MT Ultra: Vanilla
Modern Times Beer

Glossy black with a dark tan to brown foam head of moderate height.

Yet more evidence in the case of the pendulum hath swungeth too far, excess does not equal mo betta. This beer snuck up on me towards the end of Dark Lord Day, and even though my palate was amenable to even the most decadent of sweets, it was just a bridge too far for me with all that vanilla. It's floral vanilla but also like vanilla bean ice cream and Oreo ice cream with frosting.

At the same time, the best I can say about it is that I didn't hate it, which is more than I can say for Horus.

22oz bottle at share. Near black oily pour, thin ring of beige head. Aroma is bursting with vanilla and chocolate, roasty malts and boozy barrel notes. Taste is sweet and gooey, dessert flavors with a nice warm boozy finish.

 

Look - black and thick with a nice tan head and great rimming and lacing
Smell -so much vanilla
Taste -vanilla chocolate and barrel
Feel -full creamy light light carb
Overall - more vanilla than needed but still really great

Had on tap. Vanilla bomb alert! Pitch black oily pour, light brown head. Smell and taste are clones: huge vanillas meets chocolate fudge, bourbon, dark oak, black strap molasses, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Vanilla is pervasive. Feel is warm with the barrel character but is quickly cooled by the vanilla, it is a bit much over time with the syrupy mouthfeel combine with the vanilla sweetness. But still a great vanilla bomb sipper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm sorry, but this has way the fuck too much vanilla to be even drinkable. The nose is pure vanilla extract, with the burning sharpness from alcohol perfectly expressed. Yes, there's depth to the vanilla notes, not unlike what smelling varietals of vanilla extract reveals, but Christ, is this even beer? The 1oz I poured myself was tough going.

 

The best review I could possibly post would be a photo of my face after trying this beer.

Look - Black lacing aplenty on this Ultra bad boy. This beer stuck to the glass like molasses. I’m not convinced the dishwashers at Modern Times DTLA bar were able to clean this glass in a single wash. Future customers will probably wonder why their glass is stained. I will be glad to fill them in with tales of the glorious beer that once filled it.

Smell - If bourbon soaked marshmallows were a thing, I’d say this is how they smell. In fact, let’s make bourbon soaked marshmallows a thing, please.

Taste - layers upon layers upon layers of vanilla reveal themselves. It just never stops. This is truly the Vanilla-onion of beers.
And true to its smell, I’m tasting just obscene amounts of marshmallow, which I know is not an actual adjunct in this beer.
Seriously, if there’s a legal limit on how much Vanilla can be added to a beer, this one will be serving 5 to 10.

Mouthfeel - once again, we’re hitting world class levels of artistry, here. In fact, I cannot remember a single cuvée I’ve tried that retained so much of its original mouthfeel intent. Typically, you’re losing a little in the barrel, and a lot in the blending. But this one was spot on... as if tiny little scientists were living in my glass, formulating the perfect mouthfeel and timing it to the precise second I took each sip. Thank you tiny scientists, you’ve made my heart happy.

Overall - this is one of those rare scarce beers that lives up to the promise. I can fully understand why this beer cannot be made every day, as doing so would lead to a worldwide vanilla shortage.
I am just glad that nobody has presented me with one of those Sophie’s Choice hypotheticals, would I trade away my car for another MT Ultra set. I am ashamed to admit my answer, so please don’t offer. It would ruin me financially.

2019 vintage, served in the official proper Ultra glass. Dark black bodied, big legs, medium brown head. Massive vanilla- the french vanilla ice cream kind plus the dark fruit bean kind. Sweet, but not Marshmallow Handjee sweet. Tempered a bit by chocolate, cocoa and warming whiskey, but make no mistake, this is a massive vanilla stout. Nothing artificial about this vanilla. Full bodied, ice creamy, sweet with big vanilla coming through on the finish.

2021: Pitch black body. Medium vanilla, which is relatively muted but does integrate well with the rich chocolate fudge of the base. Not over the top by any means, balancing out the barrel warmth. Sweet, but not sugary. Full body, appropriate carb. Better warm.