Vanilla Deth
Revolution Brewing

1879
Name: Vanilla Deth
Brewery: Revolution Brewing
Location: Chicago, IL
Style: Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 13.6%
Date: 11/03/2021
I have already consumed the original Deth; it was a solid beer. I decided to try vanilla; I hope the beer is not cloyingly vanilla. Using a tulip glass, I served it at 48 degrees. The pour created a frothy, creamy dark brown two-fingered head with average retention. The dissipation left no lacing on the glass. Charting the color around SRM 36 is dark brown, nearly black. The appearance of the beer is average for this style.
Nosing the glass, I smell vanilla, oatmeal, medium-roasted coffee, dark chocolate, toasted bread crumbs, molasses, raisins, figs, caramel, alcohol, dark roasty malt notes, and a touch of char.
I taste vanilla, char, smoke, medium-roasted coffee, dark chocolate, toasted bread crust, caramel, molasses, raisins, alcohol, dark roasty malts, and earthiness.
The mouthfeel is warming and creamy. The body is medium-plus, has low carbonation, and lingering smoothing on the finish.
The vanilla is not overpowering, thank god. Great oatmeal, great stout flavors, and is easy to imbibe. The alcohol comes through more than beers with this high ABV.

 

 

12oz can. Can bottom is stamped 'FILLED NOV/03/2021'.
Black colored body, with a very thin garnet color back lit edge. Two fingers of light tan head, that retreats quickly to an active surface storm. No lacing.
Aroma of dark roasted malts, big vanilla, oak, chocolate, bourbon and caramel.
Taste is big with the bourbon soaked dark roasted malts, vanilla, oak, chocolate, and caramel. Waves of bourbon flavors. Bourbon chocolate/caramel candy in the aftertaste.
Thicker mouth feel. Silky texture. Slight alcohol burn but mostly noticed as an overall warmth. Supportive carbonation.
Bourbon soaked caramel fudge, with a vanilla note.

 

 

Canned 11/3/21. Poured at 54° Mixed bubbles, dark tan head turns fizzy; poor cap retention; thin ring , spots of lace; medium legs; black with ruby edges.
Vanilla and bourbon nose; boozy exhale. Taste is vanilla, bourbon, bittersweet dark chocolate, caramel malt; oaky vanilla; chocolate finish. Silky smooth feel; medium plus body, but not adjuncty; full mouth warmth from 13.6% abv; moderate minus carbonation; dry barrel/oaky finish. Overall, a great variant, bourbon and vanilla; I could stand a little more vanilla, but otherwise outstanding.

Canned 2021/11/03
Pours a frothy brown fizzy 1 finger head with moderate retention, little lacing, decent legs, pitch black color

Nose thick fudgey cocoa, dark chocolate, some roast and coffee, a touch of char and very dark roasty cocoa coffee, fair amount of vanilla, a bit of whiskey, vanilla barrel to go with the big vanilla spice, touch of cookie dough and nougat, little baking spices

Taste brings loads of chocolate again as well as vanilla, rich vanilla, vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate, a little warming alcohol, big coffee, mild roasty but big coffee and cream, little roast, baking spices, bit of nougat, some bourbon and vanilla barrel, little oak spice and caramel sugars, fudgey cocoa and nougat character, a little bitterness, semi sticky sweet finish, a bit more alcohol warmth and lingering cocoa fudge and a bit of bourbon spice, and vanilla

Mouth is full bod, thick chewy, med frothy carb, light warming alcohol

Overall pretty nice, don't think it's as good as the other Deth beers although it's been a while, but still a good beer

 

 

 

Sampling a 12 oz can at cellar temp poured into my snifter. Can date stamp is filled November 03, 2021.
The beer pours a dark black coffee color with a fluffy beige head of about 1 cm. This foam fades to a sturdy edge layer and one large wispy island.
The aroma is some dark chocolate and a bit of fudge, with some bourbon notes and a bit of general booze too. Im not getting a lot of vanilla here. No hint of hops either.
First sip reveals a medium body with very fine and spacious carbonation. Generally very smooth beer.
Flavor is similar to the nose with some dark chocolate, a bit of roasted note and some bourbon. I get just hints of vanilla sweetness in the background, before the dark fudge note takes over. No hops anywhere. I do get some boozy warmth on the swallow.
This is a nice barrel aged stout. abv isnt really hidden and I was hoping for a little more vanilla presence, but this is still a solid beer that I enjoy. Glad to have tried it.

 

Solid black appearance
Medium light carbonation with about a medium body.
Aroma is bourbon,wood, alcohol, coffee,raisin with vanilla which gets stronger as I kept paying attention to the aroma.
Taste is sweet bourbon,vanilla extract, coffee,wood, and malt. Alcohol shows up but somewhat subdued for how strong.
Overall this was an excellent beer that was really well made

 

Pours pitch black. Aroma is mix of vanilla, chocolate and bourbon. I expected a bit more intensity of the aroma though i admit that i am setting a very high standard.

The taste is more intense. Follows aroma with some maple. Well balanced & smooth. Mouthfeel is full.

This is an outstanding stout.

 

 

Poured at fridge temp. Pours pitch black with light brown head. Nose is vanilla, coffee, chocolate, bourbon, marshmallows. Just so smooth.

The taste is amazing. Vanilla, milk, chocolate, bourbon, fudge, toffee, a bit of maple. This is incredible. So smooth.

The mouthfeel is super creamy. Overall, this is an amazing barrel-aged stout.

 

 

12oz canned 11-3-21. Opened 6-10-22.
1/2" beige head, decent retention for a high ABV beer. Black body. Spotty, wispy lacing. Fudge and rich wood aroma initially with some dark fruit and spice later. Big vanilla in the initial sip, more fudge and a boozy finish. Sweet heat...almost gets too sweet for me but the richness and the tasty vanilla flavor keep it in line. Vanilla coke. Medium plus body, low carbonation, with a smooth mouthfeel. Outstanding.

 

 

2021, can from Belmont Station. Side by side with Cafe Deth.

Jet black with a rapidly receding brown head with decent retention. For a vanilla beer, there's shockingly little vanilla present, barely enough to rise above the vanillin and bourbon warmth from the barrels. Rich stout base with coffee, roast, oatmeal, bitter dark chocolate. The palate opens warming and boozy, with the vanilla a little more noticeable, adding a little sweetness to complement the coconut and heavy bourbon character. Charred oak works nicely with the grainy bitterness. The oatmeal stout base is a little less fruity than in the regular DT. Hot and boozy but fun.

Can purchased and drank at the Revolution Brewpub in Chicago, IL.

This one pours a fairly dark black color, with a small head, and not much lacing.

This smells like sweet creamy vanilla, roasted malt, smoke, caramel, toasted oak, coffee, and dark fruit.

As expected, the vanilla doesn't dominate here. It's definitely the star, but it's still generous enough to allow the spicy, caramelly, and oaky barrel character to be a strong supporting player. There's lots of dark chocolate and roast, too.

This is medium bodied, with very little booziness, and a nice creamy drinkability.

This is somewhere in the middle for Revolution, which still puts it miles ahead of most barrel aged beers out there.

Canned 11/3/21

Back on the Revolution train we go. It’s only recently that I started finding their beers around me when I switched up my typical store on a whim and bought a bunch of cans. I already had the base Deth’s Tar, let’s see how vanilla treats it

Pours a muddy dark brown with 2 fingers of dark tan head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

This is super vanilla forward in the nose, but it is backed nicely by the barrel character. I’m picking up on aromas of sweet vanilla, charred oak, acidic coffee, rich toffee, spicy bourbon, dark bread, and cocoa powder

I'm a bit conflicted on the taste, as it's quite subdued up front and then really blossoms on the back end. On the front end of the sip I'm tasting creamy vanilla, milk chocolate, toasted oak, and caramel. The swallow brings notes of charred oak, rich toffee, creamy vanilla, black cherry, earthy bourbon, sweet caramel, milk chocolate, and light raisin. Overall in taste it's a win but nothing mind blowing

A full body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a creamy and rich beer. Finishes slightly sticky and hot, but oddly the alcohol heat works really nice for this one

My minor gripe with the taste aside, this is a damn good beer. Just about on par with the base beer I'd say. Next up, we'll see if coffee can improve it

2021 can.

Tan bead that fades. Dark brown color, nearing black.

Vanilla with a charred barrel flavor. Roasted malts, fudge, whiskey, oak. Molasses, dark dried fruits. Smooth, warming, charred finish. Solid.

This beer pours pitch black with a 2 finger brown head. The head lasts a long time, considering the ABV, and there's some lacing on the glass.
The nose has a good deal of vanilla on the nose. There's also some hints of barrel on the nose.
The flavor starts of vanilla to me. The flavor then goes to chocolate, caramel - lots of it, toffee, raisin, plum, and coffee on the back.
The body is quite thick and full. There's no burn here - very smooth.
This is delicious!

Pours a dark mahogany color with a dark mocha head . Smell is chocolate roast vanilla and bourbon. Taste follows nose vanilla and bourbon, with vanilla being integrated nicely , some char and chocolate roast. Mouth feel is sweet with vanilla robust with bourbon smooth and creamy ABV well hidden.

On tap at Mackeys Hideout, black with a small khaki head head. Vanilla gets the nose first, then some chocolate, molasses and some booze. Thick, chewy minimal carbonation. Tasty..

 

12 oz. can. Black with a tan head. Smells of vanilla, bourbon, and chocolate malt. Tastes of vanilla, bourbon, and chocolate malt. What a surprise. Roasty finish. Boozy, but not all that sweet. Heavy and a slow drink. But good.