Sea Monster Imperial Stout - Ballast Point Brewing Company

OStrungT

California

4.97/5  rDev +23.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer pours an inky black color, with a very thin brown head. The head fades quickly, leaving no lace.

This beer smells of chocolate. I can detect some coffee also. Very sweet caramel malt is present in the aroma. It has a nice roasted malt aroma as well.

This beer tastes like it smells. Great. Chocolate, coffee, roasted malts. There is very little hop flavor presnet. Just a healthy dose of hops.

This beer is full bodied. It goes down smooth, leaving a chocolate aftertaste. Carbonation is pretty low.

This beer would make a decent session beer. The alcohol content is a little high, but the flavor is great and would be good to drink all night long.

Overall: This beer is great. It may be the best thing I have ever had from Balast Point. Its almost perfect.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2009 02:40:31 | More by OStrungT

Tom8Analise

Massachusetts

4.85/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

So far, easily in our top 3 favorite beers of all time...extremely full bodied flavor with very well balanced flavor notes of oatmeal, chocolate, and coffe...very rich and one of the smoothest I've had yet...very excited to share it with some of my good friends but only have (1) left so I plan on aging it for a little while before we crack it open...

Hope you enjoy it just as much as we did!

Tom and Analise

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2009 20:49:08 | More by Tom8Analise

scottoale

California

4.83/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Have had a lot of this one lately at O'Brien's and at the BP Brewery. Especially tasty and creamy deliscious on nitro, it pours out black with a beautiful cascading head that swells to a thick and creamish head of cocoa one finger plus.

Smells strong of dark roasted coffee and bitter-sweet chocolate, through and through. Very dark and roasty with some sweetness.

Tastes very much as it smells...reminds me of Speedway Stout with a nice fresh coffee appeal, full and rich with a cream froth topping

Very tasty and super easy to drink...I highly recommend this elegant rich stout with no compromise, flavor worth savoring and a mild ABV that's satisfying as well. Cheers!

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-30-2007 00:46:33 | More by scottoale

elNopalero

Texas

4.73/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

This pours from the tap a thick black cocoa color with a great aroma dominated by cocoa nib notes. So tasty too, with this essence of cocoa mixing and playing nice with the roasty notes. Smooth and thick, this flavor can last for days. This is a tasty one.

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2013 21:58:28 | More by elNopalero

adkirkish

Florida

4.72/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Chocolate, toffee and bourbon notes that warmed to espresso
A: Pours black with a ¼ " tan head which quickly dissipated, no lacing.
F: Espresso and coffee upfront, burnt roasted malt and chocolate make up the rest of the flavor which is wonderful. I didn't get any Hop Bitterness in the taste. The Espresso and Chocolate are in complete domination of the flavor profile.
M: The mouthfeel is thick, full bodied, and little carbonation.
O: This is a should have/must have in my book. If you are a fan of dark and sweet stouts, this is your money. Highly suggested if you find it: buy it, age it, drink it. Be sure to first sip cool, and let it warm so you can experience the full flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2010 17:42:05 | More by adkirkish

djaeon

California

4.7/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - Poured into a tulip style glass. Pours pitch black with a creamy cappuccino like head. The head has moderate retention and leaves just as moderate lacing.

S - Smells amazing. Roasty malt. Strong dark chocolate laced espresso or coffee. Some minor alcohol hints in the background.

T - Tastes as good as it smells. You get all the flavors that you could smell, plus a minor hoppy bitterness in the aftertaste.

M - Thick and smooth.

D - Extremely drinkable. I think this would be one of my top 5 "desert island" beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2009 00:02:28 | More by djaeon

sendsilk

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into my trusty "Crab House" pint glass. This cost $9.99 + tax so about $11. In Florida we have to pay handsomely to get this beer.

Okay,
I have been waiting to try this one. This could totally go either way for me. I tried the Victory at Sea and hated it...too much coffee. Than I tried the Sculpin and loved it!

A- Looks great. takes a few seconds for the head to form but when it does, it comes on strong and large. At least 2 fingers tall with half the bottle poured into my pint glass.

S- Very strong and inviting. I can smell it from at least a foot away...smelling some coffee though. I hope I don't get a Victory at Sea surprise. Let's give her a whirl, shall we?

T- That's good. Not sure which way it would go. Very creamy, nice toasted malt flavors with SOME coffee but doesn't kill with it. The weird thing is the hops I taste are totally on the backend of this beer. I actually don't taste the hops until several seconds after I have swallowed it. Interesting.

M- Really great. Very creamy but not overdone.

D- If it wasn't so freaking expensive I could drink the shit out of these. At over $5 an 11 oz. glass, it's not doable too often. If I had a keg of this stuff, I would go apeshit for about a week with it.

Very nice Ballast Point, You've impressed me with 2 out of 3.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 03:21:25 | More by sendsilk

rallison

California

4.58/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Freshly bottled - from the new Robust Series of special releases. Bottled version is listed at 8%.

Pours a tasty dark brown/black (mostly black with brown at the edges). Nice 1 finger tan head that subsides to a touch of lacing.

Smells of coffee. Then more coffee. Then lots of chocolate and roasted malts. This thing smells delicious.

Initial taste I find quite pleasing - this really is an imperial oatmeal/coffee stout. I get a lot of coffee flavors here. A fair bit of roastiness is also present. The oats add a wonderful component here - they help to smooth out what might have otherwise turned into too sharp of a beer. This gives it a creamy chocolate flavor/mouthfeel which I find quite excellent. They definitely pulled this one off.

Mouthfeel, as stated, is rather creamy. Wonderful. Drinkability is also exceptional.

Highly recommended. If their subsequent Robust Series releases stay this good, I will be picking every one up.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2007 05:21:40 | More by rallison

RustyDiamond

Georgia

4.58/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into my 2006 Strong Beer Month snifter.
Mocha head...bright bubbly and jet black in appearance.
Very unique aroma for an IS...freaking love it! Sweet chocolate, hot booze, candy hops and blueberry. Bright front end of chocolate and yummy hops. Sticky at times in the middle. Hops very prevalant in the flavor...no complaints here. Roasty creamy middle, juicy berry-hoppy chocolate finish. Semi-dry finish. Dangerously drinkable for a 10% IS. Alcohol very well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2009 01:18:10 | More by RustyDiamond

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

22oz bottle purchased as a single from Yankee Spirits, Sturbridge, MA.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/4" brown head over the opaque dark brown/black brew. What head there is melts away to thin layer of small bubbles, with leggy slow-falling lace. Aroma is roasty dark malt, anise, and alcohol. Taste stays the course of the nose, with alcohol peeking through at the close. Mouthfeel is velvet smooth, and drinkability is WAY too easy for 10%. Find it, try it.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2009 00:59:58 | More by ppoitras

ccrida

Oregon

4.58/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber (cellared 1 year), Sea Monster is a blackish brown with a tan head that leaves scattered foamy lace.

Smell is sweet, red wine and caramel. Crazy depth, I really love it, like a BSDA.

Taste is strong, big bakers chocolate, but also very vinous, tasting older then the year I've had it (bought it at a beer store in San Fransisco so I suppose it could have been sitting for a while). Tannic as well, although it wasn't barrel aged AFAIK. Reading teh able, I just saw that their description of currant, and that is very accurate. This really tastes like a Belgian stout, which I love.

Mouthfeel is very slick, medium light bodied, with the viscosity being a bit ephemeral.

Drinkability is good, this is a super tasty stout, a bit unusual though do due the sweet dark red and black fruits. It's so rich that it's a bit slow drinking in a satisfying kind of way, but it's light bodied and very smooth. Aged very well, great beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2010 06:55:39 | More by ccrida

paco1029384756

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle thanks to OlieIPA.

Pours black with a very small tan head and low carbonation, but a nice thin ring of lacing.

Scent of rich chocolate, oats, roasted malts, sugars, and some coffee. A good robust and balanced scent with nicely subdued alcohol.

Taste of roasted malts, rich chocolate, coffee, sugars, molasses, and oak. A very tasty Imperial Stout, as with the scent it is balanced nicely and still robust. Alcohol is hidden in the taste as well.

Mouthfeel is oily and heavy, though the carbonation is a bit too biting.

Extremely drinkable, another beer to put on the dangerously drinkable list.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2009 01:36:12 | More by paco1029384756

GehenHerzog

North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A- Pours a deep black with a finger tan head.

S- Smells of fresh coffee and vanilla. Little bit of roasted malt

T- Tastes of sweet chocolate malt and a nice coffee bitterness in the end. Very balanced. A sweet beer but not overly done. Some coffee and chocolate sweetness that keeps this one balanced

M- Thick and creamy.

D- Very drinkable. Even at 10% it is not noticeable.

Nice to finally get to try this beer and I was more impressed than I expected going into it.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2011 19:47:34 | More by GehenHerzog

TexIndy

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a tulip. No dating info on the bottle but we had Milt pick this up at the brewery about a week after the release so there are fresh. Color was black in the center with mahogany edges when against the light. It had a large tan head that settled into a good collar and central foam. Great sheeting with some sticking.

The aroma was excellent. Coffee, roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate and just a bit of the alcohol. I like the coffee choice in this one. The taste was also excellent and matched the aroma with the roasted coffee and malt up-front with the chocolate hitting later on. Sweet from the malt to balance out the bitterness. Good balance. Dangerously drinkable at 10%. Mouthfeel was full and creamy. Good carbonation and sweetened coffee after-taste.

Overall, an excellent imperial stout and another excellent offering from Ballast Point. Very highly recommend. Hits both the imp stout and coffee beer buttons for me. Avail/Rot: not available here in TX so had Milt ship me some. If here, would be couple per release. As-is will be in the shipping schedule. Need to get some and cellar and see what happens. [R;Y;cellar]

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2010 01:31:09 | More by TexIndy

jlandis

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A true sea monster that comes from the deepest depths of the ocean. Pitch black with a two finger tan head with densely packed bubbles that looks so rich and creamy. The aroma is of rich roasted grains and robust coffee. Along the edges I can pick up a malty sweetness that balances all of the other elements. With the first taste I can pick up rich roasted grains, currants, and a beautiful sweetness. In the finish there is a fantastic robust coffee flavor that finishes dry, which is the perfect invitation to take another drink. The body of this one is thick and creamy with a very subtle carbonation. This is a fantastic beer, and I'm glad that I finally had the opportunity to try this one. The whole case we split between some friends was over $120, so each sip should be savored.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 14:39:39 | More by jlandis

NickRivers

California

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A&S - Pours a dark brown and sits non-transparent black with a finger worth of mocha colored head with tons of lacing. Smells of dark malts, some stewed fruit, vanilla, coffee, and a fresh hop presence.

T&M - Hits fizzy and sweet, tons of roasty malt that just compliments the alcohol burn ever so brilliantly. The finish is smokey bitter with huge hop profile, like a west coast IPA profile. Tons of coffee with a hint of vanilla and some woodiness.

O - A fantasic beer! Every flavor compliments the other unlike some other stouts which contain such huge flavors that seem to overpower the others. A little dangerous on the drinkability, I feel its more along the lines of a porter, its so drinkable but if you let it sit in your mouth you feel the burn from all that fermented deliciousness. Wonderful stout, maybe my go-to here in CA, haven't had Old Raspy yet, but this one holds a special place in my heart. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 20:37:01 | More by NickRivers

MuenchenerKindl

Germany

4.47/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a bomber to a pint glass the liquid is close to black and has very good carbonation. The head is thick, dark tan and leaves some nice lace.

The smell is good a bit roasty with nice coffee notes and a light but nice hopiness.

The taste is great very nice roasty taste, mostly a huge chocolate and dark roasted coffee flavor, This is the real deal here on the big stouts.

The mouthfeel is very good rich creamy and delisiouse, The body is good better the medium.

The drinkability is very good, this brew is a must try all the way, it has the whole package a true craft brew should have. Hmmm, dang this brew is good

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2008 07:13:46 | More by MuenchenerKindl

aerozeppl

New York

4.47/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

A: Almost jet black with some brown getting through around the edge of the glass. Minimal white head.

S: A really weird sweetness. Tons of chocolate.

T: Tons of chocolate just like the nose. Some roast thrown in for good measure. The sweetness is lingering in the finish.

M: Light body for the style and the carbonation was very subtle.

D: Super drinkable. Very nice the smooth. The lack of body did aid it in this department.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2009 21:30:05 | More by aerozeppl

beer2day

North Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep black pour with no head and very light lace.

Dry roast coffee with cocoa underneath define the nose.

Creamy smooth chocolate malt hits first, light roast coffee follow, with a smooth dry finish. Light hop presence in the end. Very little indication of the abv.

Body is right on for the style.

Goes down way too easy.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 11:50:51 | More by beer2day

SubpoenaDeuces

California

4.47/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ballast Point Sea monster

A: Sleek, ink black, with a little transparency. Not an exceptional amount of carbonation, just a menacing lacing sitting on top of the rim, warning the latent power lurking below. Nice lacing, sticky and antagonistic.

S: There is a toffee/sour finish with an incredible amount of coffee and wood notes. There is a whiskey and bourbon note that wafts above the thick head like an ice cube sitting upon a glass of gin.

T: There is a noteworthy chocolate and anise/licorice profile. This beer is as black as Satan’s magic, a thick chocolate milk head imparts its flavor, then oak jumps into the fray with its drying effects. Nice coffee notes resound and add drying effects. Its effect remains throughout

M: The mouthfeel coats in a huge way. There is a oily thick particulate effect to the stout. The coffee and burnt raisins just coat and linger, making up a remarkable base camp with occasional visits from smokiness and chocolate. Strangely the body isn’t exceptionally thick but it has sticky coating. Which is unusual given the strange balance.

D: Despite the crazy nature of this beer, it remains exceptionally drinkable for the style. While it coats in a huge way and certainly wouldn’t feel at home in a 6 pack, it has a great disposition that makes you want to take another sip. Most people would shy away due to an unfamiliarity with style or an aversion to the menacing black character, however, for those tried and true, this is certainly worth the outing, maybe even 2 bombers.

Narrative: Skip was born jet black, without a white belly. His inky black eyes showed permeable anger, the other Emperor Penguins mocking him. His beak clenched watching the others feed upon cephalopods. “Look at them, their proud plumage, mocking me like sneetches without stars upon thars, I will show them.” Skip was advanced for his age and, despite his lack of opposable thumbs, has fashioned an ice shiv from the shearing of an errant glacier. “I will show them the true darkness of their ways.” No one would mate with Skip and rumored his jet black eggs that would result. He had a sweet core and a lighthearted personality, but no one would give him the benefit of the doubt. Skip burned with the rage of a Patagonia summer. We will see whose cold is imparted this winter, that of my black coat, or that of black death. He gripped his shiv knowingly, awaiting the grip of the winter.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2011 06:36:20 | More by SubpoenaDeuces

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A-Black with dark ruby highlights and a thin tan head that left spotty lace.

S-Rich and meaty with a dry oakiness and nice chocolate notes.

T-Robust chocolate and coffee and a beef jerky like backing. Backing bitterness present but this is smoothed out by the malt bill making this a very "round" brew.

M-Medium-heavy, silky smooth and oh, so rich.

D-Wonderful, rich and robust with a big chocolate/coffee/meaty body....so nice. BP does it again!

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2009 13:53:18 | More by Deuane

btransue4

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This poured dark as night black. I drank a bomber out of a goblet. Almost no head but a very dark with a strong flavor. Thick yet very drinkable. This stout had subtle undertones of chocolate with a rich coffee, bitter oatmeal flavor. Stouts are a hit or miss in my book and this one was spot on. This beer is a limited release and I see why, this was my first ballast point and I now understand why they are so sought after. A excellent stout. If you can find it, buy it.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2010 05:46:18 | More by btransue4

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours an almost impenetrable deep black. Only the slightest hint of light peaks through creating a ruby highlight. There are 2 fingers of fluffy white head that dissipates very slowly creating some nice lacing on the side of the glass.

N: Roasted barley, chocolate, coffee, toffee and maybe some oats.

T: Roasted barley and toffee followed by dark chocolate and notes of black coffee. Finishes with dark chocolate, coffee and hints of charcoal.

M: This has a beautiful mouth-feel. Medium bodied, creamy, silky and soft.

O: Very smooth and easy drinking. Extremely balanced with a slight bitter bite towards the end. Absolutely delicious chocolate and coffee flavors run throughout. The 10% abv is undetectable. This is an incredible Imperial Stout!

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 00:18:07 | More by justintcoons

HopDerek

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A bottle picked up back in December at Pizza Port Carlsbad's bottle shop.

Poured an inky black with some dark brown edges. Two fingers of mocha brown head has ok retention and leaves a bit of spotty lacing and an oily coating. Smells of chocolate, roasted malt, nuts, coffee, currants, plums, and a bit of alcohol. Tastes of dark chocolate, roasted malt, dark fruits like black currants and plums, coffee, anise, and a soothing alcohol finish. Medium full in body with low carbonation. Pretty thick, smooth, and creamy with a nice balance. A pretty enjoyable Imperial Stout, not overly mind blowing, but also not a total miss. Quality stuff, easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2009 17:32:25 | More by HopDerek

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I swear, my cousin was out to kill me. Opening a bottle of this out of his fridge was like gilding the lily.

The initial pour created an easy two finger's of deep-brown head with great retention. Color was a deep, dark brown, bordering on inky black. Nose had charcoal, chocolate, fudge, chocolate. Mouthfeel was very thick with a chocolaty fudge/ brownie taste in the mouth. Finish was very chocolate. It was much too sweet for my hophead taste, but I would definitely recommend it as a dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2009 13:29:21 | More by woodychandler