Sweet Vanilla Stout
Sankt Gallen Brewery

 

 

 

 

12 ounce bottle poured into my Great Divide snifter. Bottle notes: 28 IBU; 1.068 OG; Chinook, East Kent Golding, and Perle hops; date stamp of 2011.08.20 (assuming this is a "best by" date).

A: Yields a finger-sized creamy light brown head, which dissipates to a thick white film with some lacing. Dark in my snifter, but with light creeping in around the edges. Doesn't appear particularly thick.

S: Somewhat muted whiffs of vanilla and caramel, darker malts (I'm assuming) give off a bit of coffee. Giving it a few minutes, more subtle chocolate take over.

T: The vanilla, although not as strong in the nose as I had expected, is there to greet you with the first sip. Caramel sugars, light milkiness. Hopes aren't noticeable, but that's no real surprise. Yum!

M: Consistency is right where I would like it to be for a sweet stout, carbonation is light (but appropriate) and the mouthfeel provides a smooth presentation overall for the silky flavors contained therein.

O: A tasty offering from Sankt Gallen, and I'm glad I sought it out. That said, the beer really is a showcase for milky sweetness and vanilla, so I'm not sure it wouldn't get a bit cloying after more than 1-2 bottles.

A - Pours a very dark brown black (almost jet black) into a standard cylindrical glass yielding a one-finger thick, creamy beige head (4)

S - Chocolate and roasted malts were predominant on the nose (4)

T - Sweet flavors of chocolates upfront with roasted malts showing up in the middle followed by notes of hops; vanilla flavors were present in the finish (4)

M - Light-bodied, too light for the style, and with moderate carbonation (3.5)

D - Easy drinking and fairly flavorful but probably not something I will seek out for actively (4)

Bottle solicited from Deguchiya Wine Store in Meguro, Tokyo, Japan at ~475 Yen

330ml bottle poured into a little hotel glass.

Pours deep brown with a pretty good sized beige head that fades to nothing very quickly, not very much carbonation. Smell is sweet and vanilla, lots of vanilla, maybe a little bit of smoke or toffee.

Taste is sweet -- first sip impression was not so positive, the second sip was much better. Somewhat reminds me of Southern Tier's Creme Brulee. Very much a dessert beer, but very tasty. A little bit of cherry in the aftertaste, some sort of zesty sour at the front end.

Mouthfeel is a little flat, moderately thick. If you can eat several bowls of ice cream in a sitting, you can drink several of these in a sitting.

Appearance: Thick, eight-ball opaque black. Tall, foamy, sparkly cappuccino tan head with a web of big bubbles on top and fairly good retention.

Smell: Massive vanilla aroma, reminiscent of Vanilla Coke, vanilla cake, vanilla Frappuccinos, root beer, and butterscotch. Toffee and caramel carry the vanilla along, with some subdued milk chocolate and nutty notes in the background. Milk Duds soaking in Absolut Vanilla. A very, very sweet aroma.

Taste: Surprisingly balanced, with a fairly hefty roasted chocolate malt base. Reminiscent of a chocolate fudge brownie with vanilla frosting and butterscotch chips. Notes of maple syrup appear mid-sip. Surprisingly bourbon-esque for a beer that hasn't been aged in bourbon barrels, similar to a Jack and Coke, maybe with a splash of Absolut Vanilla and a splash of Kahlúa for good measure. Milky and fruity with just a twinge of tartness - cherry cordials, anyone? Finish is remarkably clean and hoppy, with a nice and fruity, tea-like bitterness. Complex and tasty.

Mouthfeel: Soft, heavy, and smooth, lush yet dry. Works well with the flavor, though it could be a touch lighter.

Drinkability: This is a very tasty beer, but not one you could drink a lot of. It is a dessert in and of itself. And the vanilla, as good as it is, does get to be a bit much after a while.