On my visit to Tijuana, B.C. in Mexico, I visited Plaza Fiesta located in La Plaza de los Zapatos with my friend Oscar. While we were on a Taco run, he had mentioned about this sanctuary for the craft breweries and pulquerias. When we visited the place, I was amazed as to how much the craftbeer scene in Mexico was alive and well. The location had many on site microbreweries and tasting rooms that we got to try many things. One of the breweries that stood out for us, aside from the many great ones like Insurgente, Legacy, Border Psycho and Donkey Punch, was Ramuri. Ramuri has a vast offering including one beer called the Lágrimas Negras Peanut Butter Stout. That stout was so mind blowing with chocolate peanut butter that we felt it was above even the likes of Belching beaver. Having had a couple of pints of it, I tried to see if we could get a growler to go. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Fortunately, for us the barkeep, David had given us some secret pours like the sour Berliner and the Barleywine. Since I did not want to leave home empty handed, I bought a couple of 6 packs of this beer. This one was one that was not on the taps and it was one I wanted to review for them. So I present to you, an exclusive Mexico craft brew, La Porter Del Templo Vanilla Porter. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich piloncillo sugar cone, nutmeg, vanilla, hazelnut nectar, toffee, pumpkin notes, chocolate abuelita, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, maple notes, dark fruit prunes, cherries, tobacco notes, brown sugar and anise.

Flavors:
Rich Piloncillo sugar cone, Burnt sugar, toffee, pecan pie, Mexican caramel cajeta, Mexican vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin notes, chocolate abuelita, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, tobacco, leather, molasse, anise hints, dark fruit prunes, plums, raisins, currants, cherries, capirotada raisin bread pudding, candi sugar, hazelnut nectar, maple syrup and coffee cake.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with earthy notes of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Mexican vanilla, rich piloncillo, burnt sugar and dark fruit. No alcohol in the taste, dark full body, smooth, creamy, and chewy mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A perfect vanilla porter. This brew was definitely different from any Vanilla porter I have ever tried. My assumption is that they probably did use some ingredients native to Mexico like the Piloncillo Sugar cone which was definitely prominent in this one. Also, Mexican vanilla is different from other vanilla as well. So the rich and complex flavors coming from this beer, even if 5% ABV, was definitely something that was definitely worth the purchase. That and the fact that I enjoyed their other offerings definitely made it more awesome. If you ever find this one or go to Tijuana for the craftbeer scene, definitely check this place out and their beers.

Anime Corner:
Vocaloid Megurine Luka was used this pairing as I wanted to pair with some of the colors of the label and the beer flavors. Also, in the name, it mentions La Porter del Templo or the Porter of the Temple which I would believe is in reference to Belgian or Abbey beer tributes. Hence, the reasons why I have Luka with a cloak like the monks. All in all, it fit the scene of the pairing well I think.