Breckenridge Vanilla Porter

Brewed by Breckenridge Brewery
Style: Porter
Denver, Colorado USA

Thanks to Degarth for this one, one of my all-time favorite styles. The pour was deep brown with 1-finger khaki head. The aroma was roasty malty, with a solid vanilla and chocolate smell. The palate was medium, with flavors of vanilla beans, roasty malt, and chocolate syrup. It gets sweeter at the end, with more vanilla and chocolate notes as it warms, and to me, that is a good thing for this style.

A deep dark clear brown porter with a thick unctuous moka head. Aroma of vanilla, chocolate, light c-hops, very pleasing. In mouth, a very nice light porter with vanilla essence, oily mouth feel, light to medium bodied. On tap at Ballpark brewpub 24 Jan. 2009.

Very dark brown with a small off-white head. Caramel and molasses in the aroma. Cloying sweet with way too much vanilla flavour.

Bottle. Head is initially small, frothy/fizzy, brown, mostly diminishing. Body is dark brown. Aroma is moderately malty (roasted/burnt grain, chocolate), with notes of buttered popcorn and vanilla. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly to moderately bitter, slightly unclean. Light to medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation. If you like to have a little vanilla flavor with your diacetyl, this one is the ticket.

In principle, vanilla porter sounds like a good idea, but it’s usually porrly executed. Pretty much a black body with a slightly yellowish head. The aroma is light vanilla coffee and not much else going on. The taste is lightly burnt cofee up front with a lot of vamilla in the finish. It’s a little overwhelming with with the vanilla. This could use a little more body and roasted flavors. Maybe they are tyring for a thin brown porter than is dominated by the vanilla, but it does not work for me.

Draught. Medium high off-white lasting head. Pitch black body. Weeak coffee aroma. Vanilla coffee hops choccolate flavor with heavy carbonation and a long aftertaste.

Draft @ the Breckenridge brewpub: Poured a clear very dark chestnut brown with an off-white head. The aroma is of milk chocolate and vanilla with a light roast. The flavor had some roasted malt with an artificial vanilla taste. Semi-sweet finish with a light-medium body.

Bottled. Poured an iced tea/burgundy with little wisps of beige head. Nose was heavily vanilla-centric with lightly-roasted chocolate, too. Vanilla drove the flavor, too... with woodsy notes and mildly charred chocolate behind it. Palate was lighter-bodied, and felt a tad empty across the middle. This was alright.. but missing some complexity. Enjoyed it more as it warmed.