White Cat Vanilla Porter - Third Street Aleworks

watermelonman

California

2.78/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Delivered from the tap at the brewery, this looked nice but started falling downhill the closer I got.

The color and foam were appropriately dark, and vanilla dotted the smell in a nice way. However, once I started drinking it, vanilla punched me in the face and left me with little recourse. As a result of the undue sweetness, the mouthfeel wound up far too thin. Not far from being a solid effort, but not there yet.

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2013 05:51:21 | More by watermelonman

mentor

Colorado

3.35/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A bottle left over after GABF judging and given to me as a reward for my volunteer efforts. Pours a finger of brown head over a pitch liquid with dark ruby edgings when held to light. Smells lightly-roasted coffee beans, vanilla, cream, pineapple, citrus hops, light-colored caramel. Some searching to pull out these aromas.

Tastes roast coffee, nougat, citrus hops, moderate hop bitter, with soothing undertones of vanilla. Wet sweet with drying hop bitterness accompanied by firm carbonation. Drying finish from the carbonation and light alcohol sting. Aftertaste is roast and chocolate with earthy hop grassiness. Decent, though comes across a bit too minerally and with a small acid imbalance.

IMO, vanilla flavor has little place in beer unless imparted by barrels. Some vanilla porters can be nice if the vanilla is a contributor, rather than the main player. In this beer, the vanilla is too low to be a noticed partner with the porter characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 05:35:26 | More by mentor