First game of the cup final and it’s Vegas baby, and the house always wins. The Department of Morality has the AC cranked, and my basement lazy boy and big screen is in a deep freeze, so I have the faux fire blazing. Summertime hockey, so why not a by the fire chillin’ and swillin’ stout in June too. Don’t mind if I do. The only full-size stout in my entertainment center (the beer fridge) is a Maclean’s Vanilla.
On the can they tell us “Listen. You’re not going to get through life on good looks alone. You need a special something….” and I get this strange feeling like they are talking to me directly, other than the good looks part. So, a special something it is, and I am hoping for a chilla vanilla, not a gorilla vanilla. Lucky for me it’s a Maclean’s because they seem to be adept at the subtle art of subtle flavourings.
This brew pours darker than Kayne’s fantasy.* A vanilla fudge** (the candy not the band) aroma, all chilla, so far so good. It tastes of a mild vanilla body, they got that flavouring just right. Well done. It has a creamy mouthfeel, a bit of fudge and an espresso finish. Lots of flavour happening here. The just right vanilla is followed by a full wake up and smell the beans coffee finish, which upsets the balancing act. A slightly harsh “café no lait” finish that mellowed a bit as it warmed. A slow slider body followed by a blazing fastball closer. And I’m out in left field again.
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