Marthas Velvet Elvis Vanilla Bean Stout

Brewed by Marthas Exchange Restaurant and Brewing
Style: Sweet Stout
Nashua, New Hampshire USA

Serve in English pint

Drank on tap at the source. Pours a solid black with a thinnish off white head. Smells of chocolate roasted grains and a hint of vanilla. I would have thought the vanilla would be a bit stronger, but it is quite subtle. Taste is roasted grains and milk chocolate with just a hint of vanilla. Finishes with a slight phenolic that shouldn’t be there but luckily that was subtle as well. Creamy smooth mouthfeel, light carbonation and a medium body. I could have done without the phenolic, but otherwise this was a decent brew. Nothing to earth-shattering but drinkable just the same.

En fût. Verre de dégustation directement à la brasserie. Arôme: Légère odeur de torréfaction et de vanille. Apparence: La couleur est noire opaque. Présence d’une mince col beige mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de café torréfié avec une pointe de vanille. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement onctueuse. Faible effervescence en bouche. Légère présence de cafée en arrière goût. (Rating #3156)

Draft at the American Craft Beer Fest in Boston. Deep, dark pour. Smelled like vanilla. Flavor was vanilla, mocha, chocolate. Very drinkable. Pretty great.

Pours dark with two finger head. Smooth with little bitterness. Vanilla and roast flavors. Creamy and oily. Medium bodied. OK but would be better with some more bitterness.

On tap at Martha’s Exchange. Served in a pint glass. Black pour with a 1/2" creamy tan head. Nice thick lace rings the glass. Palate was dry, smooth & creamy. It was a dream going down. Nose was chocolate & a hint of vanilla. Flavor was bakers chocolate & malt. Some vanilla bean in the flavor too. Could drink these all night. I was impressed enough to bring a growler of it home.

On Cask at NERAX 2008 Somerville, MA. Spectacular dried chocolate flavor with just a small amount of vanilla and malt. Though very dark, it is very light and drinkable. Just a spectacularly strong yet perfectly balanced of flavors. Immediately makes you think, "More Ovaltine, Please!" One of the best chocolate-style beers I’ve had.

Cask at GBBF 2007. A pitch black beer with a disappearing brown head. The aroma is sweet malty with strong notes of roasted malt as well as light notes of vanilla. The flavor is sweet again with strong notes of roasted malt, but stronger notes of vanilla than in the aroma. The finish is dry and very roasted.

Considering the style, Scores ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most intense
Appearance:
Body:   Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 2     Light Brown(1)->Pitch Black(5) : 4     Still(1)->Sparkling(5) : 2
Head:   None(1)->Large(5) : 2   Off-White(1)->Dark Brown(5) : 2   Lasting: 1   Lacing : 1   Nitro : XX
Aroma:
Intensity : 4  
Yeast : XX   Bread : XX   Apple : XX   Tropical Fruits : XX   Ink : XX   Tar : XX   Olives : XX   DMS : XX
Malt : 3   Biscuity : 3   Burnt Toast : XX   Caramel : XX   Nuts : XX   Pumpernickel : XX   Cereals : XX   Coffee : 1   Dark Chocolate : 1   Vanilla : 4   Grapes : XX   Blackberries : XX   Cherries : XX
Hops : 2   Noble(1)->American(5) : 2   Leafy : XX   Floral : XX   Lemon/Lime : XX   Grapefruit : XX Orange : XX   Herbal : XX   Pine/Spruce/Resin : XX
Notes :   Earth : XX   Wood : XX   Mint : XX   Smoke : 2   Soy : XX   Bourbon : XX   Anise : XX
Flavor:
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 4   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 5   Sourness : XX   Lactic : XX   Bitterness : 1   Complex : XX   Length : XX
Palate:
Light(1)->Full(5) : 3   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 1   Clean : XX   Sharp : XX   Watery : XX   Oily : XX   Chalk : XX   Astringent : XX   Alcohol : XX   Mineral : XX   Oxidation : XX   Metallic : XX

Comments: Quite one-dimensional, very sweet and flat stout that comes across difficult and sticky.