My BVIP batch is 2-weeks in the bottles, we cracked the first ones today. This may be the best batch I’ve brewed. Smooth and easy drinking despite being ~9% and so young. I can’t wait to see how it evolves with a bit of aging. Cold from the fridge, the chocolate malt is the first thing to hit the nose and the palette. At first I thought maybe it could have used more time on the vanilla bean, and a bit more bourbon. As it warmed though, the flavor changed and the bourbon and vanilla made their appearance. Perfection. I intend to brew this again using WY1450 per the recipe, but otherwise I wouldn’t change a thing. The website where I found the recipe recommended some oak, but I think that would just muddy-up an already complex beer. If you haven’t brewed @denny 's BVIP recipe yet, get it on the queue.
Please, any time you’re looking for one of my recipes, use the AHA recipe database. It’s the only assured accurate copy of the recipe. Site Not Found There are tons of other great recipes there, too.
Don’t age it too long. I prefer oit when it’s under 6 months old. Yes, the vanilla does fade, which is why I advise starting with the vanilla a bit stronger than you think it should be. Don’t waster top shelf bourbon on this. It should be an integrated flavor of chocolate from the porter along with the vanilla and a hint of bourbon you can tell what brand of bourbon you’ve used, you’ve used too much. I’ve had it oaked and I prefer it without.
