Lager Series Volume 5: Bangtail
Western Collective

cool beer in this lager series, a darker lager done with vanilla, its not too sweet which is what makes it a winner, but its pretty vanilla forward, and as much as its natural and tasty, i think that comes at the expense of some of the lager nuance, particularly the yeast, so this seems a little more one dimensional than it should, but thats me being super critical of a beer i like quite well. nice and dark, looks almost like a porter, airy almost half inch of tan fizz on it, high shine and well refined. the aroma is roasty sure, and there is some chocolate character to the middle malts that work favorably with the vanilla, a little caramel but not super sugary, the vanilla is floral and fragrant and natural. the flavor is the same as the nose, it finishes pretty quick for being flavored like this too, owing to some lightness in the body for its color, although i do wish i could taste a bit more from the lager yeast through the malt and the vanilla. its cool this is as low alcohol as it is, but im still not sure i want to drink a bunch of them, its got slightly desserty vibes that slow it down for me, but its objectively real solid and another fun and clever lager in this series.

16oz can from Brewers Haven. Dark brown, almost clear pour, foamy beige head. Aroma is vanilla first, nutty, dark malts. Taste is sweet, burnt toast, vanilla extract, finishing with a minor bitter bite.