Jun 2, 2016

Caboose Brewing Hobo Stout with Vanilla

Virginia’s Caboose Brewing just recently made the move to bottles earlier this year. I’ve enjoyed the company’s Car Hopper IPA on drought prior to finding a bottle of their Hobo Stout with Vanilla so this wasn’t my first introduction with the company. This 8% ABV stout is brewed with a blend of roasted, chocolate, black and Munich malts before it sits on Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans.

For the most part, Hobo Stout is a pretty darn good stout. The brew is wonderfully smooth on the tongue, yet still has a bit of robustness. Rich coffee and cocoa notes are the primary flavors present with each sip. I’m not sure how much vanilla bean was used or for how long it was aged with them, but their influence is pretty darn subtle — showing only a touch late as the beer has had a chance to warm.

I’m not a huge fan of large amount of vanilla within my brews so I’m cool with the subtle nature of their impact within this brew. Hobo Stout is a decent brew with a nice balance between robustness and a smooth drinking character. I could go for another one of these.