Guest Video Review by Tom The Beer Whisperer

Buffalo Sweat? What the hell kind of a name for beer is that, Tallgrass Brewing of Manhattan, Kansas? Not one that sounds very appetizing for sure, folks, but I can say that once you get a sip of Tallgrass Vanilla Bean Buffalo Sweat Stout, you’ll forget all about the name and just enjoy the beer. Or at least I did.

Tallgrass Vanilla Bean Buffalo Sweat Stout is a seasonal version of Tallgrass flagship beer, Buffalo Sweat Oatmeal Cream Stout. Once again, the name may seem rather strange, but not so much when you consider the fact that Tallgrass claims that wild buffalo roam freely just ten miles from their brewery. So OK, I get the buffalo moniker now, and indeed it kind of grows on you. Like the beer. Here’s what Tallgrass says about Vanilla Bean Buffalo Sweat Stout on their website:

To create Vanilla Bean Buffalo Sweat we start with our best selling beer, Buffalo Sweat. We carefully infuse this award- winning oatmeal cream stout with whole Ugandan vanilla beans. This enhances the beer's natural dark-roasted flavors of espresso, chocolate, and creamy sweetness. "Liquid chocolate chip espresso cookies" is how one fan described its unique flavor.

This is not the first beer that I have enjoyed from Tallgrass. Their beers are not sold here in Georgia, but I picked up a 4-pack of Tallgrass IPA in Mississippi a few years ago. This can I received courtesy of the magnanimous Beer Whisperer in a trade. It’s stamped with a “Drink By” date of 3/20/2014. I of course drank mine in early April, a little after the best by date and it was still wonderful. Don’t worry folks. Beers don’t magically go bad after these markers. The can also tells me the beer has 5% alcohol by volume and 20 IBUs. Tallgrass Vanilla Bean Buffalo Sweat is a recent addition to their lineup, introduced in 2012. Tom reports the beer runs $7.99 a 4-pack, but these are 16 ounce cans so that is a price I would call reasonable for sure. It’s the same price I paid for the IPA in fact.

Ingredients for Vanilla Bean Buffalo Sweat are not listed on the website, but if you go to their listing of the base beer you will find them. Just add the vanilla beans and you have this beer. Ingredients are:

Malt: 2-Row Barley, Roasted Barley, Black Malt, Victory, Vienna, Oats

 Hops: Glacier

Tallgrass Vanilla Bean Buffalo Sweat Stout pours to a jet black color with a towering head of cauliflower foam and a sinful nose of roasted chocolate and vanilla. Taking a sip the body is slightly thinner than I expected but the flavor surely is not. This beer is just loaded with notes of milk chocolate and creamy vanilla, pudding with the skins on and at the last, the lightest suggestion of mint from the hops. I really can't stop drinking it, it’s that good. The beer has a slight sweetness up front but the spicy dry vanilla and hops dry it out at the last.

I could drink this all day, and night to boot for that matter. Just a wonderful, wonderful beer with the chocolate, vanilla and mint really working together perfectly. Lots of beers with vanilla don’t express it as nicely as this one does. Not to be missed, if you can find it.  



Home