Vanilla Java Porter (VJP)
Atwater Brewery

This beer is a lot better than a 79. I've had porters that taste like flavored water. This one is a good tasting porter. Not the best, but definitely better than a 79.

Ordered on tap, Dark brown/ black color, no head by the time it was brought to my table. Left some lacing. Vanilla dominated both aroma and taste. Full, rich flavor and came across a bit like a dessert beer. Okay overall, doubt I would order again.

Solid beer. My only real complaint is the mouthfeel, it's just thin, nothing else about it. That's probably just a consequence of the 5% abv though, which makes it a little more approachable, so I'll cut it some slack for that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tastes and smells a bit like a chocolate milkshake. I’ve had better.

 

 

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a tulip glass. It pours a very deep cola color with a thin, khaki-colored head that dissipated quickly. A subdued nose: mostly roasted malt, cocoa, and earthy nuts. The taste is primarily char, bakers chocolate, and burnt nuts. There is little of the cocoa that I smelled. The vanilla bean is noticeable in the after taste. In that sense it's rather one dimensional. The mouth feel is okay for a Porter but on the thin side. The carbonation is appropriate and at 5% ABV it's quite drinkable. Overall, there is nothing wrong with this Porter but nothing memorable either. I would recommend it as an accompaniment to a burger, cheese steak or other substantial meat dish rather than for casual drinking.

 

 

12 oz. bottle into a pint glass with a very dark brown almost black color, tan head and decent lacing. Aroma is vanilla front and center, some coffee and caramel notes as well. Taste is more coffee than vanilla with notes of chocolate, roasted malt and nuts. Mouthfeel is smooth, thin bodied with decent carbonation and somewhat sweet finish. Overall, its a decent porter. I like vanilla, but its a bit too sweet and thin-bodied for me.

 

Very good head production, although it looks a touch fizzy and light, and is remarkably smooth and even. Retention, however, is ridiculously good. Dark beige/light tan head; body a shade darker and thicker than cola. Flat fields of lacing with decent legs.

Nose is a very nice blend of toast, caramel, toffee, dark fruit, cola, vanilla, and coffee - really a straight forward traditional porter profile, simply with vanilla added.

Very thin on the palate - perhaps not surprising for the low ABV, but still disappointing. Light bodied; semi-dry.

Grape, prune, and coffee up front; the light mouthfeel robs the flavors of any immediate impact. Growing toastiness mid-sip, with mild notes of coffee along with toffee, a touch of brown sugar, and cola. Nutty, a touch of chocolate, light toast, and more vanilla on the finish.

A very straight forward but pretty tasty beer. Nothing is off about it, but it doesn't really stand out from the crowd. A thicker body would have been preferred, but I suppose this is all about providing a good amount of flavor in a light, drinkable body.

Poured black with a two finger tan head. Heavy lacing is present. Nose leads with pronounced vanilla followed by a whiff of mustiness, then burnt sugar. I like vanilla though. Taste of vanilla cream, malt an nuts that lingers on the finish. Thin mouthfeel and carbonation. Overall, ok. This is not a porter that you want to shout about, but it is very drinkable.