Fellow HoB readers:

Today, I am tasting a truly remarkable vanilla porter from Breckenridge Brewing in Colorado. The problem is, the bottle says nothing of ABV, so my spelling and grammar may get worse as this post continues. Actually, I just looked it up; it’s only 4.7%. But that vanilla kick really makes it one to savor. Far be it from me to pound this sweet, complex, aromatic masterpiece.

The tasting notes are as wordy as the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal. I’d describe the character to be smooth and syrupy, and a little heavier than I expected given the ABV. Clearly, the “pure vanilla” as it says on the bottle makes this unique. The color is quite dark, certainly to the point of only vague translucence. But the flavor was perhaps the most interesting aspect of this beer.

 Many beers have a range of flavors. For instance, an IPA begins with a bitter slap to the face, then a trip up your nose with the aroma, a burn down the back of the throat from the alcohol, and then a malty finish. Repeat process sip-after-sip until the glass is empty. Unless it warms up, or you have something with onions or garlic in it, the flavor stays pretty-much the same. Breckenridge Vanilla porter was a consistent, concentrated cavalcade of vanilla, roasted barley, coffee, and chocolate (in that order of precedence…your mileage may vary). Again, what amazes me is the aroma–it smells more like it should be 7.4%, not 4.7%!

You have to hand it to Breckenridge for coming up with yet another incredible product. Bravo.

Sarge, you should arrange a blind tasting of your vanilla bean porter with this one (where’s your review, by the way?)

Aloha, Tesla! Like the coil? And its inventor. Yeah. This beer rules! It can “catch a wave” anytime and always “hang on for 10 seconds!” Charlie don’t surf! Yeah. So last weekend—as I’ve briefly mentioned—the horse racing event we attended was complimented by a lil’ microbrew festival! There were some 20 beers on tap, many I had only had in the bottle before. This beer, I’d NEVER had! GWOW! While Mrs. Beer had to inform the beer wenches of some of the finer point on beer (and some of the less fine… like, um, why dark beer is dark… stupid beer wenches) it was a fine spread of brau* and while I’ve had Kona Brewing Company’s other brews and been mixed on my feelings (Longboard Lager: meh… Fire Rock Pale Ale: quite decent) being introduced to this’n was a pleasure. REEEEAAAAD ON! And hit the pipeline! Beachbreak! Invertebrate! Tubular!

Kona Coffee infuses this beer with its standout character. In fact it’s Kona (grown on the Big Island of Hawaii, that is) coffee grown about 15 miles from the brewery on a family owned farm. And its fusion into this dark, roasty beer is excellent. The brew has a relatively low 5.4% A.B.V. so the alcohol largely stands back and lets the other flavors roll. The hops too are restrained, but plenty present enough to provide balance and a light floral note or two in the otherwise rich, chocolate-coffee taste and nice, roasted finish. The dark, rich malt is the defining character here, with hops and coffee acting as braces… flying buttresses, if you will* for the roasted malt nave and transepts that are this excellent porter. A light alcohol narthex is also present, as are aromatic ambulatory chapels. The Romanesque unmalted-Wheat crypt was destroyed in a 12th Century fire, as this is, y’know… an all barley malt brew.

* from the German for “guttersnipe.”

* and yes, you will.