Atwater Vanilla Java Porter

Brewed by Atwater Block Brewery
Style: Porter
Detroit, Michigan USA

black with a medium sized bubble head. aroma strong of a over roasted coffee with an interesting undoubtedly vinegar component which seems to enhance with time. The slightly sour vinegar component finds its way serpiginously into the flavor quite honestly drastically detracting from the anticipated roasted malt coffee punch. Not sure where the vanilla went... finishes slightly sour slightly roasted malt. Although interesting, I think they missed their mark.

Exciting aroma of coffee, nuts, vanilla bean, and grains, but falls short as the taste is uninspired and is overpowered with an espresso flavor and a bitter finish.

Pours a nice black, brown at edges, decent head that faded fairly quickly, no lacing. Aroma was a bit of chocolate, a good bit of coffee, and some sour astringency that was rather off-putting. Flavor unfortunately matched, more coffee, acidic astringency that was almost sour, and then a bizarre, slightly sweet finish with a wierd vanilla note that didn’t hang with anything else. I just didn’t like this at all.

Dark black body with a small creamy light brown head. Sweet roasted coffee aroma with a bare trace of vanilla. Some light sourness on the nose. Dark roasted coffee flavor, slightly burned with a touch of vanilla in the end with hints of burnt toast.

12 oz bottle - Pours a clear, very dark ruby red color with medium sized light tan head that sticks around. Aroma is a bit spicey, with the decided presence of burnt coffee (like that stuff at the office that’s been left on the burner all day long), black pepper, jalapenos. Flavor is a bit better, with some light malts and a bit of roastyness, fair amount of ash and cigarette butts, with a bit of tartness in the finish that doesn’t really belong, and a mildly sweet finish. Not very good - I’d avoid it if you can, as there are FAR better porters out there. Not god aweful, but not too far from it.

Bottle. Smells like coffee and vanilla, what a surprise. gritty fizzy coffee flavor with thinner body. Dry chalkyness throughout. I just did not like this beer.

Interesting Porter. Kind of just another run-of-the-mill porter. Kind of a "meh" porter. I think it would’ve been better if there were more vanilla like i thought it was going to be.

Appearance: Pours a black body with a fizzy, short-lived head. Smell: The aroma smells of gas station coffee left to scorch upon the burner for far too long. Oh, and with just a wisp of vanilla. Taste: More of the roasty low-grade coffee with a light sweetness. There’s really never more than just a hint of vanilla extract. Finishes watery with a bit of sourness. Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Watery. Harshly spritzy. Drinkability: Not overly pleasant, either in taste or aroma. Also, painfully overcarbonated.