Great Lakes 25th Anniversary Vanilla Bean Imperial Espresso Stout - Great Lakes Brewery

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

4.48/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I have to say that Vanilla is my weakness.
Special thanks to TheSevenDuffs for sending me another exceptional beer mail.

Extremely think, oily black pour. Vigorous pour made a thin cap of a brown/red head. Lacing is minimal.

Right up front is nice sweet vanilla, followed by dark espresso. Chocolate syrup, anise, black strap molasses and a touch of burnt toast or campfire smoke.

Vanilla and espresso competing for first taste impression. Chocolate syrup, brown sugar, marshmallow, molasses and short bread cookies.

Full bodied, slightly syrupy and creamy. Low carbonation, sticky on the lips.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 21:43:44 | More by korguy123

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle to GL 25th Anniversary tulip.

A - Pitch black with half a finger of dark cocoa-brown head.

S - A huge vanilla presence up front with espresso and milk chocolate aromas present as well. A very rich nose.

T - A massive vanilla flavour dominates at first and is complimented by a bold espresso flavour. Very sweet overall. Some cocoa and a very light roast profile are also present. The finish is full of espresso and a lingering bitterness.

M - Medium to full body. creamy. Light carbonation.

O - A really good beer but a little too sweet for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 19:36:11 | More by TheSevenDuffs

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Beer is jet black. No head results from the pour, just some dark tan bubbles that quickly disappear.

Lots of coffee in the nose. Roast malt and some caramel. I found it hard to notice the vanilla bean as well with the coffee flavour so prominent, but it is there.

The vanilla is more prominent in the taste, but the coffee is still very strong. Caramel. Liamt07's coffee crisp reference is dead on, it really does have that flavour. Some bitterness from the coffee but overall quite a sweet beer.

Full bodied, but not too heavy. Low carbonation level. A bit sticky, an effect of the sweetness.

Overall, pretty good, but not quite my thing. Too heavy on the coffee and a bit too sweet. Still good.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 18:33:21 | More by jrenihan

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pretty much jet black, light ring of tan head, decent retention with a little lace. Smell is coffee up front followed by a great deal of vanilla bean, like liam said it smells a whole lot like a coffee crisp bar, roast, chocolate, bit of caramel sweetness with more coffee on the back end as well. Taste is a little more in the way of vanilla still lots of coffee and roast, chocolate, some burnt flavours mid palate, a bit of bitterness,more vanilla and coffee in the finish. Light carbonation, big chewey full feel. Just an awesome stout, full of flavour and an exceptional drink.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2012 14:59:26 | More by peensteen

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at WVRST tap takeover. Expresso was there, but the vanilla bean dominates the taste as it has for other beers they have used vanilla beans there. Makes a milk like taste and candy smooth mouthfeel. I appreciate both, but find it very sweet though not cloying. Popular among the ladies, I actually would have liked a little more bitterness or roasting in there, that would have worked better for me.Coffee aroma.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2012 15:40:42 | More by northyorksammy

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at BarHop, for the Black and Orange Hallowe'en event. Into a tulip, several times over.

Black with a deep brown head. Light retention and ok lacing. Nose has espresso upfront, presented with some caramel in almost a a "Coffee Crisp-esque" type way. Strong roast notes through and through. Taste has more espresso, coffee crisp, caramel, some sweetness that could be vanilla but it's not overt. Drier finish with some alcoholic warmth. Medium full feel, but not immense for 10%. Lower medium carbonation. Delicious all around, and perhaps one of the better beers Mike has ever put together - like mixing Peche Mortel with liquid Coffee Crisp.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2012 23:07:03 | More by liamt07