Smoked Porter - Vanilla Bean - Stone Brewing Co.

larryi86

Delaware

3.88/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle poured into a tulip

A- Black with a three finger tan head.

S- Roasted malts, chocolate, vanilla, smoky.

T- Lot of smoke and char, definitely in the finish, chocolate up front with some vanilla in the middle.

M- Medium body, good carbonation.

O- I was really hoping to for more vanilla and less smoke. I would like to try this fresher to see if it has more vanilla. Happy that I at least got to try it!

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 21:37:52 | More by larryi86

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours engine oil black with a generously thick, creamy, sticky head.

S - Roasted chocolate malt, vanilla, some smoke and light char.

T - Chocolate, vanilla, smokey char, and a bitter coffee/dark chocolate-like lingering finish.

M - Mild carbonation, gentle mouthfeel and a bone dry finish.

O - Quite bitter and dry for a porter, maybe dial back the bitterness and let the vanilla come through a little more on the palate, there's more vanilla aroma than flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 20:50:52 | More by jzeilinger

bmwats

Louisiana

3.74/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz bottle, into a footed tulip.

A: Dark brown. Pours a half finger, bubbly, white head. Settles quickly leaving merely a ring around the rim. Just a bit of persistent beer ring lacing.

S: Espresso, lightly smoked; dark chocolate, and vanilla.

T: Tastes like it smells. Lightly smoked coffee, dark chocolate, but only a hint of vanilla. A little black licorice and pecan shell.

M: Hearty and earthy with a bit of a bitter, lingering finish.

D: Sip and enjoy. The lingering pungency will dictate it.

Atmosphere is pretty solid. Dark hue, with only a slight head, and very little lacing. Nose is a really strong combination of coffee, chocolate, and vanilla; all with a slightly smoked character. Flavor is of the same...chocolate, vanilla, and coffee...with a bit of bitter pungency that lingers on the palette. Overall, this is a good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 21:43:28 | More by bmwats

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.79/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass.

Appearance: A very dark brown, not exactly opaque with a thick tan head on the pour coming just above a finger's length off the body.

Smell: Strong vanilla rum scent, but disappears real f'n quick. It comes and goes faster than a speeding car.

Taste: A little bit everywhere here, smoked like the title says and has this sweet vanilla. A complex taste which is good but definitely an acquired one, not to mention a roast coffee feel to go along with it.

Mouth: Medium carbonation coming a notch dry. Pretty sticky and little rough around the edges.

Overall: This a good brew. Is it for everyone?, probably not but It is quality. has a little bit of everything slight coffee bitterness coming off pretty heavily roasted with light sweet vanilla accent to it. Drink and up and enjoy...Salud!

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 03:53:35 | More by BlurryVisi0n

dtivp

West Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured a dark brown with a half finger mocha head that faded quickly into a very thin ring with very spotty lacing.

Aroma of smoky roasted malt, vanilla and a slight hint of chocolate.

Taste started very smoky, the smokiness dominated the taste at first, as it warmed to room temperature the vanilla and molasses sweetness balanced smoked charred roasted malt.

Mouth Feel was medium body, little carbonation, smoky that gradually smooths out to a slight sweet and bitter balance

Overall a good smoked porter best enjoyed a room temperature.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 16:41:24 | More by dtivp

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured a finger of foamy tan head on a darkest brown body.
The aroma is roasted malt with the slight hint of vanilla.
The taste is creamy with roasted malt upfront, vanilla in the middle, and finishes with burnt malt and wood at the end. It's distinct, but a little disjointed.
The texture is creamy with moderate carbonation.
It's a good good but if the taste profile was smoothed out it would be amazing.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 02:10:35 | More by Fatehunter

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.54/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter.

3.5 A: Black color. One and a half fingers of beige creamy/frothy head. Retention is about average and some spotty lacing is left.

4.25 S: The roasty smokiness meshes extremely well with the vanilla. Grainy malts with a pleasant caramel sweetness. Smells like creme brulee in a few ways. Very nice.

3.25 T: The taste isn't nearly as good as the nose. The vanilla seems to almost enhance the bitterness and roastiness from the malts. What results is a wholely unbalanced beer. It needs a lot more sweetness to balance. Still it's not bad, just not as good as it could be.

3.5 M: Lighter medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Could use some more creaminess, but it's okay.

3.5 D: Not bad, but this was $3.50 for the 12 oz. bottle, so I don't this is something I'd buy often.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 03:49:04 | More by DavoleBomb

MIA4IPA

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Best By date is 9-20-2012

Still pored a huge two finger head in that lingered nicely with plenty of stickiness towards the end. Smell still had plenty of Vanilla, chocolate syrup with a touch of smokiness. Taste is very forward with the vanilla and smooth chocolate like a Hershey bar. Mouthfeel is excellent pretty much what you would want for a porter. I had this when it was fresh and I got to say I think it got better sitting. A lot more of the flavors seemed to be more pronounced. Overall this was an excellent beer and would gladly pay 2.99 for another!

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 04:04:09 | More by MIA4IPA

falloutsnow

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From: Binny's, Champaign, IL
Date: Best by 9/25/2012
Glass: Tulip

Pours a 2.5cm head of beige foam, bubbles small to large in size, creating an effect similar to the froth on a malt. Head retention is excellent, lasting over three minutes before it falls to a thick ring around the glass with a light wispy foam atop the body. Lacing is present, somewhat heavy, . The body itself is a dark brown to black in color; light brings out a dark caramel color with its subtle orange, red, and brown hues. Carbonation is sparsely visible through the opaque body, few and sluggish bubbles are found near the brim.

Aroma is strongly of vanilla beans with roasted malt, hints of mild chocolate and rich chocolate syrup, and slight acrid character. Delicious, enticing, dessert-like.

Front of palate finds flavors of vanilla, charred barley, caramel malt. Mid-palate continues with strong vanilla flavors, but increases the richness of the charred barley and adds some dark chocolate flavors to go with it, with the underlying sweetness of heavy caramel malts to support them. Back of palate finds heavily acrid dark chocolate and chocolate syrup, with traces of vanilla and burnt toast. Aftertaste is acrid and bitter, with lingering hints of vanilla, dark chocolate, and roasted malt

Beer is medium bodied, with low to low-medium carbonation. The resulting mouthfeel is smooth, slightly foamy, if not a bit thin. Closes quite dry, as fitting for the roasted flavors and ingredients. There is slight residual stickines across the palate.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 05:51:01 | More by falloutsnow

neenerzig

Ohio

4.24/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Stone Smoked Porter is one of my all time favorite beers to begin with, so I knew that I of course had to try this version of it with vanilla beans in it. Poured into my pint glass. This beer pours a clear dark brown color with a nice tan head about 2/3 inch thick when poured. head settles to a decent sized ring lining the inside of the glass with some decent lacing as well. Aromas of roasted chocolate, malt, coffee, and of course vanilla. The taste is the same, a very nice roasted malt and chocolate sweetness upfront that gives way to some nice black coffee bitterness and is rounded out with a a nice vanilla presence. The vanilla really adds a nice dynamic of this beer that is not found in the other versions of this. As with the Chipotle version of this beer, I also find this version of this beer to be lacking in the hop department in terms of the flavor. That's really the only drawback with this beer in terms of the flavors, and it is a pretty small drawback at that. Has a nice crisp,yet creamy, somewhat oily, medium to full bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. The vanilla really coats the inside of the mouth and lingers for quite awhile. Easy to drink in the way a well crafted beer from Stone should be. I certainly plan to drink this again.

Eric

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 05:33:40 | More by neenerzig

WankelEngine

Illinois

3.76/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a wine glass

A: Pours a very dark, mahogany brown color with a small tan head which forms into larger bubbles before dissipating to a thin, oily cap.

S: A good mix of fudge and vanilla. Some darker, roasted flavors and just a wisp of smoke contrast nicely with the readily apparent vanilla bean sweetness.

T: A bitter, roasted malt is prominent on the attack, with notes of coffee and burnt toast, but it is quickly met by a prominent flavor of vanilla bean which defines the mid-palate. The smoked flavor then takes over and leads to a lingering finish of rich smoke and chocolate.

M: Medium bodied with low but tingly carbonation. Relatively smooth and easy drinking.

O: An interesting porter. The smoke and vanilla flavors actually contrast very nicely. I prefer the Smoked Porter with Chilies, though.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 01:25:01 | More by WankelEngine

keithmurray

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a mug

Appearance - Dark mahogany with khaki head

Smell - vanilla is most prominent, with char and chocolate also present

Taste - vanilla, chocolate, molasses and char

Mouthfeel - medium bodied, medium carbonation sweetness upfront, which is balanced out by bitterness and char

Overall - good porter that I am happy to have tried

Price Point - $3.99/12oz bottle

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 01:40:23 | More by keithmurray

buschbeer

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle
Served in a conical pint glass

A - It is dark brown with dark amber highlights. It had an inch tan head that quickly disappeared.

S - The smell is amazing. I get chocolate, vanilla, and even some coffee. Smoke is conspicuously missing.

T - The chocolate and vanilla come through on the taste, as well. There is some subtly burnt flavor and a little bitterness on the finish. The burnt flavor builds over time and starts to overwhelm the chocolate and vanilla.

M - Medium to full

O - I really enjoy the nose of this beer. The flavor was great until it started to warm up. The burnt flavor that came through as it warmed was not pleasant. I would drink this again, but would enjoy it cooler than I would normally enjoy a porter.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 22:34:48 | More by buschbeer

MadScientist

New York

4.16/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: A dark brown with good clarity. The head is persistant and made of compact, light-tan bubbles.

S: The moderate aroma of the vanilla about even with the coffee, chocolate and malt sweetness of the porter, the smoked aroma is up there too but it comes in a bit behind the two main aromas. No hops to speak of in the nose.

T: The moderately-strong smoke steps it up in the taste slightly dominate the moderate vanilla and malt flavors of coffee, chocolate and a touch of toffee. There is a moderate hops bitterness with a moderate malt sweetness having a balance that is slightly towards the bitter. The finish is medium and the aftertaste is of smoke, coffee and malt bitterness.

M: A medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation and a bit of creaminess.

O: A flavor packed bottle that isn't too rich but would go well with dessert. A decent amount of smoke in the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 00:31:04 | More by MadScientist

Lognar

Illinois

4.19/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Look - More like a brown ale than a porter. Dark brown when poured and held up to the light.

Nose - Smoke, wood, & char backed with sweetness. The vanilla comes through like french vanilla ice cream. The smoke and sweet work great together.

Taste - Vanilla sweetness up front. Almost like a cream soda, but not overly sweet. Nothing like the vanilla in ST Creme Brulee or Evil Twin Biscotti Break. A solid malt backbone carries through and on to the finish. The finish is smoke and malt that lingers on. The smoke and char comes to the forefront as it warms.

Feel - Good carbonation. Nice silky feel, but quite thin. Sadly thin.

Overall- This feels closer to something like a brown ale than a porter in the look and feel, but it's got it where it counts in the nose and taste. The body was the only real disappointing aspect. However, the blend of smoke and vanilla really worked and made this a very drinkable brew that would be awesome with some BBQ. Slainte!

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 05:24:10 | More by Lognar

Utica_Brew_Review

New York

3.89/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Dark amber color. Roasted chocolaty vanilla smokey aroma as expected. Very chocolaty and smokey taste with a hint of the alcohol. The smoke and vanilla are an interesting combination that works really well. Slightly carbonated. Definitely something to be savored. We'd definitely like to try this on draught.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 08:25:54 | More by Utica_Brew_Review

fmccormi

New York

3.71/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Straight pour from a 12oz pry-off bottle to a 25cl Duvel Single tulip; no freshness dating that I’m aware of.

Appearance (4.25): One finger of light tan head (maybe the color of a latte?) made up of a mixture of very fine and very coarse, broad bubbles caps a body that is a very dark, ruddy brown. And perfectly clear, when held up to the light. Some moderate lacing and good retention, as the head takes its time dying down to leave a few rings of webby foam.

Smell (4.0): Well, vanilla. And some smoke. Surprise, surprise, I know. But there’s a much creamier body to the vanilla, like rich vanilla frosting with just a little bit of chocolate syrup, and the smoke is pretty tame. Moderate toasted / roasted malt comes through, kind of a rich, deep, grainy peasant bread.

Taste (3.5): The vanilla and smoke kind of switch around on the palate, with the smoke being much more pronounced and the vanilla playing a supporting role: bit of an oddly fruity tang as the smoke bounces off your palate and dissolves into a subtly ashy, charred character, while the vanilla adds a bit of sweetness and some creamy depth to the malt profile. Some coffee bitterness, nothing huge. All in all, it’s surprisingly subtle and balanced, though—some moderate herbal bitterness on the finish rounds it out, and the slight, charred tang of the smoke hangs on quietly for a while.

Mouthfeel (3.75): Surprisingly light-bodied, sporting some subdued carbonation that foams slowly but fully on the way down; the finish is dry, owing in part to that herbal bitterness toward the end of the palate. Sure is quaffable.

Overall (3.75): This is a decent porter, albeit not exactly what I was expecting. The vanilla is a nice complement to the smoke and slightly charred bitterness of the roasted malts, and thankfully no part of this is overdone in any way. That said, no part of it reaaally jumps out at you, either, but it’s very balanced and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 04:35:48 | More by fmccormi

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured this beer into a glass, it has a black color body with a nice medium sized head that hangs around for a little bit. The smell has a roasty aroma and a nice vanilla smell. The taste has a nice roasted, smokeness malt flavor. It also has a nice vanilla flavor also.
The mouthfeel is very nice and overall really good.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 03:18:23 | More by chefhatt

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Relatively clear dark, rich brown. Head is small and light tan. Drops to a small creamy collar in short order. Light to moderate carbonation. Looks like it should.

Smell: Nice hit of smoked malt upfront. Some roasted malts. Touches of cocoa and dark chocolate. Vanilla is sweet, but not syrupy, actual vanilla bean. Blends well with the smoke and layered malt sweetness. Touches of citrus in the back. Some char and burnt.

Taste: Smoked vanilla bean. Solid roasted malt. Some lingering char and burnt notes layered under the smoke. A bit earthy overall. Some citrus in the back as well. Caramel and chocolate malts. Cocoa dusted. Some old coffee in the back as well. Vaguely leafy. Vanilla is creamy.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a moderate carbonation. The vanilla adds a perceived smoothness that elevates it a touch above the base.

Overall: Anything but vanilla.

Another solid application by Stone. This bottle is better than the fresh bottle I tried, which was a bit unexpected. A nice punch of smoke blends well with the vanilla. Kind of like a burnt dessert that doesn't suck.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 20:34:17 | More by Goblinmunkey7

stumac

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours up black with great white head. No lacing. Aroma is vanilla bean right up front. Sweet malts. Taste is same as nose. Amazing fucking beer. Very cheap too. Full body. I dig this. Drinkin this while watching "I Heart Huckabees" good movie so far to start.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 03:11:01 | More by stumac

DovaliHops

California

4.01/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark brown, almost black. Small-medium, off-white/tan head that disappears quickly. Scent is nice and roasty. Dark malt, dark chocolate...with A LOT of vanilla. Taste is initially vanilla forward. A TON of vanilla. Not nearly as smokey as the original smoke porter. Very faint smoke with a well balanced, sweet, dark chocolate edge. Somewhat bitter finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Drinkability is high. Overall, this is a great beer that is very tasty. I prefer the Chipotle version more though.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2013 09:58:22 | More by DovaliHops

shand

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean pours out a deep brown color with a tiny off-white head. The aroma is a little awkward, with the vanilla never quite properly integrating with the smoked malts. The taste is much more balanced than I expected, with an excellent vanilla flavor mingling with the solid smoke and roast flavors of the original. The late aftertaste is where this beer really diverges from the original, with the vanilla lingering on the palate long after the smoke and roast have given up the ghost. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied and fairly coating, and the drinkability is exceptional. Overall, the Vanilla Bean treatment on Stone's Smoked Porter is another success. It's not as perfectly complementary as the Chipotle version, but it's still worthy.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 01:00:49 | More by shand

djjacobsen

3.91/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

This is a novel idea. I enjoy porters and vanilla is a wonderful dessert/gourmet addition but i feel like this beer falls short. The mouthfeel is too smooth and lacks the punch that a good porter has. The smell is the best thing about this beer but is misleading. On paper, its a great idea, but it really fails top deliver. I was glad my serving was 12 oz. I wouldn't revisit it again. Nice try Stone.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 22:33:03 | More by djjacobsen

cyclonece09

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a 14 oz "pint" glass. Pours black with a nice froffy off white head about 2 fingers. Smells of chocolate, almost of candy bar quality, probably because of the blend of the porter with the vanilla bean. The vanilla taste dominates, although it does have a little bit of a coffee note. Beer is slightly undercarbonated, but it is fine for a porter of light body. Overall, a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 03:44:57 | More by cyclonece09

Gavage

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a dark brown color with a short 1/2" head that breaks down quickly. Some spots of lace stick on the sides of the glass.

Smell: roasted malt, vanilla, and a hint of smoke is easily detctable by the nose.

Taste: roasted malt, light smokiness, a muted vanilla tone, milk chocolate, and a moderate bitterness create a well balanced beer.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Light crispness throughout. Long lasting aftertaste as the soft vanilla and smokiness linger on the tongue.

Overall: a very drinkable smoked porter that would go great with a dessert.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 19:41:56 | More by Gavage