Refined Fool Brewing Co. Ripsnorter

Ripsnorter

 

Refined Fool Brewing Co. in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦

  Porter Regular
Score
6.56
ABV: 8.7% IBU: 37 Ticks: 5
Our Vanilla Oak Bourbon Porter is made with oak chips that have been soaked in bourbon, then combined with real vanilla beans for the most amazing flavour combination.

A ’Ripsnorter’ is defined as something remarkable for its strength, intensity, or excellence. In reference to our Ripsnorter Vanilla Porter, an emphatic YES! on all three counts.
 

Sign up to add a tick or review

Join Us


     Show


4.1
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 17

Pillowy well laced tan head on a deep brown/black body. The nose features well roasted coffee, cream and semi-sweet chocolate. Lots of fresh elements here. I’m a big fan. unsweetened chocolate and bitter coffee and hops are fresh elements. Toffee, butter, dark berries and touches of vanilla, almond extract and wood add interesting layers. Not overly thick for an imperial, but not thin either. Really tasty.

Tried on 23 Sep 2025 at 20:10


6.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Black pour, small brown head. Charred, almost burnt malts, notes of vanilla, and soy, with subtle sweet bourbon. Thin mouth feel, soft carb. Finish is sweet, lightly bitter, with more roasty malts, and vanilla. The bourbon and woodies come through stronger as the beer warms.

Tried on 28 Feb 2025 at 06:09


7.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

11.5 ounce bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, caramel, toffee, fudge, dark bread, and toasted oak; with lighter notes of bourbon, molasses, dark fruit, leather, smoke, char, and roast/oaky earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt, vanilla, and bourbon/oak chip notes; with great strength. Taste of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, caramel, toffee, fudge, dark bread, and toasted oak; with lighter notes of bourbon, molasses, dark fruit, leather, smoke, char, and roast/oaky earthiness. Light-moderate roast/char bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, caramel, toffee, fudge, dark bread, toasted oak, bourbon, smoke, char, light molasses, and roast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, vanilla, and bourbon/oak chip flavors; with a nice roasted bitter/sweet and oak spiciness balance. Light-moderate dryness from roast/char bitterness and oak spiciness, increasing through the glass. Slight acrid/tannic astringency, but not overwheming. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/silky/velvety, and lightly sticky/chalky/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Mildly warming 8.7%. Overall this is a very nice oak aged vanilla imperial porter style. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, vanilla, and bourbon/oak chip flavors; very smooth and easy to sip on for the ABV. There’s not a huge bourbon presence, but it’s solid. Plenty of oak and vanilla, but never overpowering. Very well rounded in complexity. A very enjoyable offering.

Tried from Bottle on 08 May 2017 at 19:41


6.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Pours a dark brown colour with hardly any highlights. Almost an overflow, but caught it in time. The head is huge and stays up, with some foamy lacing. Lots of chocolate nose at first, with some dark fruity porter characteristics and the vanilla softening things. The taste has the chocolaty notes with the cocoa powder, giving a tarty mouthfeel. Lots of roasted malts as well and hints of apples. Not sweet, nor rich like most vanilla porters, with the alcohol well-hidden, but some things are a little unbalanced. Still pretty nice to have.

Tried on 26 Mar 2017 at 19:42


7.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Opague pour with a large fluffy khaki head that fades slowly. Nose is vanilla, chocolate, wood, smoke, some dark fruit and leather. Light sweet molasses and caramel with a medium- chocolate bitterness and lots of dark roast though the vanilla is a bit too forward. Mouth is medium with a touch of chalkiness and a dry finish with slightly soft carbonation. 8/4/6+/3+/15

Tried on 28 Jan 2017 at 18:43