Vanilla Bean Aged Puffers Smoked Porter
Amherst Brewing

On cask last night at ABC, part of their special Cask Fridays. Pours pitch black with a nice creamy one finger head that has good retention. Lacing is medium and starts to be produced as the head dies down. The smell is nice, fresh earthy hops with cocoa and roast malts. Standard porter smell with good strength. I would like the vanilla to show up here. The taste is a nice blast of roast malts with a good earthy hop flavor to balance it out. Cocoa adds to this to make a good porter base. The flavor feels a bit thin (as with other ABCs I have had) but I still like it. The vanilla is a bit faint but comes in after I take the sip and swallow the beer. It adds a nice dimension. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and carbonation. The medium carbonation suits the lower ABV. A big coat of cocoa and hops stays on the tongue with no alcohol in existance. A tiny bit watery feeling but still good. Drinkability is one of the better things here. The price is great and sessioning this would be great. The flavors hold up the entire time, which is great for a lower ABV beer. A great porter backbone with no alcohol or off flavors. Nice on cask too.