Vanilla Porter
Side Launch Brewing Company
- From:
- Side Launch Brewing Company
- Ontario, Canada
- Style:
- American Porter
- ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- +4 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.45 | pDev: 8.7%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 4
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Aug 17, 2025
- Added:
- Nov 11, 2024
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 2
NO SCORE
-
-
Part of the Side Launch Brewers Series
Vanilla Porter is a smooth dark ale. Infused with natural vanilla extract and mixed with notes of coffee, chocolate and caramel, our Vanilla Porter is the perfect ale for a cold winter day. 25 IBU
Malts: Pale 2-Row, Crystal Dark, Honey Malt, Chocolate Wheat
Hops: Chinook
Vanilla Porter is a smooth dark ale. Infused with natural vanilla extract and mixed with notes of coffee, chocolate and caramel, our Vanilla Porter is the perfect ale for a cold winter day. 25 IBU
Malts: Pale 2-Row, Crystal Dark, Honey Malt, Chocolate Wheat
Hops: Chinook
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by talisen-crw from Canada (ON)
4/5 rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 473mL in a pint glass. From their Holiday Pack, special ordered from The Roundhouse Centre LCBO on Howard Ave. in nearby Windsor. My third beer from the Collingwood, Ontario brewery, and second for 2025...
Aug 17, 2025
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)
3.51/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.51/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Sep 18 2024 and served barely chilled.
Pours a deep black-brown colour with glints of crimson red 'round the edges; it's capped off with an inch of foamy, tan-coloured head that falls back within the next three or four minutes. A thin cap and unremarkable collar last on, with a modest swath of lace produced with each sip; looks normal so far. Vanilla extract on the nose, paired with notes of caramel, dark chocolate, cacao and spicy, woodsy hops.
It's your standard sweet vanilla porter, with no new tricks up its sleeve. Flavours of caramel, milk chocolate and cocoa are sidelined by the vanilla extract until later in the sip, when notes of spicy, piney hops and bitter coffee grounds begin to crop up. Finishes with vanilla and dark chocolate dissipating into a bittersweet aftertaste that lingers. Medium-bodied, with low carbonation and a smooth, slightly slick mouthfeel that aids this porter's drinkability. This is easy enough to toss back, but one can per night seems about right.
Final Grade: 3.51, barely earning a B grade. Vanilla Porter's primary problem is that the vanilla hogs the limelight - a worst case scenario for this reviewer, as I am not real big on vanilla in the first place (particularly vanilla extract). Still, while that ingredient is undeniably prominent, it's not overused to the extent that I find this undrinkable or unpleasant: it's competently brewed, it's just that this is simply not the kind of porter I'm interested in. There's nothing wrong with that, and I'd say this is worth a shot if you've enjoyed other vanilla porters in the past
Jun 13, 2025Pours a deep black-brown colour with glints of crimson red 'round the edges; it's capped off with an inch of foamy, tan-coloured head that falls back within the next three or four minutes. A thin cap and unremarkable collar last on, with a modest swath of lace produced with each sip; looks normal so far. Vanilla extract on the nose, paired with notes of caramel, dark chocolate, cacao and spicy, woodsy hops.
It's your standard sweet vanilla porter, with no new tricks up its sleeve. Flavours of caramel, milk chocolate and cocoa are sidelined by the vanilla extract until later in the sip, when notes of spicy, piney hops and bitter coffee grounds begin to crop up. Finishes with vanilla and dark chocolate dissipating into a bittersweet aftertaste that lingers. Medium-bodied, with low carbonation and a smooth, slightly slick mouthfeel that aids this porter's drinkability. This is easy enough to toss back, but one can per night seems about right.
Final Grade: 3.51, barely earning a B grade. Vanilla Porter's primary problem is that the vanilla hogs the limelight - a worst case scenario for this reviewer, as I am not real big on vanilla in the first place (particularly vanilla extract). Still, while that ingredient is undeniably prominent, it's not overused to the extent that I find this undrinkable or unpleasant: it's competently brewed, it's just that this is simply not the kind of porter I'm interested in. There's nothing wrong with that, and I'd say this is worth a shot if you've enjoyed other vanilla porters in the past
Reviewed by Mikehicks100 from Canada (ON)
3/5 rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3/5 rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Not to bad. Beer pours your standard black porter color that makes about 2 fingers of foam.
You get a moderate vanilla taste from this beer alongside some chocolate on the after taste for sure, but not too strong.
It's fine for me. I could probably drink another one of these but I only bought 1 can from LCBO to try.
Nothing special but does the job. If you like vanilla forward beers then you might like this porter more than other porters.
Mar 06, 2025You get a moderate vanilla taste from this beer alongside some chocolate on the after taste for sure, but not too strong.
It's fine for me. I could probably drink another one of these but I only bought 1 can from LCBO to try.
Nothing special but does the job. If you like vanilla forward beers then you might like this porter more than other porters.
Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)
3.53/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Review from notes. LCBO purchase and served cold into a pint glass.
Appearance - Dark brown in color and even with an aggressive pour, less than a finger of light tan head with a short head retention time.
Smell - Vanilla up front, but it's just one dimension. Lacking roastiness and depth.
Taste - A little more roast here with some bitterness, but the vanilla dominates.
Mouthfeel - Smooth, medium bodied and a bit silky, the highlight of this brew for me.
Overall - Decent vanilla porter, but very vanilla focused and missing some of the nuance of a good porter.
Jan 24, 2025Appearance - Dark brown in color and even with an aggressive pour, less than a finger of light tan head with a short head retention time.
Smell - Vanilla up front, but it's just one dimension. Lacking roastiness and depth.
Taste - A little more roast here with some bitterness, but the vanilla dominates.
Mouthfeel - Smooth, medium bodied and a bit silky, the highlight of this brew for me.
Overall - Decent vanilla porter, but very vanilla focused and missing some of the nuance of a good porter.
Rated by Pmicdee from Canada (ON)
3.43/5 rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.43/5 rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Dec 23 2024
Dec 23, 2024
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