Snowdrift Vanilla Porter - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

SerialHiker

Illinois

1.65/5  rDev -51.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1

Appearance: Pours an extremely dark ruby red…it’s dark, but light does get through the center…light mocha colored head did form and a thin layer remained…after a couple of minutes though, all foam is gone and it looks old…(2.25/5)

Smell: Creamy, somewhat perfumy, vanilla right off the bat…caramel and roasted malts…too much vanilla smell in this one makes it feel cheap…(2/5)

Taste: Much like the nose, creamy vanilla right off the bat…it does have a bit of a stale taste to it that I don’t find particularly delectable…bourbon barrel flavor, toasted malts and mild hint of cocoa come out after initial creamy blast…after taste has a bit of that vanilla perfume predicted in the nose…(1.5/5)

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body…medium carbonation…does have a wet feel…(2.5/5)

Overall: I typically like porters, but this one feels cheaply done and a bit like a gag gift at Christmas…I didn’t buy this, so I don’t feel so bad dumping it out and looking for another option…NEXT! (0/5)

Serving type: can

01-02-2013 02:36:26 | More by SerialHiker

jdaugh23

1.7/5  rDev -49.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

Tastes a little bit like cough syrup.
You might wonder about the math that resulted in an overall score of 1.0, even though 3 of 4 scores were 3.0 and one was 1.0... This is because taste is more important than the other characteristics. And also because I don't know enough to accurately rate this beer's mouthfeel, and I didn't study it's appearance. How can you study a beer's appearance when it's in a brown bottle? Why pour the beer into a glass to review it, when the beer will be drank from a bottle almost all of time? I mean, who would make the extra effort to pour this disgusting beverage into a glass anyway? And even though other beers from this brewer are tolerable, I still don't think that the majority of them warrant the dirtying of a clean glass.
Well, there's my two cents. I just got home from Kroger and this was the first one that I tried from the seasonal variety pack. Moments later I was googling furiously to find out how I could share my disgust with the world, and just moments ago I created my first Beer Advocate account.
I kinda doubt that my impression is different from what your own would be, because I enjoy a wide range of beers from Coors Light to Sam Adams Boston Lager, and every draft stout or IPA that I've tried.

Bottom line: Avoid this beer (unless you have a cough, because something tells me it would work well for that).

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 02:19:31 | More by jdaugh23

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

1.93/5  rDev -42.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Poured into a shaker pint.

Appearance
Transparent dark, dark brown with red highlights and a half finger of head.

Nose
Cream soda, black licorice and artificial raspberry.

Taste
Cream soda, artificial raspberry, black licorice and Splenda. Just the lightest dusting of cocoa. WTF is this? BLECH!

Mouthfeel
Light bodied and heavily carbonated.

Overall
This is bad. I don't think Leinenkugel's has any idea what a Porter is.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2012 01:42:04 | More by justintcoons

cfpct

Illinois

2.13/5  rDev -37%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

I bought this 1 hour ago at Wal-mart where the choice was really limited. It looked intriguing and the price was right, $11.50 for a twelver. I was hesitant because most beers by Leinenkugel are disappointing. I checked the reviews on Beeradvocate, and the consensus was drinkable to pretty good, so I picked up the twelver. I wished I had bought something else. Leinenkuge calls it a porter, but it tastes nothing like a porter. The taste is like caramelized water with a hint of vanilia. It sort of tastes like bitter root beer. This is my first review on Beeradvocate, and I am usually content with comparing my opinion to the reviews on this site, but my experience with this beer was so opposite of the other reviews that I felt compelled to post a review. I will not buy this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 18:18:55 | More by cfpct

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

2.28/5  rDev -32.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Pours a very dark red color. This one definitely isn't perfectly opaque by any means. The head is a one finger light mocha shade that fades quickly to a thin collar around the ring of the glass. Lacing is minimal.

S: Unimpressive. Slight vanilla-esque cream soda notes and a bit of hazelnut...and that's it.

T: Again, tons of vanilla and cream soda seem to dominate (inasmuch as it's the strongest flavor note), while the only hint of this being a dark beer is slight hazelnut on the back end. I can tell after the first sip the sweetness will really wear on me hard. But the worst part? The sweetness gradually shifts into a chemical sensation that's kind of unpleasant.

M: This features honest-to-God sugar burn, caused by the huge lingering sweetness and syrupy finish. Even worse is the intense carbonation, which creates an even harsher mouthfeel.

O: Even as a dessert beer, I'd call this one a mild failure. As a porter, it's more or less a total failure. The only thing it really has going for it is drinkability - if only to get the chemical aftertaste off of the palate as soon as possible. No regrets getting a single bottle (a tick is a tick, damnit), but I don't need to ever have this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 21:28:36 | More by ThisWangsChung

garuda

Pennsylvania

2.28/5  rDev -32.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

A - Deep ruby, nearly black, tan head has zero retention and zero lace.

S/T - A touch of vanilla, then some creamed coffee roast, chocolate, grain husk. Simple, straightforward. No real off-flavors except for a touch of metallic.

M - Medium/light body, way too high spritzy carbonation. Thin, watery, with not a clean finish.

O - Ehh.. beef up the consistency and tone down the carb, then it might be average.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 19:03:15 | More by garuda

wac9

Pennsylvania

2.28/5  rDev -32.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

nothing good to say here as i was told its a water down version of ___ just because it it has vanilla doesnt make it drinkable everybody yearns for winter bourbon cask ale and no beer can ever compare to that so grab this beer if you like vanilla it packs no punch and lacks the color of porter

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 02:03:51 | More by wac9

bnes09

Illinois

2.3/5  rDev -32%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Dark red but mostly transparent when held to light. Descent head on the pour but weak retention and no lacing.

Smell is mild roasted with strong vanilla extract.

Some roasted character, mostly toast, and overwhelming vanilla flavor. Sweet overall. Unbalanced with weak malt and too much vanilla.

Light to medium bodied and overly carbonated. Needs more texture.

Subpar for a porter. Weak malt character and body with excess vanilla.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 03:26:09 | More by bnes09

tut2528

Illinois

2.38/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A: typical porter appearance, black as night, no transparency, creates about 1/2-1 fingers worth of head formation that is off-white to slight tan in color.

S: smokey, slight coffee presence, touch of vanilla of sweetness, i pick up on some grain as well. not that appealing.

T: sweet malt and vanilla are strong in this one. i pick up on some brown sugar as well with a slight coffee presence.

M: very light, actually too light. water, doesn't leave much on the palate. other than an artificial sweet tasted

O: it sounded interesting, but really isnt. much too light, not enough porter qualities in my opinion. just a fake sweetness that is quite unappealing.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 21:50:44 | More by tut2528

colts9016

Idaho

2.4/5  rDev -29%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a nonic at 45 degrees.

Appearance: A one finger head that has poor retention. The head is ivory in color, foamy, and creamy. The color of the beer is dark brown, like used motor oil; however, dark reddish hues glisten from the light. The clarity of the beer is opaque with some carbonation bubble visible from the side of the glass.

Nose: Deep roasted malt with acrid aromas followed by toffee, kettle caramel, and grain. The vanilla is faint with a leather tone, faint sugar and grass.

Taste: The malt is roasted with a burnt acrid overtone with some toffee, and kettle caramel. The vanilla once again is faint with a a leather tone, faint sugar, grass, and herbal note.

The mouth feel of the beer is slightly astringent. thin, and carbonated.

The body of the beer is medium and the finish is medium. I really hate to say this but this porter is below average. The flavors are not uniformed, the vanilla is playing peek a boo with the taste bud. I have had some better porter. I wish Leinenkugel would try to put more effort in making higher quality beer instead of a Henry Ford assembly line.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 06:23:27 | More by colts9016

qthompso

Minnesota

2.43/5  rDev -28.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a deep reddish brown. A half finger of beige head that quickly dissipates. No lacing.

Weird smells coming from this one. I pick up the vanilla that gives it the name but I'm also getting sarsaparilla, chocolate, and an artificial sweetness nose.

The taste follows with vanilla, root beer, chocolate and and ginger snap. Generally I like all of these things but not mixed together and in beer form. It's a refreshing attempt at something new from Leinie's but there's a bit too much going on here.

Good, creamy mouthfeel with ample carbonation. If the taste hadn't ruined the beer, the mouthfeel would be the perfect way to finish off a solid porter.

Overall, nowhere near one of my favorite porters. I commend them for branching out of their normal offerings but there are too many flavors fighting each other in this beer and a lot of them have an artificial taste to them.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 01:52:30 | More by qthompso

Moose90

Colorado

2.48/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into pint glass, allowed to warm for a few minutes.

Decent looking beer, nice dark brown with a present but thin and fading creamy head, some lacing.
Aroma hints at the coming vanilla bomb, but does have nice chocolate malt underlinings.
Taste was a bit to sweet for my liking, but I can see many liking this brew.
Light mouthfeel lead to an overall easy drinking and enjoyable beer.

Not bad, not great, pretty much standard Leinenkugel fare.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 20:27:57 | More by Moose90

scaliasux

Wisconsin

2.48/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Appearance - Dark cola brown. Appears clear. Medium tall tan head with good retention.

Smell - Dark malt. Only moderately strong chocolate, coffee, raisin. Maybe a hint of vanilla, but maybe I'm just being suggestible.

Taste - Seems pretty light for style. A burnt chocolate dominates. Some pretty prominent sweet vanilla.

Mouthfeel - Light-medium. Dry.

Overall - Sounds like a better idea than it tastes.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 05:19:07 | More by scaliasux

FratyardVines

Italy

2.53/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Initially, it pours a very thin head of about half a finger, which dissipates quickly leaving moderate lacing. The look is a deep, dark, brownish-black with just a tint of red when it catches the light. The nose is deceptive and it doesn’t hold much of a smell when compared to its strong taste. A malty porter with a complicated palate but a lingering cocoa after taste that is reminiscent of a dark chocolate candy bar. I really like the way a vanilla-coffee flavor bursts at first taste followed by the overbearing cocoa finish to really add a varied taste experience. The Snowdrift holds a slight bitterness to it, almost like coffee and the mouthfeel is strongly carbonated but smooth. This is a bit more on the darker and bitterer side than most beers but pretty standard for a porter. It warms the drinker and is perfect for enjoying on a snowy winter night while cozied up in a ski chalet somewhere.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 05:47:47 | More by FratyardVines

secondtooth

Indiana

2.63/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Glad this one was a gift from bzach, as I surely wouldn't buy another. Pours a deep, dark ruby. Thick head of quickly-dissipating fizzy tan bubbles. No lace.

Nose says chocolate, cocoa nibs, and maybe a hint of vanilla. Actually it's more like a vanilla Coke. Weird.

Taste is equally like a vanilla Coke, with an odd artificial sweetness. The finish shows this best of all. Not good, At all.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 14:38:03 | More by secondtooth

papa_swearingen

2.65/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Me no likey. I find the vanilla to be extremely bitter and 'dirty'. The vanilla leads to coffee and cocoa flavors, both of which are what are causing the bitter I think. This is especially noticeable if you take a sip and let the aftertaste develop for a few minutes. I'm pretty disappointed in this one... Leiny's has been known to lay an egg from time to time and I think this is one them. While drinking it, or forcing it down, I kept looking to see if it was almost gone because I was sick of it. I'm guessing Breckenridge is a better bet. The mouthfeel is good and its smooth going down, but I just can't get passed the aftertaste. I'm gonna go brush my teeth now.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 19:47:04 | More by papa_swearingen

Murrhey

Montana

2.65/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Reviewed live.

A- Quarter-inch mocha-colored head. Deep, dark colored body. Some thin, soapy lacing.

S- Chocolate, roast malts, vanilla. Cold and crisp smelling.

T- Bland porter tastes. Vanilla, chocolate. Not bad, but meh.

M- Lighter feel, wet finish.

O- Forgettable beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 09:33:19 | More by Murrhey

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

2.71/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

12oz bottle. Deep clear ruby with a fizzy head of light mocha froth. Retention and lacing are poor with this eventually going pretty dead looking in the glass. Smells of cocoa, vanilla, acrid roast and some green citrus. The taste is cocoa, vanilla and a little toffee sweetness. Same acrid and burnt roastiness as the nose. A tingle of green hops runs down the center. The feel is lighter to medium bodied with a too thin and astringent presence in the mouth. Just a touch of sharpness at least adds a little something to this. This was a pretty weak Porter in all categories and I just didn’t care for it a whole lot. Next…

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 15:37:37 | More by Kegatron

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A-dark brown color with a tan head and decent lacing

S-roasted malt, vanilla, faint coffee and chocolate

T-roasted malt, coffee, little chocolate, vanilla, slight bitter finish

F-light to medium body with moderate carbonation, a little thin

O-very little depth of flavor beyond the vanilla, also a thin body--an average porter at best

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 22:39:11 | More by MDDMD

wingman14

Ohio

2.85/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Pours black with a mocha head that faded fast. Lots of bubbles around the glass, looks almost like a coke after the head fades. Smell is very faint, sweet, vanilla and roasted malt. Taste seems like it is trying to be a russian imperial stout, the alcohol comes through, but it isn't a very high ABV. Starts with almost an aluminum flavor (even though this was from a bottle), and kicks into an artificial vanilla, with some roasted malt, but middle and end are dominated by the alcohol flavor. The aftertaste has some roasted notes but the alcohol is still king of the palette. Mouthfeel is too harsh, with a medium light body. Overall the beer could have had a few minor changes to come out a decent porter. I would pass on this one, many other great porters out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 02:21:35 | More by wingman14

Donnelj

Michigan

2.9/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into standard pint glass this beer is disappointing right from the start. Dark watery color with a slight head that disappears very quickly with no lacing. The appearance completely lacks the characteristics expected in a porter. The smell is primarily of vanilla extract. The feel is thin and highly carbonated, almost feels like a cola in the mouth. Tastes like a commercial winter ale with vanilla extract added. Overall this beer is certainly drinkable but disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 22:55:56 | More by Donnelj

mralphabet

Virginia

2.9/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Poured a brown with reddish highlights with a finger worth of head that dissipates very quickly down to nothing with no lacing to speak of.

S: I'm getting hints of vanilla, coffee and a little chocolate.

T: Little more watered down than the smell would suggest... Pretty light up front with vanilla and chocolate malt coming in mid-palette. Finish is a little bitter and warm with a hint of vanilla floating around.

M: Lighter than I was expecting from the style.... pretty wet with very light carbonation. Not impressed.

O: Sadly a pretty weak porter, I was expecting a little more here. Not quite up to the Leine's I'm used too.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 22:03:40 | More by mralphabet

tectactoe

Michigan

2.91/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.75

Pours a deep brown, dark ruby red color. Thick tan head reduces to about a quarter-inch pretty quickly. Some slight vanilla on the nose, full of sweetness and handfuls of roasted, dark malts. Upon the first taste, the body is kind of a let down - very thin and highly carbonated, not something you'd expect from a porter. Oak and wood chips hit first; all-around, huge bouts of roasted malts cloud the palate. Vanilla bean plays an overcast role, not as prominent at first, but growing toward the end of the sip. I'm picking up some slight honey flavors in there as well. The sweetness grows and grows from the start to the finish. At first, it seems like a nice touch, but there isn't enough of a hop profile to offset it, and near the end of the beer, the sweetness is nearly cloying and a little over-the-top. It has a dense vanilla-coffee bean aftertaste, not bad.

For a porter, it's nothing to write home about, and the sweetness needs to be balanced better. However, it's not awful, and it's certainly one of the better offerings I've had from Lienenkugels. Just too sweet.

Serving type: can

12-10-2012 04:05:38 | More by tectactoe

A60sburnout

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Finally found a 12 pack after numerous trips to liquor stores; it had better be worth the trouble!

Not being a big fan of the porter style, I didn't have much in the way of expectations, however I was pleasantly surprised. It seemed that the vanilla flavoring was able to diminish the malt 'bite' of a typical porter; I found this beer to be far more drinkable ( to my taste) that a more traditional porter.

The head poured to an off-white/ beige color, complementing the deep brown of the liquid. Nice malty aroma matches well with the taste, an average porter mellowed by the infusion of vanilla found more in the aftertaste.

Nice, drinkable alternative to more traditional winter /seasonal offerings. Certainly not outstanding, but interesting enough to add some variety to your holiday celebrations. the 6% alcohol will help in tolerating the in-laws.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 17:02:04 | More by A60sburnout

SometimesIfart

Michigan

3.03/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - See through black with a quickly receding one finger off white head. No lacing.

S. Weird malt, slight vanilla. Pretty lacking.

T - Now this is more like it. Massive vanilla up front, slight light coffee in the finish.

M - Medium body with heavy carbonation.

O - Overall, this wasn't too bad for a Leine. Not great by any means however. Completely average. I can think of better beers to drink on a cold snowy night however.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 04:40:53 | More by SometimesIfart