Stone Brewing Company Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean 2014 American Porter at 10.0% ABV ($9.00 at Zyn, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before )
Pours opaque deep brown with two fingers of loose ivory head, excellent retention and lacing. (5/5) Nose is roasty malts, coffee and chocolate, mild vanilla, very slight smoke. (8/10) Taste is mild sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Full body, moderate to low carbonation, off dry finish. (4/5)
Porters aren’t generally my favourites, but this one is quite good. The vanilla is quite restrained, manifesting only towards the end, as the bottle warms. The sweetness is also quite well-behaved, and the lingering bitter finish works well with the mild vanilla. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
