. I'd have it again. I'm growing increasingly excited about Dry Dock's beers. This was my first, but I look forward to trying more.

Low B-

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 04:33:27 | More by kojevergas

StoneTSR

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

APPEARANCE: Black as night. Light is not penetrating this thing at all. A little off-white head topped the beer at first, but faded in about 30 seconds leaving some wispy bits of foam on the surface.

SMELL: The smell is dominated by roasted malt flavors and a bit of coffee. There is also some dark chocolate lingering in the background, but that aroma seems to grow as it warms.

TASTE: The subdued taste of chocolate leads the way in this porter that leans towards the lighter side of the spectrum. The vanilla kicks in for a moment right before the finish and lingers on the tongue as the liquid disappears. Roasted malt and a touch of coffee serve to cut some of the sweeter flavors and provide some bitterness. Not much hop character to it at all, although, the finish leaves a hint of lemon.

MOUTHFEEL: Smooth and easy going down is the best way to describe this feel, it is very pleasant. It is also a bit creamy and very light with just the tiniest hint of sparkle.

OVERALL: This is a solid Vanilla Porter, but I’m not sure it is worth bomber prices. I would be more likely to buy this as a six-pack or on draft somewhere. It certainly improves as it warms though. If it comes straight from your fridge or a beer cooler, give it a chance to breath and the true complexity of this beer will reveal itself.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 06:23:26 | More by StoneTSR

hopfacebrew

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Note: This review was a re-post from my former account, jmkratt, which was hacked and I lost all my reviews...sorry for the redundancy.

Poured from newly bottled bomber to pint glass! I've had this several times off tap by Dry Dock just started bottling it so I figured I had to buy it today the first time I saw it on the shelves.

A - Beers pours a dark brown, not black, with a solid 2 finger dark tan head with excellent retention and gobs of lacing.

S - Hi Vanilla! The aroma is a powerful vanilla. There are hints of roast as well but overwhelming vanilla!

T/M - The aroma carries over to the start of the beer where you get a hige palete of vanilla. It melds nicely to a blend of vanilla, chocolate, and roast. In fact it is suprisingly smooth and creamy! Beer ends with a sweet note and the vanilla lingers. Unbelievably smooth for a medium bodied Porter.

D - Absolutely.

Overall this is hands down the best vanilla porter I have had to date. Nothing else can match the vanilla aroma and flavor while still bringing extreme creamy smooth deliciousness. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 01-21-2011 18:59:29

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 22:31:00 | More by hopfacebrew

denver10

Colorado

3.7/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: A huge brown head appeared as I poured it into my tulip glass. Took a couple minutes to drop and a nice coat remained on the surface. The beer itself was a nice, consistent black liquid.

S: A very nice sweet vanilla is the focus with some coco hidden underneath.

T: The vanilla iintroduces itself at the beginning and is very sharp and distinct. That the vanilla flavor is generated naturally from beans rather than an extract is obvious.Roasted malts kick in towards the middle and makes for a nice pairing with the vanilla. The one thing I would have liked to have found here was a little bitter coffee flavor to it to help cut the sweetness a little.

M: Maybe the highlight of the drink for me; super silky and creamy. Medium bodied.

O: A very nice porter and one I would gladly go back to. It is quite sweet so this is definitely best appreciated in moderation, as I definitely couldn't drink any more than this bomber's worth and might even prefer a little less than that (l16 oz's is probably ideal), but in the proper allotment this beer is definitely a winner.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 23:59:23 | More by denver10

gford217

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle.

Pours dark chocolate brown, pretty close to black, with a big active tan head that leaves good lacing.

Aroma is excellent and dominated by fresh vanilla aromas, not extract smells but real vanilla beans. There is roasted malts and some cocoa powder as well.

Taste is almost as good as the aroma. The initial taste isn't all that impressive with a lightly roasted malt and chocolate flavor, but as it warms the vanilla really starts to shine and each sip ends with a nice vanilla finish.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with decent carbonation and less roasty and sweeter than most porters.

I really like this beer as the vanilla is distinct and flavorful without becoming too sweet. Excellent porter.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 03:42:00 | More by gford217

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a real nice vanilla porter. beans no extract make this one feel very natural, not artificially sweet. pours a glorious sludgy brown/black with a small off-white head. smells heavenly, vanilla is strong to very strong, with espresso notes and a sappy sort of sweetness. tastes like the essence of vanilla, but with a nice roasted malt backbone and even a touch of hop in the finish. this is the best flavored porter i have had, too sweet to drink a ton of, but memorable and delicious. mouthfeel is closer to a stout than a porter, on the heavier side, and the carbonation is light. another fantastic dry dock offering

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 17:24:12 | More by StonedTrippin

mynie

Indiana

3.73/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Solid porter pour: 90% opaque with a large, tan head.

Smells surprisingly robust, for the style. Fairly strong vanilla mingles pleasantly with sweet'n'sour porter malt. No hang ups, no roughness. The vanilla is aggressive without seeming ersatz (nothing is worse than when a vanilla beer smells like vanilla-scented candle wax).

Tastes a good notch below how it smells, and that's entirely attributable to a body that's just way too weak for this style. The nodes are basically the same--very nice vanilla, very solid porter barley--but they don't come together nearly as well. There's a strong flatness in the back end. Nothing gets tied together.

Overall pretty good. With some refinement, it could be great.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 04:31:00 | More by mynie

stabzmcgee

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aroma is of a vanilla and hot chocolate. Appearance is opaque black with a tan leather head that stays for the experience. Taste is that of vanilla bean, coffee and hot chocolate. Palate is full bodied, creamy thick texture with a soft carbonation. Long tasty finish

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 20:36:20 | More by stabzmcgee

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

n8dietz is the man for picking this beer up for me.

Dark brown to black in color with a smallish head after the pour and a ring of foam that lasts for all 22 ounces.

Good mix of vanilla and roasted malt aromas of coffee, chocolate, and roasted bread crust.

Creamy texture through and through adds a chocolate, vanilla, cream soda kind of flavor to this roasty sweet vamilla porter. Sweet, but not too sweet session porter IMO. Good vanilla flavor takes center stage it seems, but doesn't dominate. The finish is a little flat and quick, other than that. Glad I got to try this unobtainable CO beer for people from IL.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 22:05:36 | More by scruffwhor

YourMomDrinksBud

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bomber poured into a pint glass. No freshness date to be found.

A- Pours black with no highlights. One finger head that dissapears pretty fast leaving a nice film. Leaves some nice lacing, nothing to spectacular.

S- Vanilla bean, vanilla ice cream, white chocolate, marshmellow.

T- Vanilla cream dominates the taste. Malts only come through lightly. A little chocolate and graham cracker. It's a pretty sweet beer, makes for a great dessert.

M- On the light side for a porter. Very creamy mouthfeel. Ample carbonation, sweet but not cloying. Drinkability is great if you like the vanilla.

O- Interesting beer. A little one dimensional in the taste department but enjoyable none the less.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 01:37:57 | More by YourMomDrinksBud

brentk56

North Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a fudge brown color with a rocky head that leaves a pretty nice curtain of lace behind

Smell: Vanilla beans scraped from the pod; hints of chocolate and grain underneath

Taste: The vanilla is very strong, up front, but by mid-palate, there is a grainy, tobacco-like element that joins the profile; after the swallow, the vanilla really dominates, however

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation; a bit light for the style

Overall: Love the smell and love the concept but am not crazy about this beer as the vanilla that smell so good on the nose just dominates everything on the tastebuds; I would like to see more porter flavors to balance out the vanilla

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 19:52:29 | More by brentk56

u2carew

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bomber
A) Pours with a dark tan head. Slowly settles leaving a thin lacing on top and semi-sticky on the drink down. Nearly opaque with some mahogany hues.
S) Robust vanilla aroma mixed with chocolate and coffee notes.
T) Vanilla. Coffee. Cocoa. Hints of smokiness in the finish.
M) Full body yet with the slight thinness that accompanies porters. Gritty. Creamy.
O) A well crafted brew. Not too outrageous on the vanilla; a good balance. I'd have another...if only I had another!

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 03:00:16 | More by u2carew

UCLABrewN84

California

3.65/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Purchased at Argonaut Liquor in Denver, CO.

Pours an opaque dark brown with a 1 inch beige head that fades to an oily cap. Random patches of lacing form on the glass on the drink down. Smells of vanilla beans, vanilla ice cream, and vanilla coffee creamer. Taste is of vanilla beans, vanilla extract, and roasted malts. There is a slight roasty bitterness after each sip that lingers on the palate. Good carbonation with a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good porter with a better vanilla smell than taste. I am glad I got to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 04:43:13 | More by UCLABrewN84

mulder1010

Australia

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Dry Dock.

A-- deep, dark, murky brown, or near black. Looked sort of nitro really. No head at all just a bit of film here and there. To me the weakest part of the beer.

S-- Vanilla bean, chocolate, and more vanilla. A little muted at first but good vanilla notes.

T-- Rich vanilla. Beans and Extract taste though they used beans with this. Chocolate and coffee in the background. Very nice taste and how the coffee and chocolate play off the vanilla.

M-- Touches of coffee acid in the mid and back palate. Vanilla at first, followed by chocolate and then coffee. Like how it builds to coffee. A little bit sweet but workable. Medium feel and medium high carbonation.

O-- Good desert beer. A little sweet at times but a good vanilla porter. Liked it a lot.

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2011 07:39:52 | More by mulder1010

claytong

Vermont

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

one of my favorite porters to date.

appearance - is pretty typical, small head, black and opaque

smell - beautiful, vanilla chocolate, so rich and creamy smelling

taste - similar to a chocolate malt with vanilla

mouthfeel - creamy and thick and very drinkable, i wanted more.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 16:08:26 | More by claytong

TenHornsProud

Colorado

3.78/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with a tan head that lasts and laces.

Smells of vanilla and malt, almost dairy/milk character.

Has smoky undertones, some nutty character, and, of course, vanilla in the front.

It is smooth and creamy, vanilla ice cream comes to mind, lower carbonation.

This is a good beer with vanilla distinctly in the forefront, but there are some more subtle, smoky aspects that makes this not just a vanilla bomb. I would buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 01:33:48 | More by TenHornsProud

angelmonster

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice one finger beige head. Body is black in color with auburn brown highlights. Head retention and lacing were above average.

Smell is awesome. Similar to Southern Tier Choklat, smells like a banana split. Very heavy on Vanilla Beans with sweet chocolate also present. Hops and alcohol are not detected.

Taste is similar to smell, lots of vanilla, chocolate, and roasted malts but this beer is all about the sweetness, like liquid desert.
Like smell, hops and alcohol are non existent.

Mouthfeel was rather light with a chalky finish. Beer is aggressively carbonated and head was gone halfway through beer.

Overall this was a good beer, pretty sweet but not cloyingly sweet like some vanilla porters. Kind of a one note beer but thats not necessarily a bad thing. Would buy again, definitely would buy one at a restaurant with some brownie a la mode.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2011 04:04:43 | More by angelmonster

Haybeerman

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Dark brown; black in low light. Poured a 2 finger tan head that dissipated to a half finger skim. Laced in wavy rings.

S: Vanilla, lots of vanilla. Faint hops, earthy.

T: Toasted malts along with the vanilla (like the beans, not the flower). The flowery part of the vanilla lingers in the finish that, while a little dry, is not bitter.

M: Light body. Moderate carbonation. Surprising crispness for the style which diminishes the smoothness and richness.

O: Definitely vanilla. Extreme as it masks much of the malt character. The feel was not quite right for a porter. All that said, a beer I enjoyed and will have again.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 18:57:48 | More by Haybeerman