December 8th

December 8th - Leinenkugel's Snowdrift Vanilla Porter

 

Seems appropriate for the day doesn't it?  Finally getting some worthwhile snow here in central PA, it only seemed fitting to twist a cap off of this newly found brew and see what it had in store.  Leinenkugel's never lets me down whether I'm in the mood for a wheat beer in the spring or summer, and now in the winter months, I have found yet another quality brew with this porter.

 

All of that being said, don't expect this beer to blow your taste buds away.  Like many of their beers, at least for me, it's a safe, middle-of-the-road beer that isn't a game-changer, but is a quality product that is reasonably priced for the craft beer market.

 

Obviously, since this is a porter, it poured very dark, with some slight, milky colored head.  There wasn't too much in this bland aroma, however, as I drank it, some weaker coffee notes began to come through.  Taste was clearly coffee, but not high-test.  The best way I could describe it would be a watered-down coffee flavor.  That sounds bad, but it really wasn't...unless you're expecting a punch-in-the-mouth-espresso-flavor.  Definitely a mild coffee flavor.  The vanilla flavors weren't overpowering either.  Once again, very mild.  Overall, a very smooth drinking porter.

 

I don't know if there is such a thing as a session porter at 6%, but this would be the next best thing if you're in the mood for more than one coffee-flavored porter/stout.

 

Frosty Sez: