Vanilla Bean Ares
River Styx Brewing
Fitchburg, MA

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About This Beer
To craft Vanilla Bean Ares, the River Styx crew started with their fan-favorite Ares Stout base and added massive quantities of vanilla beans throughout the entire brewing process. It all makes for a sensationally pillowy, easy drinking Imperial Stout –– all a trojan horse for an absolutely undetectable 12% ABV!
Tasting Notes
Imagine the creamiest cup of vanilla cold brew you can. Now you have the faintest idea what Vanilla Bean Ares tastes like. Unbelievably silky cascades of crème anglaise course through every, enveloping a rich Imperial Stout brimming with decadent cocoa and café notes.
Sweet
Creamy
Rich
Smooth
Silky
Noteworthy Ingredients
Vanilla Beans
Reviews
4.18
370 Ratings
christopher5485
5.0
perfect. exactly what I want in a nice dark drink.
0
wjgeese1972
2.0
artificial
0
myoungil
3.0
good
0
Levenrah
3.25
decent stout. not much vanilla.
0
adam5648
5.0
Absolutely zero sign of this being 12%. Packed with flavor, and super smooth. This was a real treat!
0
lindsey145
4.5
this beer is just about perfect. it’s not overly cloying like a lot of vanilla heavy imperial stouts can be. well balanced.
just wish it had a little more boozy balance with the sweetness.
0
taylor1843
4.0
good, rich but not too sweet... solid but don't need again
0
EricBalkman
5.0
heavy on vanilla
0
MrPilotDave
4.5
Hides the 12% well, heavy on the vanilla aroma and taste. Not bad of a beer.
0
Seanze
5.0
the stouts y'all make are to die for
0
seongheon
4.5
Vanilla bomb, but I need more VANILLA
0
PopeyesLambic
4.25
Coffee upfront with luxurious vanilla flavors coming through as it warms up.
0
Jenjen112
5.0
this one was amazing. the beer Sat on my shelf for a couple of months and I could definitely taste the vanilla.
0
BiggsVerde
4.25
smokey. smooth
0
Darkstar1984
3.5
good flavor. just a little thin body
0
stephen34
4.25
Vanilla Is definitely present on the nose and taste throughout. Smooth, not overly sweet. I like it.
0
Slighted
4.25
awesome combo of roasty and vanilla sweetness.
0
amanda3321
4.25
Creamy coffee and vanilla. Delicious! Maybe could be a touch sweeter. Super drinkable.
0
LMcMasters
4.25
just a tad on the thin side, but the coffee flavor is mellowed by the moderate notes of choclate and vanilla. very tastey!
0
NevialTheNoble
3.75
Granted, I’m drinking this with chocolate chip cookies, but this is much less sweet than I expected. Thick and rich, for sure. Molasses, yeah. Deep and dark, you got it. Vanilla, absolutely. Just light on the sweetness.
0
zenobia1
4.5
Smooth, deliciously decadent stout with a deceptive 12%. The vanilla bean is subtle and more present in the exhale and aftertaste than the bold chocolate forefront
0
david10390
4.0
really good vanilla stout especially considering 12 ABV. doesn’t taste too boozy
0
nick3960
4.25
Complex matrix of chocolate and vanilla in a chewy stout.
0
adamczapka
4.0
Cold brew, vanilla, creamy.
0
jeffrey755
3.5
a little heavy on the coffee and chocolate, that it overpowers the vanilla. it’s there, but very slight.
0
david11288
1.0
really dark notes, super chocolaty, but vanilla is scarce if a all. that's the only reason I'm scoring low. I need the vanilla to scream my name and it barely whispers someone else's.
1
JPT13RIOT
3.75
more vanilla would be nice. had higher hopes
0
AGonz3495
4.25
Delicious and smooth, with little trace of the strength of its 12% ABV. The aroma is rich with both vanilla and roast coffee, but the actual flavor is predominantly led by the latter and bitter chocolate. Ultimately, an excellent sipping stout, but I personally wished that the vanilla profile came through more.
0
kevin7469
4.0
I did get the vanilla. but this came out a bit more flat than I would expect
0
maxwell217
3.75
solid but didn’t love it
0
johndubo
4.0
Nice vanilla notes on the nose. Pretty good vanilla flavor as well. Like most stouts, flavors got better as it warmed.
0
christopher2279
0.0
My wife and I are drinking this right now. we both agree that it is the absolute perfect balance between vanilla flavor and the roasty coffee of the stout, with a mouth feel that just doesn't stop, and alcohol that is there, but not overwhelming. vanilla stouts are hard to do right, this one is perfect. I would literally give you seven or eight stars if I could.
0
mark6198
4.0
Lots of vanilla, coffee and creaminess. 12% ABV but doesnt taste nearly that boozy. Nicely balanced with the flavors. Very little carbonation.
0