Atwater Vanilla Java Porter

Brewed by Atwater Block Brewery
Style: Porter
Detroit, Michigan USA

Serve in English pint, Stem glass

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12 oz bottle poured black and pulled up a decent sized mocha colored head that lasted a while. Initially the aroma was cream soda like but not too strong. Then a nice coffee and burnt malt aroma rose up with some chocolate and a hint of vanilla. The flavors from the first sip were a little too bright. But after a while my taste buds adjusted and a smoothness grew. There is some obvious coffee, chocolate, vanilla and burnt malt flavors. But by some combination of these notes a cream soda flavor is created. That isn’t a taste I care to have in a beer. Fortunately it isn’t too strong. Overall this beer is a bit too sweet for the style but has enough complexity to keep it interesting.

Thanks for the bottle, Duane. The head is light orange and khaki. It tops a very black body. Cheap coffee and peanut butter make up the bulk of the aroma. There is a light hint of the vanilla. The taste has some nasty peanuts shells and a little bit of cheap chocolate. There is also some strange notes that remind me of fried eggs. This beer is off and seems like the bad coffee dominates and influences the other flavors.

Bottle. Poured black color with an average frothy brown head that was mostly lasting with good lacing. Moderate roasted sweet malt aroma. Medium body. Medium sweet flavor with a light bittersweet finish of short duration. My expectations were not met.

UPDATED: MAR 13, 2011 Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a black color with a huge dark brown head. The aroma was sour, roasty malts with only a faint hint of vanilla and no coffee. The mouthfeel was smooth and creamy. The flavor was roasty, toasty and bitter with a hint of vanilla on the finish. Absolutely no coffee flavor. Fairly boring really.

tap at a bar in Grafton, IL (cant remember the name). pours dark brown with a very small off-white head that was gone pretty fast. nose of vanilla, light char-the vanilla character is almost like french vanilla in its sweetness. pretty cool! flavors are vanilla, chocolate, light char and carmel. carbonation is stiff, even though the beer doesnt look very carbonated. not bad but not great. unique and worth another try sometime if its available.

12 oz. bottle from Duane. Black pour. Sweet aroma of vanilla and sugary malt. No surprises there. Sticky, sugary flavor. Plenty of vanilla and coffee, maybe some fig or other sun dried fruits as well. Good, interesting beer. Thanks Dad.

This beer pours with a volcanic head. It bubbles with so much carbonation that it is impressive to watch. It also might be the blackest beer I have ever seen. Aroma is sweet malt with a hint of roastiness. The foam has some staying power and tends to give a creamy mouth feel. There is not a lot of flavor to be found here. Porters tend to be mild tasting but the one goes further. Some malty caramel can be found as well as some coffee hiding deep down. A roasted nut flavor is also evident. A warmer beer brought out some more flavor and a slight tart hop taste appeared and that is the after taste that lingers. While not over flavorful, this is an easy drinking crisp and refreshing drink that got better as the glass emptied.

Bottle purchased at 3 sons in Wexford, PA. Pours black with a small fizzy brown head, almost cola like in appearance. Mostly vanilla bean in the nose, but some faint notes of nuts and dark roast. Mouthfeel is a tad thin, but not too bad. Flavor of vanilla, hazelnut, and mild roast coffee. Medium sweetness. Smooth finish. This lacks coffee flavor for a beer with "java" in its title. Add some more dark roast coffee in the flavor and some more bitterness on the finish, and you have a real winner. But overall, this was not bad. This would be a great crossover beer. I would drink this again.

Pours dark brown, almost black, with a crimson hue and a tan head. The aroma is predominantly vanilla with just a bit of coffee, some roasty malt and some paper traits. Medium body that is smooth and finishes velvety with some soft carbonation. Taste has vanilla, kind of water though. Fairly citric and lactic. The finish has light roastiness along with the other flavors. Far lighter than I like my porters.

12oz bottle via trade with Duane! - Thanks! - Pours black with a short tan head that stays well and laces some. Aromas of big coffee and light vanilla with a good portion of roasted malt as well. Flavors of coffee, vanilla, a little chocolate and some roasted malts. Palate is fairly well carbonated and somewhat fizzy on the tongue but a shade on the watery side overall. I actually enjoyed it pretty much though..