Imperial Tanilla
Knee Deep Brewing Company

Imperial TanillaImperial Tanilla
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From:
Knee Deep Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Imperial Porter
Ranked #161
ABV:
10%
Score:
86
Ranked #18,693
Avg:
3.83 | pDev: 11.49%
Reviews:
70
Ratings:
227
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 20, 2022
Added:
Jul 25, 2012
Wants:
  19
Gots:
  39
A 10 % ABV version of Tanilla. Of course we added more hop bitterness to balance the chocolate, expresso and vanilla malt sweetness. Drink at your own risk. This is a big beer, but drinks way too easy.

48 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by LXIXME:
Photo of LXIXME
Rated by LXIXME from New Mexico

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

May 04, 2016
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.6 by Beecham from California

Dec 20, 2022
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Reviewed by the_awesometeer from California

4.1/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
The beer is a dark brown with a tan foamy head. First thing I smelled was the vanilla, followed by a minor chocolate aroma. It smelled very sweet. The vanilla is strong in the flavor as well but I get a little more of a roasted coffee flavor. The beer is nice smooth. Still can't taste the tanilla.
Jul 19, 2019
Photo of JamarcusMarinovich
Reviewed by JamarcusMarinovich from California

4.08/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured into a pint glass from can. Very little tan head, which dissipates quickly. Quite dark, hints of coffee aroma and perhaps a bit of cocoa. Can taste the coffee for sure, but not in-your-face coffee like coffeee porters. Was expecting more of a vanilla front end (to me, Ballast Point has that) but not bad. Really not as vanilla-y as others claim, but that's just me. Good effervensence with definite extra hops for the style. Coffee/malt lingers a bit on the back of the tongue but goes down really well for 10% ABV. Still pretty good.
Jul 18, 2019
 
Rated: 3.98 by chris826 from Mississippi

May 19, 2019
 
Rated: 3.2 by derdtheterd from Canada (AB)

Apr 13, 2019
 
Rated: 3.3 by FrancisM12 from New Jersey

Mar 22, 2019
 
Rated: 3.67 by KingforaDay from New Jersey

Mar 22, 2019
Photo of Buck89
Reviewed by Buck89 from Tennessee

3.77/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Undated can poured into a hotel glass.
Look: A deep brown color with a medium tan head. Faint lacing in the glass.
Aroma: a nice vanilla presence with faint roasted grain.
Taste: vanilla through and through. Roasted and coffee notes are there for balance but are in the background. Faint cola and coffee notes.
Feel: medium bodied and medium carbonation. A bit sweet on the finish as expected. ABV well hidden for the size.
Overall: an OK imperial porter. All vanilla. Well made but I like something more complex.
Feb 22, 2019
Photo of kitch
Reviewed by kitch from Hong Kong

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
A 12 fl. oz. can with no canned on or best before date. Poured into a snifter glass.

Appearance: A deep dark brown colour with a nice two finger beige to light tanned head that had pretty good retention and left lots of nice lacing.

Aroma: Light roast, coke, chocolate and light smoke.

Taste: Roasted malts, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, light herbal and light bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Moderately creamy, medium bodied with low carbonation.

Overall: This was ok. The roastiness, chocolate and coffee base was good, but the herbal and bitterness didn’t do anything for me. I was also hoping for the vanilla to really come through, whereas I pretty much did not get any in the end.
Jan 07, 2019
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 8/8/2018. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger dense and rocky khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, molasses, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, roasted nuts, and toasted dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of licorice, dark fruit, smoke, char, wood, herbal, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. A bit too fruity/yeasty aromas, but not overwhelming. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts; light-moderate vanilla, earthy hops, and fruity yeast notes; with solid strength. Taste of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, molasses, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, roasted nuts, and toasted dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of licorice, dark fruit, smoke, char, wood, herbal, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light pine, herbal, woody, spicy hop; and roast/char bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, molasses, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, roasted nuts, toasted dark/brown bread, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, char, wood, herbal, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts; light-moderate vanilla, earthy hops, and fruity yeast flavors; with a great roast/hop bitter/sweet balance, and no cloying/acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/roast bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 10%. Overall this is a very nice flavored imperial porter. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts; light-moderate vanilla, earthy hops, and fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the big ABV, with the mellowly bitter/drying finish. Not overly bitter/roasty. Great rich malt complexity with nice vanilla presence; balancing earthy hops against sweetness, and restrained fruity yeast. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on American style example. Not as big on the vanilla as I expected, but still delicious.
Jan 04, 2019
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

4.02/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz. Can
Canned On: 09/21/2018

Poured into a tulip a pretty nice dark brown color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice thick/creamy one-finger tan head, which also leaves some pretty nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, hoppy, with some nice chocolate/toffee, some coffee, nice touch of vanilla, some licorice. The taste is pretty nice, malty, hoppy, with some chocolate/toffee notes, some coffee, vanilla, licorice. Full Body, ABV is hidden pretty nicely. Overall, a pretty tasty brew. So far, out of the 4 I've had, this is the best, still have one more from them.
Dec 12, 2018
 
Rated: 3.5 by RickyBfromCT from Connecticut

Dec 01, 2018
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Reviewed by erk0607 from Colorado

3.87/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Look: Dark, opaque black/brown with a light tank head that leaves a small layer of foam across the glass with more lacing on the edges... foam did not last super long, but the lacing lingered.
Smell: Roasted coffee, sweetness probably associated with the vanilla. Chocolate. Maybe a bit of alcohol. Not super strong but I also don't have to stick my nose way in the glass to get even a remote sniff, just ok.
Taste: Sweet up front. Chocolatey and vanilla body. Roasty.
Feel: Light-medium mouthfeel, flavor coats the mouth. Moderately energetic carbonation
Overall: Poured from a can with the label 8.8.18. Pretty good, color is nice, flavor is nice, strong. But also not overly special. Wouldn't turn one down, but also probably would not go on the hunt for another one.
Oct 27, 2018
Photo of BB1313
Reviewed by BB1313 from Ohio

3.79/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Canned on 8/8/18. 12oz can poured into a tulip. Pours almost black with a khaki head that fades leaving nice retention and lacing. The aromas are malt forward along with some chocolate. The flavors basically follow the nose for the most part. More chocolate leading the way. The vanilla is on the mild side. Nice roasted characteristics. It's not too bitter and not too sweet. Solid malt backbone. Mild and subtle warmth in the finish, but the alcohol is ultimately well hidden. Mouthfeel is full-bodied with moderate to active carbonation. It's sharp, smooth and dangerously drinkable.

This is a pretty solid "Imperial Porter". It's a clean brew. The vanilla might be hard to pick up on at times, but it's still flavorful. It's enjoyable and fun to drink. Well done. I like it.
Oct 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Captain69 from Illinois

Jul 08, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by bigred89 from Maryland

Jun 13, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by paulish from New York

Jun 10, 2018
Photo of dertyd
Reviewed by dertyd from California

3.45/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
The beer pours out a dark brown almost black color, with 1 finger of khaki colored head---------------- the aromas are of light coffee and vanilla(light aroma)------------------- the flavors are of light coffee, light chocolate and light vanilla(everything seems watered down) the beer has a thin mouthfeel with a medium earthy hop bitterness on the finish--------------------- overall this porter fell a little short for me, it had some good things going on but everything just seemed watered down, it had a pop of sweetness up front then finished very dry---
May 31, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by Avatar113 from California

Apr 02, 2018
Imperial Tanilla from Knee Deep Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 227 ratings