Strictly speaking, my assignment was to review Vanilla Deep and report back. However, when I rolled up to Mashcraft excited to try the new brew, it was already sold out! According to head brewer Andrew Castner, head brewer, this iteration of The Deep series has been by far the most popular upon initial release they went through 15 gallons in two days!
My initial loss is your gain, though, because I did eventually get to try Vanilla Deep and was also given a chance to taste taste the new batch of Capsicum Deep, the oatmeal stout brewed with four different kinds of peppers. Yowza! Of all the types of The Deep, I think I liked this one best. Brewed with ancho, anaheim, habanero, and pasilla peppers, this brew tastes freshpicked, has a great kick to it, and would be a stunning addition to a stew or chilli in the colder months.
However taken I was with Capsicum, I was there on a mission. I was told that Andrew was working as hard as he could on a new batch of Vanilla Deep, so I came back the next day to try the beer that had sold out so quickly. I was not disappointed. Vanilla Deep, like its sweet cousins Peppermint and Plum, really performs best when served at room temperature. Drinking it straight away will give you a strong aroma of vanilla on the front, followed by the characteristic malty chocolatey notes of an oatmeal stout. Letting it warm up a bit gives the flavors a chance to blend together a little better the vanilla mellows, the malt really shines.
If you’ve missed any of Mashcraft’s The Deep lineup while they’ve been tapping them one at a time, never fear. They are all currently on tap, but who knows for how long? Stop by and grab a pint, bullet, or growler before your Thanksgiving festivities.
|
|
