Coeur d’Alene Vanilla Bourbon Stout

Formerly brewed at Coeur d’Alene Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Coeur d Alene, Idaho USA

Serve in Snifter

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What a big beer. This is what the brewery referred to as the "brewer's whim" meaning it was created seemingly on the fly and it is uncertain whether it will become standard. For being the rotating tap it was surprising as hell, because it was easily the best beer offered. Big vanilla flavor and aroma, HUGE. The bourbon was nice too, incorporated in such a way that the alchohol just made the vanilla all the more smooth and rounded. I'm not sure about the whole strong ale vs. stout fiasco, the waitress told us strong ale and the tap handle told us stout. I'd argue with Brian that it could be a stout, because the roasted grain was there, but who really knows. As great as the vanilla is here it could stand to be reduced by just a hair, otherwise this was pretty damn good.

I really like this beer and was upset when they closed the CdA brewery. I recently had it in Spokane on tap and thought the taste was still great. A bit heavy to have more than one, especially with food. The Steamplant offers it more often than the CdA facility did. The hint of vanilla and bourbon combine for a great finish to this stout.

On tap at the brewpub in Coeur d’Alene in August 2009. Couldn’t put this review in with the rest of my backlog earlier, as this place was listed as closed for a period of time. I’ll start off by saying that this was one of the worst beers that I’ve ever had, and probably the worst that doesn’t come in an aluminum can and have the color of urine. The color is a deep black. No head. No lacing. No legs. There is nothing going for this--it looks like still, thin mud. This was probably also the best aspect of the beer, as it only irritated me rather than making want to vomit. The nose and taste are both just disgustingly awful and each aging component of the beer deserves its own F. The vanilla was ridiculously overpowering and tasted like they dumped an ounce of vanilla extract into my pint prior to serving it. The bourbon component was equally horrendous was just overpowering amounts of booze. This seriously smelled more bourbony than bourbon. The two did not combine well, either. Everything about this beer was harsh and boozy. This was downright awful and I could barely stand to keep my nose within a foot of it, let alone drink that much. I tried to go back to it as it warmed, but it was just so, so, so bad. I am not exaggerating when I say that I literally threw up a bit in my mouth after trying this. Serving type: on-tap Reviewed on: 11-30-2010

Draught and cask at the brewpub (Spokane, WA location). Near black, small head creamier from cask. Burnt vanilla aroma. Dryish with clean simple mouthfeel. The cask version has a woody tartness which seem unfitting, but the lowe carnonation also enhances the mouthfeel. Coffee and vanilla are obvious. Medium bitterness.

On tap at Brewforia in Meridian,ID. Black with a smal tan head that dissipated quickly. Up front vanilla and oak aroma. Roasted flavors and again plenty of vanilla. Not so much Bourbon but quite woody. Plenty of carbonation and as I warms up a bit it will improve in general. A somewhat thin pallate and a strange chalky feel as well. Lingering soft Bourbn and vanilla trailer.

5 oz sample at brewpub. Solid black, medium size light tan head. Aroma of vanilla extract and milk chocolate, smooth butter, alcohol, caramel. Tastes like vanilla coke, high fizzy carbonation, strange, medium light.

On tap at The Steam Plant
Appearance: Almost black with a large tan head with lots of lacing
Aroma: Vanilla, bourbon, coffee and roasted malts
Taste: Vanilla with just a touch of bourbon
It had a thin mouthfeel, but it is a smooth drinking beer.

Tap @ Alehouse: Near black with a thin brown head. Aroma is pure sweet vanilla with a light amount of bourbon. Taste is a blend of vanilla, light char, espresso, and chocolate. Very minimal bourbon presence, really quite the right amount in this case. Slightly thin in the body. Still damn good.

Opaque, near black color with a thin lid of tan bubbles. Great aroma of bourbon vanilla. Some dark chocolate and roasted malt also in the nose. Flavors start with a sweet caramel and lead into roasted malt and dark chocolate. Middle fills with mild bourbon and and vanilla. Finish is roasty and a touch thin.

On cask at the Steam Plant Grill in Spokane, owned by Coeur D’ Alene Brewing Company, brewed on site. Pours pitch black with a nice tan head that lasted the entire pint. Aroma was very nice! Big vanilla up front with hints of bourbon and chocolate. Flavor is vanilla and bourbon up front with hints of chocolate and oak in the finish. This was the brew I enjoyed the most out of the CDL beers I tried this evening.

Getting notebook online. Draft. Very dark pour. Lots of sweet oak and vanilla flavors. The vanilla is very complementing to to oak flavors of the bourbon barreling. Was a very nice after dinner drink.