Atwater Block Brewery – Vanilla Java Porter Review
August 5, 2009
Today’s beer review is the Atwater Block Brewery Vanilla Java Porter. Doesn’t that sound good? Looking over the label, this beer is brewed with coffee beans, and also has natural vanilla flavoring added to the mix as well, and weighs in at 6% ABV.
Atwater Block Brewery is based in Detroit Michigan, and one of the things I really find interesting about them is that they feature an imported German brewhouse. Is this common? I don’t know if having an imported German brew-house is common or not, but it would seem that these guys mean business when it comes to beer! New Jersey on the other hand likes to export the old classic diners to other States and even Countries! Anyway….
As you can see in the picture, this Vanilla Java Porter porter creates a small but dense mocha-colored head that leaves a nice surface coating on the beer but no lacing on the glass. I notice that if I look closely from the top, this beer has little specks of darker brown coloring toward the center of the glass – almost like someone had added chocolate bits or something. That’s not the case of course, but its a neat effect! As you can see, the beer itself is a very dark brown color and held up to the light you can see that its not perfectly clear, perhaps its a bit unfiltered?
The smell (or ‘nose’ as fancy beer people call it) is not a surprise after reading the label. Major players are coffee, roasted malt, and vanilla, but to me the coffee really dominates.
Getting to the taste, I felt it was a little bit of the opposite. I’d say that the vanilla actually dominates the flavor, but to me its a touch on the weird side – like I squirted a bit of artificial vanilla extract into my alcoholic coffee or something. Otherwise, the beer is very smooth drinking, and the coffee flavors are strong in their supporting role. There is a little bit of bitterness, and some hop bite gives nice balance to the overall tasting experience. Getting to the aftertaste, its slightly bitter with guess what, coffee overtones, but its a bit dry ans even somewhat sticky at the end. Meh. I’d say the Vanilla Java Porter is a thin to medium-bodied beer, definitely not ‘chewy’.
Initially, I had really high hopes for this Vanilla Java Porter, (who wouldn’t?) but the more I drank it the less I was impressed by it. The taste became more of a gimmick to me – I think they went out of their way with this vanilla–java concept, and might have overdone it just a bit. Granted, I haven’t tried another coffee-java porter to compare it with yet, but overall I’m left underwhelmed.
I feel like a bait-and switch has been perpetrated upon my tastebuds! My tastebuds cry for revenge! Well, maybe not revenge, but they do seek some kind of restitution. (If they don’t stop bellyaching, I’ll drink a Landshark lager or something to show them what bad beer is!) Stupid tastebuds.
Now, don’t get me wrong! I’m not saying that the Vanilla Java Porter is bad, I’m just saying it ‘aint that good. To me. I won’t feel bad if I don’t have another, but I am happy that I was able to give this particular beer a try. Catch my drift?
Rating: 
which is just below average in these parts.
I’d like to mention that this Atwater Block Brewery Vanilla Java Porter graciously comes to The Brew Club compliments of BeerMonthClub.com, so I just wanted to say Thank You for that if you’re reading!
Posted in 2 Star Reviews, Ales, All Brews Reviewed, American Beers, Bocks, Porters and Stouts
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August 5th, 2009 at 8:59 am
This is the 2nd time I’ve received the Atwater Vanilla Java Porter in my Beer of the Month and it has become one of my favorite beers; definitely my favorite that I’ve ever received from the club. I’m not intending to contradict your review, just pointing out how different people’s tastes are. I find the vanilla flavor very pleasant and truly enjoy the coffee finish. I think your description is pretty much spot-on of how it drinks, our reactions to it are just different. Great review and nice site BTW; found you through a post from OnlyBeerNews on twitter.
August 5th, 2009 at 9:17 am
It’s funny…it’s brewed in Detroit, but I cannot get it 45 miles south in Toledo. When i make it up to Michigan, I’ll pick it up. I tried Atwater’s Voodoovator and thought it was very good. I am not huge on coffee beer, but I always like to give different brews a try.
As for your second to last paragraph, I get it! Just because a beer gets a low rating doesn’t mean it’s disgusting, right? How could anyone differentiate between the decent and the superb if everything got a 4 star rating?
As far as the imported german brewhouse… I am FAR from an expert, but even if it is a rarity, judging by the pics it’s more hype than anything.
nate´s last blog ..A Gift Fit For A Beer Geek…
August 5th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Sorry to post again, but the more I think about the “german brewhouse” I must assume that they have an advantage over other breweries in Lagering beer…although from research I’ve done, it’s available stateside.
nate´s last blog ..A Gift Fit For A Beer Geek…
August 5th, 2009 at 9:29 am
@Gregg Prince, thanks for stopping in! We hope you return from time to time and share your thoughts with the class! One of the things I love about beer is two people can try the same exact thing and have two different reactions – like you mentioned. Its all personal really. We try not to go too far down the ’scientific’ and methodical road when we review here. I have a beer, and put my thoughts out there for the world to agree or disagree, or ignore – and its been a fun trip so far!
@nate – that’s right. This beer was far from awful, its just that I’ve had much better. Sometimes it very hard to review a beer in a vacuum like its the only beer on earth, its tough to not compare it to others that have been tried. Still, I do my best to give every beer a fair shake and offer my honest opinion. Interesting comments on the imported brew-house.
Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Lindemans Framboise Raspberry Lambic
August 6th, 2009 at 11:43 am
I’ve been thinking about joining a beer of the month club again. I used to do it about 10 years ago. Loved the beers I was getting, but they get so expensive. I would love a beer of the month club that sent you 6 different beers in a 12pk. My ideal…
I’ve tended to stay away from the vanilla induced beers they tend to go overboard on the vanilla, but maybe I should try some more. I do love the subtle vanilla notes you get from oak aging, but that seems to have a different vanilla flavor then adding beans or extract to brews.
Simply Beer´s last blog ..Avery The Beast Grand Cru
August 9th, 2009 at 6:11 am
Looking back on some of the reviews I’ve done for The Brewclub recently I’ve noticed a preponderance of dark chocolatey beers, so a hint of vanilla would probably go down quite well.
And as for the German brewing kit, surely all you need for lagering in some large tanks in a cool dark place?
Bob the Brit´s last blog ..Roundabouts
August 22nd, 2009 at 9:24 am
Reading your review reminded me of the high hopes I had the day I found this beer last winter. I loved the idea of this flavor combination, but I suffered the same disapointment. Probably took me a full month to drink the entire six pack! (I bought it just outside of Boston, MA.)