Smoke Screens & Oil Slicks - Vanilla
Other Half Brewing - Center Street

 

 

 

Picked this up at Other Half back in December and got around to it tonight as I'm finally off this week. While not a bad beer, this one didn't quite pack the punch that other recent bottles of theirs have, as the flavor profile was quite mellow and muted. The oak and vanilla were quite light but thankfully, the alcoholic presence was as well with the end result being a quietly potent Stout that still took a while to fully savor...

Of course, the pour to this was dark and topped off with plenty of tall, bubbly mocha head that settled down fairly quickly. Not a lot of lacing was left behind as only a few scattered spots could be seen. The aroma was quite muted as the smoke was light and the Tahitian Vanilla was present but not overwhelming. Some smoke, bourbon stickiness, and booze came through too but even in the taste, there wasn't a lot of any of those. Quiet, smooth, and somewhat slick, this was one of the most easygoing Stouts that I had in quite some time. Not a lot of evidence of the wood here and the aftertaste was quite basic with hints of yes, an oil slick, lingering...

To be fair, this was strong although I had to look at the label for proof of that. While not one of Other Half's better beers, there was enough to enjoy here and any fan of theirs or Stouts in general would not be disappointed by this. Just don't go looking for amazing depth or complexity with this one - it's too minimalist from start to finish...