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

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4.53/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Pours a dark pitch-black viscous liquid. There is a thin light tan head.

Aroma is of awesome coffee notes, espresso with hint of vanilla. Definitely some cocoa is present as well. The nose is pretty big on the vanilla with the coffee roast balancing it a bit.

Flavor on the other hand is so much more balanced. There is a strong espresso and coffee-ground roast with a smooth and silky vanilla note. The roast comes up quick and aggressive coating the palate with bitter coffee notes and some deep dark bitter/sweet cocoa. Then the sweet vanilla comes in trying to mellow out the coffee and adding a nice second dimension. There are some nice burnt notes and cocoa sweetness that mingle with the vanilla and the delicious coffee as well near the middle-end of the sip that really make this brew delicious. Mouthfeel seems just right with a nice silky and oily and full feel.

Overall this is a great brew. Top notch Porter as well. The vanilla notes and coffee notes are delicious together and independently are well crafted. The more cocoa like Porter notes also ad a great dimension.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2013 22:40:33 | More by JoEBoBpr

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.04/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

The beer pours a jet black with 1/2 an inch of a creamy tan head that laces and dissipates into a thin chocolate covering. the nose is chocolatey with bits of vanilla sweetness. the taste is rich & full bodied, malty & roasty with great chocolate sweetness. Initially it's very sweet and slightly warming, but finishes with a heavy burnt roasty and bitterness. this is a really tasty beer, great price and availability in wny, drinks more like a stout though

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2013 03:26:48 | More by ThePorterSorter

Dwtucker90

Texas

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

10 oz. pour enjoyed at The Dancing Bear Pub in Waco, TX.

Appearance: espresso black body. Poured with a 1 inch deep brown head which dissipates into a nice thin brown foam after a couple minutes. Pretty heavy lacing all the way around the glass.

Smell: dark roasty black malt with a very forward cappuccino smell with some thick cream sweetness. Brown sugar as well paired with some faint booze. Imagine a dark coffee marshmallow. Delicious.

Taste: black malt, super creamy and sweet. Very much a sweet coffee beer, which probably comes from the vanilla. Tastes like a cappuccino and has an excellent boozy aftertaste that burns well after each sip.

Mouthfeel: super super thick and creamy. Absolutely delicious. Taste the carbonation and coffee texture.

Overall: this is one of the best coffee porters/stouts I've ever had.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2013 03:18:23 | More by Dwtucker90

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A - Virtually black, with a sticky, thin layer of irregular bubbles on top. Looks strong.

S - Apple skin to black chocolate with cane sugar. Notes of alcohol and dark, rich sweetness. Maybe some steamed milk.

T - An assertive flavor profile with heavy coffee presence. Not much in the way of vanilla. There is a sweetness in the middle, but the strength of the coffee takes over. The 10% ABV is present; too strong for the rich flavors to mask.

M - Rich and strong, like a cappuccino. This beer is very sturdy and dry.

O - A hearty brew, but not sure this is a porter. This one seems like a coffee stout more or less.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2013 00:01:29 | More by BeerForMuscle

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On-tap at Ginger Man.

Beer is black with a small tan head,

Vanilla is the strongest smell. it is actually somewhat overpowering, though nice. Some chocolate as well.

Tonnes of vanilla and chocolate in the taste. Roast malt and a bit of anise. The coffee is quite muted in comparison to the vanilla, which is very strong. Quite balanced, with a notable bitterness despite the inherent sweetness of some of the flavours. Very nice- truly a dessert beer.

Full bodied, moderately carbonated. Fairly thick. A bit creamy.

Overall, very enjoyable indeed. Reminiscent of DDC's Aphrodite, which I suppose is not surprising.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2013 01:15:17 | More by jrenihan

socon67

New York

4.48/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On tap at The Good Life, Massapequa NY

A - Dark brown pour with a brown foam. Lacing on this is very nice streaks along the glass. Foam retention is pretty solid. This appears to be a thick beer.

S - Okay I love vanilla scents so this was simply awesome. The vanilla aroma was promounced, consistent, and gave a sweet, bakery cake smell. There is also a distinct smell of ground coffee. The malt profile on this smells sweet. This is a dessert beer.

T - A very sweet flavor that has sugar and vanilla frosting flavor. The is a slight bitterness of coffee that has an ever so slight anisette flavor of licorice. The complexity of sweet malts and these flavors makes this an enticing beer.

M - A bit heavier than most porters. Has a syrupy thickness as this hits the mouth. While I throughly loved this beer, it is not sessionable and I'd say it certianbly reuqires resetting your palate to taste more beer, or other foods for that matter.

O - A well crafted big porter that once again blurs the porterstout lines. For vanilla beer lovers this is a must try. Easily my favorite from Ballast Point and that includes Sculpin.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2013 18:12:50 | More by socon67

PicoPapa

Connecticut

4.31/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On tap at The Ginger Man. Pours a pitch black color with a thin layer of light brown head. Some lacing. Smells great. The aroma is sweet coffee and vanilla with some smokey roasted malts and chocolate. The taste is a nice boozey mix of the coffee and sweet vanilla. Dark chocolate and roasted malts. More of the coffee and vanilla comes out at the end along with a nice warming alcohol presence. There's a lot going on here but it all blends well together. Slick mouthfeel. Overall, fantastic Imperial Porter that I need to have again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2013 01:43:42 | More by PicoPapa

falc0n2600

California

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very very dark in appearance with a smooth brown head. A nice coffee smell with much less of a coffee taste, which is my favorite kind of coffee beer. In fact, you are immediately shocked at how smooth an imperial porter can be before you're overwhelmed by perfectly sweet vanilla. I had this along with Flying Dog Barrel-Aged Gonzo Porter and this was definitely the winner, although the Double Gonzo was the second-best imperial porter I've had. A lot of carbonation that makes the thickness of the beer stand out, with the sweetness balancing the thickness nicely. As the beer warmed up I really began to notice the hops, more so than any other porter I've had. As I finished all I could think of was the brilliant hoppiness.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2013 06:11:06 | More by falc0n2600

travisdiener32

Florida

4.55/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

To my surprise poured into a pint glass on tap at new world brewing in Tampa. Not on the same level as wide awake it's morning but still an impressive imperial porter. Think an imperial Breckenridge vanilla porter. Looking forward to more from ballast point now that they're distributing in florida

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2013 22:35:30 | More by travisdiener32

kell50

North Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Had this one on draft many times at Duckworth's in Charlotte, NC. Time for a review!

A: Very dark black with a nice 2 finger off white creamy head that seems to completely attach itself to the glass. Looks similar to a Guinness as it flows from the tap.

S: MMMM. There's so much going on here. I first detect some roasted coffee notes up front; followed by hints tobacco, vanilla beans, caramel, and punch of dark chocolate.

T: Tastes just like it smells. Fresh brewed coffee, vanilla, chocolaty sweetness and with a touch of a smoke as well. Probably the most full flavored porter I've ever had. Victory at Sea clocks in at 10% abv, but drinks more like 5%. Scary.

M: This beer definitely has a heavier, full-bodied mouthfeel. It's sticky, viscous, and has a low amount of carbonation.

O: Very impressed by this beer! It's an excellent pairing with cold temperatures. The beer's flavors and richness became more pronounced as the beer reached room temperature.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2013 20:38:09 | More by kell50

Ford

Texas

4.78/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

On tap at Nobi Public House in Webster, Texas.. served in a 9oz snifter.

First.. thanks Ballast Point for finally coming to Texas... howdy and welcome.

I love porters and stouts... I especially love them with big coffee smells and flavors.. I also like vanilla...

This one stands with the best I have had... so good... lots of coffee flavor.. a touch of vanilla is there also.. smells so dang good.

I don't know if this is year round.. the website doesn't show it, so I'm guessing it is seasonal.. I would love to see this year round...it's a great beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2013 06:05:52 | More by Ford

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.66/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours very dark - mostly black with a decent head. Head lingers a bit and some lacing. Smell is clearly vanilla and darker malts - prefect mix like chocolate and vanilla ice cream. Taste is sweet with coffee flavors coming through along with a sweetner like toffee or other brown sugar like sweetner. From front to back this is an enjoyable brew.

Serving type: on-tap

01-11-2013 22:11:19 | More by Oakenator

JohnnyMc

Ohio

4.54/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours out a deep black with 2 fingers of mocha/tan head.

The aroma is dominated by vanilla bean, coffee, roasted malt notes and dark chocolate.

The taste is also mainly vanilla bean and coffee flavors along with notes of roasted malt and bittersweet dark chocolate. A slight hint of caramel towards the back of the beer, but mainly coffee and vanilla. No alcohol taste or smell apparent.

The mouthfeel is rich, creamy and smooth and the body is on the full side of medium. Extremely balanced between sweet and bitter and is very easy to drink.

Overall, this is a great beer that is very easy to drink and it has a lot of flavor and would be great as a desert beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-11-2013 03:30:51 | More by JohnnyMc

RaulMondesi

California

4/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at tha joint - Ballast Point Brewery

Just crushed a flight of this bad boi and it got Raul thinking like he was a Seahawk and cruzin with Errol Flynn.

Luscious vanilla coffee notes with a sweet delicate after balance.

If you want to get loose, pop a bottle with ur grl n git at it.

Holla!

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2012 21:50:40 | More by RaulMondesi

KingEdward

North Carolina

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

This beer is great! Look is dark brown with nice lacing. Smell is of sugar cookie , milk chocolate, and vanilla. Taste is of milk chocolate, vanilla, and wow! I want this on nitro! Feel is velvet and creme! Awesome. Ballast point rocks! Can'!!!t wait to try more of there beers!

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2012 22:22:47 | More by KingEdward

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap into a chalice.

Pours black with a beautiful tan head, good retention, nice lacing.

Smell is rather muted, but I do get hints of what's to come in flavor. Smells more like a stout, with roasted malts.

Tastes great. Coffee chocolate and vanilla, up front and very nice. A little bitter and hoppy.

Mouthfeel is more like a stout, with bitter aftertaste, but smooth and dangerously drinkable at 10% ABV.

Overall very good. Try it of you can.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2012 01:54:08 | More by rodlavers

Hopstuff

4.2/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Good lord Mary Joseph, this one strikes the knickers like a lacy momma ready to pounce on a unborn tadpole. I am dripping with amazement. Ballast Point's best effort to date. Something tells me I might OD on greatness. But seriously this beer hits home for me. A Porter born to sail the night, without fear, without wavering from the very foundation of why I love the west coast set. Its like surfing in a sea of mocha foam born from the depths of a dark sea, married to the sky. I can't imagine a darker sailor to share the night with. It like two passionate mates are meeting in my mouth to shag!

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2012 05:09:28 | More by Hopstuff

Murrhey

Montana

4.45/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured on-tap in a mug at Hollingshead's in Orange, Calif. Reviewed from notes.

A- Two finger mocha head. Great retention and lacing. Dark brown color, very little light goes through.

S- Chocolaty, vanilla, oak, brandy smell.

T- Vanilla and roast malts. Very bitter and some sourness. Boozy. Quite nice.

M- Very thick and smooth. Dry linger.

O- This beer isn't even one of my favorite styles and I admit it is phenomenal.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2012 04:37:49 | More by Murrhey

CaptDavyJones

New York

4.05/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap at 'The Hopping Pig' in San Diego.
Pitch black with half a fingers worth of dark tan colored head that dissipated to a thin film.
Lots of roasted malt, coffee, vanilla and some cocoa notes coming through.
Aroma is translated almost completely to the taste. Lots of roasted malt, coffee notes. However, the vanilla comes through more in the taste than the aroma. There is a very good balance between the coffee and vanilla.
Very good mouthfeel and damn tasty beer.
Definitely worth a try and comes highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2012 19:40:48 | More by CaptDavyJones

shleepy

California

3.6/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Handles in Pleasanton on 1/25/2012.

A: Black, with a creamy, tan-colored head.

S: Very pungent; heavy coffee smell, with roastiness, vanilla, and gingerbread in the mix.

T: Immediate but quickly fading alcohol notes up front, followed by the aforementioned vanilla/gingerbread/roastiness. An interesting balance of flavors. Surprisingly clean finish.

M: Fairly full-bodied, but not as heavy as an imperial stout.

O: Pretty unique for a coffee porter, but maybe just a little too boozy and unsubtle.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2012 22:35:27 | More by shleepy

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Pinocchio's, Media, PA

Poured oily black with a small tannish head that receded quite a bit and left little to no lacing. Aroma of roasted dark malts, vanilla, chocolate, coffee. The aroma carried over well in to the taste, with practically all the same elements in a good balance; flavors came out more as the beer was allowed to get closer to room temperature. On the fuller side of medium-bodied, smooth, lower carbonation, and a bit of alcohol warmth that really didn't affect the flavor. Very good overall.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2012 15:13:00 | More by Rifugium

PorterLambic

Florida

3.9/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Arrives very,dark brown with a small, dark tan head of sorts, mostly just a ring in the snifter. No light penetration.
Smell is, not surprisingly, vanilla and coffee with roast malt and weak hops floating around back. Decent balance.
Taste is malty, dark chocolate, vanilla, coffee and a little rum note. Good balance and good complexity.
Mostly full-bodied with a light effervescence. Slightly drying finish. Warming throughout. Very nice brew.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2012 23:38:29 | More by PorterLambic

wedge

North Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

@ Woody's

Pitch black color with a small head on top. Nice speckled lacing on the glass all the way down. Smells like a delicious coffee latte. Rich vanilla and chocolate mixed with a huge helping of espresso roast. Sweetened coffee and chocolate syrup flavor carries over to the flavor...huge, smooth, and somehow not over the top in terms of sweetness. I am struck with the intense urge to eat a glazed doughnut. Vanilla bean works with everything, but never screams to be heard. Not a hint of booziness to be found. Big, thick, and full. Certainly a dessert beer, though it could work just as well as a breakfast beer. Delicious...

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2012 16:21:03 | More by wedge

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks Ted!

Pours is black. Off white head. Looks good to me.

Smell is exactly what the name implies, which is odd anymore. Upfront coffee bitterness fights with a strong vanilla flavor. Roasted malts really take a backseat.

The coffee comes in first, assaulting your mouth and winning, then the vanilla comes in just a half second later taking over and showing you how a brewer should use vanilla. It feels like whole bean vanilla.

The pervading bitterness from the coffee and roasted malt try to stick around for the aftertaste, but the vanilla leaves a subtle sweet notes of vanilla.

Theres some serious and delicate flavors that mix very well here. Very well done Ballast Point.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2012 18:43:38 | More by VncentLIFE

Merkur

Tennessee

4.97/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had on tap at Tiger Tiger in San Diego.

Beer poured into a snifter glass.

Beer pours a very dark brown with a bit of light brown head.

Beer smells wonderful. First notes is that of vanilla, followed by a nice rich coffee smell.

Beer tastes even better than it smells. The vanilla sweetness at the front end of the sip give way to a nice malty chocolate, followed by some robust coffee flavors. This is hands down the best beer I have ever tasted.

Beer has a good mouthfeel and is not too thick and just the right smoothness.

Probably the best beer I have ever had. The richness of the coffee taste and how the vanilla adds the right amount of sweetness at the right time makes this beer excellent.

Highly, highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2012 01:46:15 | More by Merkur