Vanilla Hobo Stout
Caboose Brewing Co.

L: Pours dark caramel, forming a thin khaki head that is quick to fade. There are a couple of swirls of bubbling retention on the surface and a moderate ring of foam around the edge of the snifter. Held to the light, this beer has a dark coffee brown hue, near-black, totally impenetrable.

S: Nose is chocolate, vanilla, charred malt, and a hint of spice.

T: Follows the nose, with plenty of vanilla, lactose, and chocolate in the initial gulp. There is light malt and a hint of coffee as well. Balanced. Light caramel and brown sugar, and a touch of hops.

F: Medium-bodied. Somewhat thin, clean mouthfeel with light carbonation.

O: This doesn't really drink like an imperial stout, but other than perhaps being mis-labeled, it is a fine beer worthy of trying. Good flavor.

16 oz can - this batch is labeled as 8% abv, and as "Hobo Imperial Stout with Vanilla Beans"

pours an inky jet black, thick cream colored head. aroma of milky chocolate and vanilla. similar flavor, this is a sweeter stout. thick, slick mouthfeel

 

Poured from the can into a teku style glass

A good solid walnut brown body color, just nearly hinting black, and a quite nice tan top that is creamy and leaving just a very nice thick collar and crowned top.
Whispy looking circle and quite simple nice look for a stout.

Simplicity seems to be the game. Hints slightly of wet body but not terribly but gives hints of good and varied flavors. Mild sensing coffee. A touch of dark chocolate and light milk in the background. There's really a nice almost spice like phenol to this, hints of clove and cinnamon particularly which is nice as well.

Palate hints at a light body but with good flavors. Not much of a surprise here, hinting wet with not much rich malt backbone, but there's a depth of chicory and coffee like spice that is nice. Finishes real quick, with fleeting char, roast, ground dry coffee, and a touch of that light clove again. Hints kind of Christmas like spices but strangely not much vanilla.

I actually don't mind this spice angle and light touch, but I was hoping for some more body which would really give this beer some more depth. It doesn't hint so much at imperial, which in some ways is a plus.

 

 

Not very vanilla.

 

 

 

 

 

Draft in a snifter. Look was a very dark brown/Black. The aroma was a little strong on vanilla. Unfortunately the taste was overpowered by vanilla flavor, and was very sweet. The mouthfeel was ok, but again influenced by the vanilla. As with the porter I tried, it was much too cold.

 

Poured from a bomber into a snifter.
L - Poured a dark brown with minimal tan head.
S - Smells of vanilla and roast.
T - Tastes of vanilla, chocolate and coffee. Also getting some licorice on the finish.
F - Medium body and very lightly carbonated.
O - This is a decent stout, but it feels a little flat.

 

Pours a very dark brown color. The head is a finger high and mocha in shade. Very dense and creamy in texture, what it lacks in supreme retention it makes up by leaving soft rings of lacing on the glass.

The aroma offers a nice vanilla note - neither too sweet nor too chemically bitter. Notes of dark chocolate, cream, caramel, and brown sugar also show up. While everything about the aroma works well (creating a nice, dessert-like experience), everything seems a bit muted and one-dimensional. There isn't much to this beyond "dessert stout with lots of vanilla".

Initial flavors of vanilla hit the palate big-time. After the mid-taste, it calms down significantly. This is perhaps for the best. In its place appear notes of brown sugar, caramel, espresso, and a subtly hoppy touch. The first few sips don't seem very well balanced, but it integrates itself well after a while. Still, there's too much caramel flavor for a stout, and that's what grows wearisome to the palate (NOT the vanilla).

No two ways about it: it needs more body. While it dries out well for something so initially sweet, it feels dinky and insubstantial going down the palate. Carbonation is finely bubbled yet assertive - maybe this is why. Still, drinkability is good for a vanilla-laden stout. The more I sip it, the more I get used to the thinner texture.

Not bad. It delivers a vanilla-laden experience decently enough. But it's not great - it's too thin, too simple, and too reliant on caramel flavor for any real shot at greatness. I doubt I'd buy this again.

3.17/5: Good vanilla flavors looking for a proper stout base