Vanilla Bean Silurian Stout
Door County Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

Pours chestnut forming a deep, dark brown with a tall, silky head of 2 fingers in my snifter. Deep with some darkened ruby undertones on the bottom when light strikes it.

Lovely roast coffee aroma with vanilla creamer. The coffee aroma is slightly ground-like and dirty, but still authentic. Dark, roast barley behind that and touches of caramel and chocolate.

The flavor is fairly linear, tasting like roast barley, carafe, and black malts...and that's about it. Some vanilla and coffee dart in and out while on the palate, but they're fleeting and faint. Coffee acidity on the finish.

The feel is pretty good, it's got a medium-to-thick palate with mild carbonation and a syrupy stickiness drying out on the finish.

Seems like Wisconsin can't get their porters and stouts right. Thought I may have gone back for more, but this one is another pass. Sorry Door County.

 

Not a bad milk stout. Average appearance. Aroma is roast, cocoa, coffee, vanilla. Flavor's like nose, although perhaps reduced a touch due to its slight thinness and low carbonation. Nice finish.

 

 

 

 

L: Pours bright dark brown under a ½” tan cap that recedes moderately fast.

S: Sweet vanilla chocolate with some mildly roasted malt. The vanilla aromas match the malt aromas and do not over power. Malt is medium to medium high, the hop aromas are low to nonexistent.

T: Malt, chocolate, lactic sugars, and vanilla interplay on the palate with a trace of tartness that emerges periodically in the background. It is a little above medium sweet. Medium high malt flavors with traces of grain. The vanilla flavors are just short of cloying while the chocolate provides some balance.

F: Very creamy, medium full body and medium carbonation.

O: The beer is a good idea but it is a bit heavy on the lactic sugar and vanilla. It could use some dark roast or hops for balance.

12oz bottle, served in a snifter glass. Pours a dark brown, nearly black body, one finger offwhite head, fair retention, not much lacing. Smells of mild vanilla bean, a bit of marshmallow, plenty of lactose, roast, a bit of chocolate. Flavour is similar; mild vanilla flavouring adds a bit more interesting flavour to the lactose, roast, chocolate, coffee flavours of the base beer. Mouthfeel is a bit on the thinner side, but still quite drinkable; not bitter or astringent. Finish is with a small vanilla kick. I think this adjunct beer isn't better than the base, but it's a nice twist on the base which is already a good beer.