Ripsnorter I Refined Fool Brewing Co.
Sarnia, Ontario
ABV: 8.7%
IBU'S: 37
Style: Flavoured porter
Colour: Blah, blah, blah.
Price: $7.95/750ml bottle
ABV: 8.7%
IBU'S: 37
Style: Flavoured porter
Colour: Blah, blah, blah.
Price: $7.95/750ml bottle
For me, Ripsnorter is absolutely the most pleasant surprise of the winter. I love porters, but honestly, when I see any beer flavoured with vanilla boasting 37 IBU's and a whopping 8.7% ABV, I don't enter the bargain with any great expectations. Ripsnorter blew me away though. This is a gloriously smooth beer with a deeply complex and thoroughly enjoyable flavour profile.
The first thing I noticed about Ripsnorter, to my sheer delight, is that the vanilla flavour is very subtle, a compliment to the already complex flavour of this beer, rather than its defining characteristic. We've all had one of those vanilla flavoured beers that tasted like cheap cake icing, and thankfully Ripsnorter is not one of them. Instead, a nice vanilla sweetness mingles with a deep, dark, roasted malt profile that delivers, a bit of bitterness, a bit of smokiness, and a bit of sweetness in one perfectly balanced load. There's also an "Imperial" quality to this beer, and although it quite nicely hides the huge 8.7% ABV, you still get a nice sting of alcohol with every sip. Flavour-wise, it's one of the best "flavoured" porters I've had, and that's not all. Ripsnorter is getting straight A's in the mouth-feel department as well, offering one of the smoothest drinking experiences possible. This beer is thick, consistently full from start to finish, and absolutely silky smooth. Perfectly carbonated, there isn't even the slightest hint of gassyness to be found, and every sip is pure pleasure.
Ripsnorter is worth every penny of the $7.95 pricetag, and it's a beer that will most definitely find its way into my regular rotation.
The first thing I noticed about Ripsnorter, to my sheer delight, is that the vanilla flavour is very subtle, a compliment to the already complex flavour of this beer, rather than its defining characteristic. We've all had one of those vanilla flavoured beers that tasted like cheap cake icing, and thankfully Ripsnorter is not one of them. Instead, a nice vanilla sweetness mingles with a deep, dark, roasted malt profile that delivers, a bit of bitterness, a bit of smokiness, and a bit of sweetness in one perfectly balanced load. There's also an "Imperial" quality to this beer, and although it quite nicely hides the huge 8.7% ABV, you still get a nice sting of alcohol with every sip. Flavour-wise, it's one of the best "flavoured" porters I've had, and that's not all. Ripsnorter is getting straight A's in the mouth-feel department as well, offering one of the smoothest drinking experiences possible. This beer is thick, consistently full from start to finish, and absolutely silky smooth. Perfectly carbonated, there isn't even the slightest hint of gassyness to be found, and every sip is pure pleasure.
Ripsnorter is worth every penny of the $7.95 pricetag, and it's a beer that will most definitely find its way into my regular rotation.
