Score: 92
Firkin Friday release! Served in a pint glass and enjoyed on 02/21/14. Review is from iPhone notes.
Appearance: Pours a deep brown chocolate bar color that is "muddy" and mostly opaque. Served with a thin layer of khaki head that slowly settles to a ring around the glass. Average lacing and retention. 4/5
Smell: Vanilla cupcakes, milk chocolate and marshmallows! There is a nice light roastiness and a hint of coffee grounds present too. Mild spice/grain. Lots of vanilla and chocolate present in the nose, with everything in an enticing balance with each other. 4.5/5
Taste: The taste is a lot more malt/grain flavor forward than the nose, and the chocolate and vanilla notes are substantially dialed down relative to aroma as well. This brew has a nice, but not overpowering, rye spice sharpness and mild hop flavor towards the finish with a good bitterness. The vanilla character on the palate is very muted. Finishes with a lingering bitterness and residual bakers chocolate flavor. 4/5
Mouthfeel: Medium/medium-light bodied, minimal carbonation. Surprisingly creamy and velvety smooth mouthfeel for a thinner bodied beer. I like the bitterness, which greatly adds to this brew's drinkability in my opinion. Most vanilla beers tend to be quite sweet -- layering in a filling way and becoming difficult to drink past the 12 oz mark. 4.25/5
Overall: Smells fantastic, tastes good, and has a great mouthfeel despite being a firkin beer with a thinner body. With a little tweaking to get the quality of the taste to approach the quality of the nose, Half Acre would have a true home run with this one. Nonetheless enjoyed thoroughly, and I ordered a second glass when finished.
Cost: $5 for a 13 oz pint.
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