Scotch Irish Vanilla Bean Porter

Formerly brewed at Scotch Irish Brewing Company (Heritage Brewing)
Style: Porter
Ottawa, Canada

Cask at Volo, the day after the cask was tapped - came black with a small tan head that was gone very quickly. Thick, opaque appearance. Huge vanilla aroma, which I’m normally not crazy about, but it worked here because of the presence of nice herbal hops, hazelnut and milk chocolate. Very nice body, and perfect for a porter - a great balance between thick and thin, much nicer than the Santa Claws, which I found too thin. Creamy and sweet in the mouth with a spice undertone (cinnamon?). Good carbonation. Medium dry roasty finish. All in all a very good package, one that makes me look forward to the regular porter, which I have yet to try. Keep ’em coming Perry!

Also sampled at TFOB along side jerc. I found it to be a very easy drinking cask with an incredible vanilla aroma. I found it more dificult to pick out the vanila flavour but I’m a less experienced rater. I would gladly sit down for a pint or three to more closely examine the undertones.

Cask. Deep black with a bubbly brownish head. The aroma is quite potent - vanilla cola-esque with heavy and smooth chocolate. The flavour is reasonably smooth with bitter chocolate and lots of vanilla substance. Slightly sour and creamy. Something didn’t really mesh that well for me though so it kind of cut the drinkability.

TFOB 2007. Cask. “Harvesters Reward” porter with vanilla beans and cinnamon. Very dark brown-black body with a big foamy tan head. Average weight palate is creamy smooth. Sweet aroma with mild cocoa roast, vanilla, and faint aroma of cinnamon that I might not have picked out without being told it was in there Ɨ+). Sweet malt flavour, similar vanilla and light cocoa roast as in the aroma and a light bitterness to keep things balanced. Ƙ+) This was exceptionally nice today, and vastly superior to last years model, at least to my taste buds. 7+/4/8+/4/17-18 - 4.1 <P>Cask,TFOB 2006, with extra vanilla in it. Black body with a small tan head. Very strong vanilla aroma, very light floral notes. Flavour is actually quite sharp with vanilla covering up the malt for the most pat. Very tiny notes of cinnamon may have been imagined after being told they were there. Average palate for a cask. Very glad to try this but I actually found it a bit hard to finish, think I would prefer the "regular" version with a bit less intense vanilla. Will try it again sometime. My 800th Canadian Rating! 7/3/6/3/14 - 3.3

On tap at the Toronto Festival of Beer. Fantastic aroma with almond extract/amaretto notes overshadowing the vanilla notes. Flavour was also a pleasant surprise with a nice vanillla undertone with amaretto and cinnamon notes. Mouthfeel left something to be desired though. Pretty much no carbonation but a nice smooth finish. Could use some bite before the finish. Cheers!

Cask offering @ Volo. Aroma of roast coffee, chocolate, almonds, black, with a small cappuccino head. Flavour is chocolate, coffee, almonds, caramel and vanilla. Full bodied, complex, sweet and bitter. Majestic! Well done Perry!

Cask at Volo. This was just delicious. Chocolately and smooth, I must have tried this when the cask was newly tapped, since I found it full-bodied and fresh. Hoping this will be available more often!

Lots of cocoa and vanilla in pleasing aroma. Looks great: thick black, big beige head, Wonderful taste - lots of vanilla bean (not icing sugar vanilla like some other beers I’ve tried), very dry cocoa. lightly hopped. Very bitter, almost like a bitter real dark chocolate bar. The body though, at least on this fourth day from the cask, is a little too thin to hold all of these flavours; not near as robust as the regular version. Otherwise, an excellent brew, kudos to Scotch Irish.