Atwater Block Brewery- Vanilla Java Porter: Weddings, Starbucks, & mixed feelings?
Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 5:02PM | by Steve 
Jason sure seems to have been invited to quite a few weddings lately. I’m not sure if that has anything to do with him being ordained “Friar Thalman” or not, but that is unimportant. What is important is that most of them seem to be in other states which have access to beer that we in Illinois do not. As luck would have it Jason usually brings me some and I do my best to review as many of them as I can. This time around his nuptial journey brought him to Michigan wherefrom he brought back Vanilla Java Porter from Atwater Block Brewery.
Pours with a small off-white head which dissipates quickly. The color is unmistakably black, like a black ale, but not thick dense color like an imperial stout. The aroma is filled with vanilla and has hints of coffee and chocolate. It tastes a bit like a chocolate Frappuccino® from Starbucks. It is creamy and has a bunch of vanilla and chocolate.
I have mixed feelings about this brew. Initially my impression is that it is good in the way that a dessert is good. Is it a beer that I would have more than once in a great while? Not so much. I think that this beer might be something that someone just getting into craft beer may latch on to. I on the other hand was happy to have had it when I did, but that’s about all I was looking for.
ABV: 6.0%
Consumed: Mother Earth Pint Glass
Verdict: Buy a Six Pack
