Victory At Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter - Ballast Point Brewing Company

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1,869 Ratings

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rAvg: 4.4
pDev: 8.86%
Reviews: 748
Hads: 1121

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Brewed by:
Ballast Point Brewing Company

California, United States

Style | ABV
American Porter | 10.00% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (662), on-tap (73), growler (10), cask (3).

Notes:
"Imperial Porter"

View: Beers (76) | Reviews (40) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by tectactoe:

tectactoe

Michigan

4.35/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Shared with Mike - thanks to GetMeAnIPA for sending this one my way. Pours a deep and dark obsidian-like color; very, very little brown on the edges with a solid, fine-bubbled tan head that fades much too fast. A quick swirl of the glass can coax it back, but only for a few moments.

The aroma on this one is very tantalizing; heavy, HEAVY roasted coffee beans - I'm talking burnt, scorched, charred, ashy. These beans smell super roasted and super bitter. This plays off of a delicate sweetness induced from the vanilla aromas that hang in the balance. Might be a tiny bit of cocoa somewhere deep in the abyss, but any attempt to further sniff it out is just met with more and more heaps of coffee beans, roasted malts, and light vanilla. I've always been partial to bitter porters rather than overly sweet ones. The nose on this beer tells me that my bias may be in effect.

...and right I was - the aroma is a perfect indication of the malt assessment in Victory At Sea. From the moment the beer hits your tongue, your palate is pile-driven with an enormous roasted, charred, and borderline burnt flavor. Coffee beans, coffee beans, coffee beans. Imaging taking a hand full of French Roast coffee beans, scorching them in a skillet, then shoving them in your face. A little overboard? Maybe.... but you get the idea. The alcohol is also noticeable from the first sip to the last, but at 10% ABV, I have no complaints. Some lightly sweet vanilla coats each and every sip also, providing a tiny bit of balance to the bitter-roasted brigade. Some chocolate definitely comes out more upon warming, although it was nearly absent in the aroma. The aftertaste is a compilation of mild charcoal flavors with some ashy and dry bitterness - a "balls to the walls", unadulterated coffee bean roast. Medium-thick body with a decent amount of carbonation; mildly creamy and smooth.

Hell yes. Victory at Sea gives the roasty bitterness lovers more of what they crave. Such a roasted, charred, and bitter stout with lovely little sweetness interruptions to keep things interesting. Very pleasantly surprised by this one - great way to end the night.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 15:56:40 | More by tectactoe

More User Reviews:

JJWIGHT

Minnesota

4/5 rDev -9.1%

05-25-2013 12:57:38 | More by JJWIGHT

RayUF07

Florida

4.5/5 rDev +2.3%

05-25-2013 05:52:25 | More by RayUF07

brydeen

Minnesota

4.11/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a jet black with a very thin khaki colored head. Looks creamy.

S: Dark roast coffee, espresso, with a very light toasted marshmallow scent.

T: Light toasty coffee flavor, with a graham cracker hint. Definite sweetness from the vanilla. Surprisingly lacking in the roasty flavor, especially after the strong aroma. Extremely tasty though.

M: Full bodied, rich and creamy. Very heavy.

O: Really tasty, but a bit sweet. Wish it had a bit more roast in the taste to counteract the vanilla. Tasty, but about 8oz is about the max I'd want in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 02:36:18 | More by brydeen