Beer of the Week: Ol’ Nessie

From the Beer Writer: When winter rolls around, even in seemingly never-sub-sixty San Diego, many beer drinkers take the opportunity to switch up their imbibing habits, taking a break from crisp, golden-hued ales and lagers to heartier brews with greater malt presence, higher alcohol contents and, often, a bevy of baking spices. Such beers feel just right as the weather cools and downright ideal come the holidays. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t delicious beyond the yuletide season. Take, for example, Ol’ Nessie, a porter from Lemon Grove’s lone beermaking interest, 13 Point Brewing, that’s given warming depth care of whole vanilla beans. That little something extra is in keeping with the confectionery staples of the season sans all the sugariness, making for a savory, 6.6% ABV (alcohol-by-volume) dark beer that’s right at home with a roaring fire and twinkle lights. But as roasty, dry and balanced as Ol’ Nessie is, there’s no reason she can’t be sipped any night—or day—of the year. Pigeonholing this porter as a winter-only specialty would be the type of criminal act that would surely fetch someone a lump of coal at the toe of their stocking.

From the Brewer: “The Ol’ Nessie Vanilla Porter is one of our early recipes from our home brew days in the garage. We used real vanilla beans soaked in Irish whiskey back then. When we moved to the pro setup, we had to nix the whiskey for legal reasons, but kept using real vanilla beans. We found out it didn’t really matter. It was still the beer we intended. This porter is exactly what you think of as a winter-slash-cool-weather drinker. With a nice deep-roasted backbone and a slight vanilla sweetness, it just begs to be snuggled up to. We have this beer on-tap all year because it’s a smooth, easy-drinking beer and it is just that good. We hope you will enjoy it as much as we do.”—Robert Bessone, Co-founder & Head Brewer, 13 Point Brewing