Review: Vanilla Bourbon Porter

I'm finally down in DC and getting ready to start my new job tomorrow! I'm all moved in, and although homebrewing is going to take a break for awhile, home drinking is not! I picked up a 5 cu ft chest freezer yesterday to hold two kegs I brought with me (pumpkin ale and vanilla bourbon porter). Although my roommate may not be thrilled to have a chest freezer in the apartment, he certainly can't complain about fresh draft beer on tap! (Right JT?)

Below are some tastings notes of my homebrewed vanilla bourbon porter. I'm very happy with the way it turned it out...

Aroma: Strong chocolate aroma with notes of vanilla. Some hints of coffee. Very clean, no hop aroma.

Appearance: Dark, dark brown and almost black. There's a small tan head with decent retention. It looks almost creamy.

Flavor: Coffee and vanilla are the dominant flavors, with some dark chocolate. Medium bitterness with a very slight hot alcohol quality. The bourbon is noticeable on the finish, but is very faint otherwise. Some oakiness is detectable. No hop flavor.

Mouthfeel: Medium to medium-full bodied with a mild carbonation. A little astringent from the roasted grain

Overall Impression: For a nearly 10% ABV beer, this porter is extremely smooth. I would like the bourbon to be a little more apparent--I have a sneaking suspicion that the alcohol and water stratified in the keg, and that the last few pints are gonna be uber-bourbon flavored. However, I just took another sip now that it's warmed up a bit, and the bourbon is now noticeable. I gotta give myself some props for making an exceptionally clean and drinkable "big" beer!