Knee Deep "Imperial Vanilla" Porter

Look who has a streak going! Admittedly, the last two Knee Deep beers were almost a year ago, but it's not because I have been avoiding them. Their strange but memorable labels are great, their beers are also great, and their distribution is... well, they could work on it. After all, this is only the third of their beers I've seen in a year.

The very dark brown color is appropriate for a good porter, and the head is tan while it lasts (which isn't long). The aroma is roasted nuts and that bright vanilla. Brown sugar lurks under some woodiness, and this beer is going to be suitably complex for a full swig. There are few times when I regret that I have to start with just a sip, but I'm a slave to this process.

First sip is a solid mixture - sweet, bitter, watery, woody, vanilla, earth, brown sugar, and nuts. The problem is pretty predictable with too much going on inside the beer to adequately judge the beer. I mean, I like the sip, but it's a bit much, isn't it? I mean all of those flavors are trying to come through, but the door they are squeezing through won't let them all out at the same time.

Tip-in is brown sugar leading into vanilla and maple with carbonation just tingling a little in the middle of the mouth. The middle is a warm alcohol embrace with wood, earth, and vanilla-laced nuttiness. The finish brings bitterness with some toffee and remnants of wood before trailing off into the bitter night.

Bottom Line: A good porter.

3.0/5