Show Dog Vanilla Stout
III Dachshunds/City Lounge

Perhaps my senses were burned out by drinking a Double Crooked Tree when I tried this beer, but it was not impressive. It didn't really make an impression on any of my senses.

It poured an opaque black with minimal head. It had absolutely no aroma. Flavor was slightly sweet and milky, but I didn't really detect much/any vanilla. Mouthfeel was very flat, and what stout flavor there was seemed cloaked in a watery package.

I had this beer on-tap at Landmark 1850 Inn in Milwaukee. I have some doubts as to the sanitation of their tap-lines; nothing I drink there seems to taste as good as it should. However, I understand this beer is brewed by the Landmark's owner - I would think this beer's condition would have a lot of attention paid to it.

Vanilla, Vanilla, Vanilla. Smells like Breyer’s French Vanilla ice cream. Tastes like a milk stout that’s had a tablespoon of vanilla extract dumped in it. Looks great with a shiny obsidian body and creamy milk chocolate head. Complete unbalanced. The only flavor is vanilla and with it comes a strong syrupy sweetness and slight extract like alcohol feeling. Body is on the thin side. This bothers me because I feel like a beer that smells and tastes like ice cream should, to some degree, feel like ice cream too. Overall, a vanilla lover’s dream or a stout purist’s worst nightmare. I couldn't drink more than one.

This is the same beer as Stone Cellar's Vanilla Stout; Stone Cellar contract-brews the III Dachshunds stuff.

Show Dog is sleek and black, with a generous, creamy chocolate-colored head. Sounds like an ugly dog, but makes for a gorgeous beer. It smells amazing, like vanilla ice cream. I suppose you could nitpick and say that there's no balance between the vanilla sweetness and typical stout roastedness, but that's like getting down on Anna Kournikova because she sucks at tennis. After sitting and smelling this beer for a good five minutes, I was a little worried--no way could it taste as good as it smells. Well, it does; this Anna Kournikova can play some ball! It's impossibly smooth, with a light roasted flavor floating in a sea of sweet vanilla, like an oatmeal stout float. Add in a smooth, velvety mouthfeel and you have a beer that's obscenely good.

Whatever Stone Cellar and III Dachshunds have going with their stouts is amazing. As good as the 3D oatmeal stout is, this is better. I would have given this 5s across the board except that it makes me uncomfortable to call anything perfect; however, I certainly have never enjoyed a beer more than this one.