Benthic - Vanilla
Half Acre Beer Company

Benthic - VanillaBenthic - Vanilla
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From:
Half Acre Beer Company
 
Illinois, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
Ranked #113
ABV:
14.2%
Score:
98
Ranked #395
Avg:
4.5 | pDev: 6%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
64
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 11, 2024
Added:
Oct 15, 2018
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  7
Barrel-aged stout with toasted coconut and coffee. Euphoric cake batter, turtle-neck around a stone hearth after a voracious day sliding down diamonds, biiig smooth silk, Colorado brownie, mega-vanilla bourbon stout exulted by technical brewing practice. Infusing this ocean-inspired stout through Orchid derivative Madascar vanilla beans elevates every end of its reality. It’s your birthday. Chocolate cake, ‘Nilla frosting.

This recipe is blend of select barrels:
Elijah Craig bourbon aged 9 months
Willet bourbon aged 9 months
Eagle Rare bourbon aged 10 months
Woodford Reserve bourbon aged 10 months
Woodford Double Oaked aged 16 months
Bardstown bourbon aged 16 months
Pinhook bourbon aged 16 months
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by krl2112:
Photo of krl2112
Rated by krl2112 from Illinois

4.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Dec 19, 2022
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.49 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Mar 11, 2024
Photo of mothman
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2023 can. Tan head. Black color.

Toasted coconut and vanilla for days. Cocoa and fudge. Bourbon, oak, light char, molasses. Black cherry, raisins. Warming, smooth, decadent. This is wonderful.
Dec 25, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by ejimhof from Pennsylvania

Nov 27, 2023
 
Rated: 4.62 by SadMachine from New Jersey

Aug 09, 2023
Photo of brewskis
Reviewed by brewskis from Indiana

4.63/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Pours pitch black with a finger of reddish mocha head that dissipated quickly. Motor oil in the glass.

Aroma is decadent and complex. Each whiff brings something different. Big vanilla frosting, nondescript fruitiness from the vanilla bean, bourbon-soaked vanilla bean, brownie batter, dark chocolate, coconut macaroon, fig, plum, some tobacco, roasted malt, caramel, oak tannin, vanillin from the barrel, bourbon spirit.

Taste is a vanilla/chocolate/coconut bomb with a significant barrel presence. The chocolate cake and vanilla frosting description from the brewery is pretty spot on. Bourbon vanilla bean ice cream, vanilla frosting, rich and dense chocolate cake, Mounds bar, some coconut macaroon, dark chocolate, charred oak tannin, slight plum, crème brulee, roasted malt, vanillin, smooth bourbon spirit.

Full body. Thick and dense. Silky, sticky, oily, sticky. Sweet, but the drying barrel character balances it out a bit. The body of this is impressive given how long the components are aged for.

This is an absolute treat to have. Extremely complex. Each smell and sip brings something different to the table. A lot of barrel aged pastry stouts don't have the barrel character to hold up to the sweet adjuncts, but that's never the case with the Benthic series. Fantastic stuff.
Jun 11, 2023
 
Rated: 4.49 by CheapBeerBuzz from California

May 23, 2023
 
Rated: 4.84 by NappyB from Illinois

Apr 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.18 by hopley from Massachusetts

Mar 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4.23 by Nichols33 from Massachusetts

Mar 13, 2023
 
Rated: 4.44 by Duncian from Pennsylvania

Feb 01, 2023
 
Rated: 4.51 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

Jan 16, 2023
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

4.24/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12oz can at share. Black pour with a thin beige head. Just like the other Benthic variants except with a heaping helping of vanilla. Luscious chocolate, coconut and vanilla all wrapped up in a boozy blanket. Delicious.
Dec 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4.4 by StoutSnob40 from California

Dec 01, 2022
 
Rated: 4.53 by q33jeff from New Jersey

Nov 25, 2022
Photo of Luscious_Malfoy
Reviewed by Luscious_Malfoy from Illinois

4.6/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2022 vintage poured from a 12oz can into a perennial snifter. pours a dense, shiny black with a thin mocha brown foam cap that fades quickly into nothing. coconut, chocolate, vanilla frosting on the nose. not a lot of bourbon presence. flavors of chocolate cake, vanilla frosting and sweet coconut. on the taste, especially at room temp, the bourbon makes its appearance with a warming finish. thick, full mouthfeel. wonderful barrel-aged imperial stout.
Nov 23, 2022
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Reviewed by Beer_Economicus from Ohio

4.68/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
2021 Vintage

I have enjoyed two cans of this - the first within 2 months of release, and the second about 6 months later.

To me, this is more enjoyable than Xtra Dbl, although I think the Xtra is executed a little better. It's hard to split apart personal enjoyment of this beer and personal preferences vs. objective complaints. What is too much or not enough vanilla?

To me, this didn't even kind of sort of cross the realm into pastry. The vanilla didn't overpower or become...like extract, as it so often does. What it really did was help elevate the coconut by bringing out the natural vanilla flavors. I'd gladly drink this almost any day over 'regular' benthic. Personally, I could use just a tad bit more vanilla, but we're kind of splitting hairs, aren't we?
Nov 01, 2022
Photo of Alieniloquium
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida

3.5/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
12 oz. can. Black, but not inky black. Smells of vanilla throughout with coconut, oak, and hints of bourbon. Tastes of coconut and vanilla in closer proportions. Roasted malt, nutty malts, oak, alcohol, sweet chocolate, and coconut comes back as bitter and slightly unpleasant. Bourbon and vanilla linger in the finish. Medium heavy, boozy, but not excessive. It's good, but I remember base Benthic being better.
Mar 21, 2022
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.53/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
This one pours a very dark black color, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.

There is a very intense vanlla aroma on this one, creamy, cakey, and sweet, with some toasted coconut, caramel, milk chocolate fudge, and oak.

The vanilla is absolutely the star here- it's intense and in your face, but very well done. It sits on top of the coconut - sweet, creamy, and toasty, with a very slightly oaky bitterness on the finish from the barrels. There's not a lot of actual bourbon character - maybe some caramel?

This is thick, creamy, rich, and pretty sweet, with no real booziness at all.

I think I like the balance of the regular Benthic a little better, but this still pretty ridiculously tasty.
Mar 18, 2022
 
Rated: 4.56 by EMH73 from New York

Mar 04, 2022
Benthic - Vanilla from Half Acre Beer Company
Beer rating: 98 out of 100 with 64 ratings