Indra Kunindra - Ballast Point Brewing Company

DarthKostrizer

California

3.35/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Ehammond1 for the bottleshare

Look: Black and totally opaque with a 1/2 inch tan head with just ok retention

Smell: Cumin and coconut

Taste: Minty, cumin, spicy curry and just a little touch of lime and vanilla. Interesting

Mouthfeel: Medium body and medium carbonation with just a bit of heat

Overall: Interesting is the only way I can describe this beer. If you like indian food you will like this beer but it seems to me to be a bit of a strech for a beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 02:57:04 | More by DarthKostrizer

Pellinore1

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to sdhomebrewer for sending this one.

Pours smooth and black into a tulip, yielding about a finger of tan head. This fades slowly, leaving a little lacing.

Smells spicy and a little sweet, unlike any beer I've ever encountered. Curry definitely comes through, along with some lime.

The taste starts out like any stout, dark and malty, but quickly gives way to a flurry of other flavors. The lime shows up, then a variety of curry spices, and the finish distinctly peppery.

Medium to full-bodied, with a little more carbonation than I expected. The ABV is absolutely undetectable with all of the complex flavors going on.

I'm happy to have had a chance to try this one, but I would not seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 00:29:44 | More by Pellinore1

ehammond1

California

4.18/5  rDev +10%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Bottle (2011)

Holiday Wine Cellar
Escondido, CA

Near black in color with a wispy, thin light brown head. Spots of lacing left down the glass.

One of the more interesting noses on a beer, period. The initial blast of authentic curry is surprising yet welcome, and it pairs well with sweet and earthy coconut and vanilla aromatics. There's a bit of traditional roast elements throughout, as well.

The flavors are evolving and changing, both in the glass as the beer warms, and simply throughout the sip and swallow. The curry is ever-present, though the coconut and vanilla, with a hint of citrus, make themselves more and more accessible as the beer warms. There's also a lingering, spicy heat that stays for a while in the back of the throat. Interesting and delicious.

Medium bodied with somewhat low carbonation.

After sampling this beer a couple times from the tap, and then eventually out of the bottle, it easily became one of my favorite new releases of 2011. That being said, I would always want help from a few friends when opening a 22oz. bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 19:58:03 | More by ehammond1

MrVonzipper

California

4.3/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Ehammond1 for this bottleshare.

Black with a 1cm light brown head. Medium retention and light lacing.

Straight earthy cumin, faints kaffir lime leaf and mildly spicy curry. Which I love.   

Wow. Crazy different flavor. Alot going on Vanilla, kaffir lime, curry, cumin. Mild spice linger. The dark malt with the cumin creates a Kind of minty character as well. Very cool flavor.

Medium bodied. Mildly Spicy. Earthy with high carb. 

Overall this is a very Cool amazing different kind of beer very well executed. Don't drink this if you Don't like Curry, Cumin, Thai and or Indian food because you won't like this. Its a great, fun beer. A must try if you like these kind of flavors!

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 04:24:09 | More by MrVonzipper

Halcyondays

California

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bomber,

A: Pours black with a fizzy medium tan head, average retention, some lace.

S: Dominated by curry and lime, has a spicy Indian food vibe which I like.

T: Dark malt and some roast. Definite cayenne spice and capsaicin with a great bittersweet chocolate finish with cumin.

M: Medium to full-bodied, medium high spiciness, nice warm finish. Mild carbonation.

O: A spicy porter, pretty much what I figured. A fun beer to try.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 06:21:45 | More by Halcyondays

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Bruery Provisions

A: The beer pours almost black in color with a dense tan head.

S: Smells like perfume and curry. Lots of cumin with a bit of smoke. A very light fruitiness from the lime, which is sort of weird. Almost chalky.

T: A very slight coconut sweetness up front followed by the lime leaves. There is a definite curry flavor and a strong flavor of cumin. Quite a bit of roast, a little bit of dark chocolate, too.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

O: Kind of a funky beer/idea. Decent execution of it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2011 20:26:25 | More by womencantsail

djaeon

California

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Pours a very dark brown/black with a light head.

S - Chilled it smells like a smoked porter. As it warms, the cumin & curry aromas come out nicely. Would be great with Thai or Indian food.

T - Initially it tastes like a spicy smoked porter. The cayenne pepper show up in the finish. As it warms, the curry becomes more aggressive (in a good way). The cumin and cayenne also becomes more noticeable. I'm not a fan of peppery flavors in beer, but this isn't too bad here. My wife and friend can taste the lime leaf, but my taste buds can't find it.

M - Average mouthfeel. Nice carbonation. The cayenne burn lingers around too long for my liking.

O - This is good as a one off beer release. A nice experiment. If it was a regular release, I wouldn't buy it more than once. I'm glad I tried it, and it was interesting and decent, but I wouldn't try it again. Take out the cayenne and this might be a completely different story.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 00:06:37 | More by djaeon

dmsohyea

California

2.28/5  rDev -40%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

On-tap at the brewery tasting room, served in a taster glass.

A - dark brown with a bit of foamy tan colored head. Head retention was good.

S - Smells actually quite nice, a toasty bready malt, chocolate, and some curry power. It works for the nose, not for the taste...

T - Awful. Fuck. I hate this so much. Take a normal medium body stout taste, but then add some spicyness from peppers and curry powder. It sounded good but tastes like a muddled mess and burns your tongue. The curry and pepper taste is so overpowering that it just ruins any other nice flavors that are going on in the background.

M - Mouthfeel is medium body and medium carbonation. Slightly slick, but mostly just burning and unpleasant flavor.

O - I don't like this at all. It does have some redeeming factors, but I couldn't drink 2oz of this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2011 01:51:28 | More by dmsohyea

phichifiji00

California

3.6/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours black with a finger of tan head that quickly fades. Almost no lacing.

Smell: Curry, a hint of lime, coconut, cumin.

Taste: Malty, cumin, cayenne, curry, coconut milk (more of a textural sensation than taste), and the subtlist hint of lime and chocolate.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, moderate carbonation, slightly creamy/milky.

Overall: A very unique beer. I don't think I could drink a bottle solo, but a wonderful experience. Followed it up with homemade indian food. A perfect pairing.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 02:17:11 | More by phichifiji00

rmaste6282

California

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle, 7% beer, not 9%

Poured into Duvel Tulip, near black with brown head, decent retention. Smell is heavy on the cumin, and cayenne, can't really get past the spices on the aroma. Medium to Light-Medium body, decent carbonation. Taste is cumin, cayenne, curry spices, burnt dark chocolate, peppery. I don't get any coconut, but a tad bit of the lemongrass. There is definately some spicyness here. Would not be able to drink a lot of it, but it is a fun brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 00:28:28 | More by rmaste6282

pmarlowe

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at O'Brien's. Pint glass.

Pours a near-black brown, thin light tan head with no lacing and not much retention. Smell is lots of curry spice, baker's chocolate, and bitter coffee. Taste is tamarind, turmeric, black pepper, and smoky malt. I'm not picking up any of the supposed coconut in the smell or taste (nor did anyone else in our group). Light bodied and medium-high carbonation, alcohol is not really noticeable. Overall, bonus points for the novel interpretation of the style. This was actually pretty drinkable despite the unusual flavor; although I didn't love it, it's not one of those beers that you can only drink a taste of. I'm intrigued as to the possibilities of food pairings with this.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2011 04:27:24 | More by pmarlowe

Urbancaver

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a ~4 ounce sample glass in the brewery’s tasting room. This beer poured a very dark brown with a nice touch of tan head that clings to the corner of the glass. The aroma is very unique. Coconut is probably the most prominent smell as well as some lightly roasted dark malts. There is a definite spiciness to the aroma but I would not have identified it as curry had I not known. Tastes spicey and dry. The curry is definitely present but melds well with the rest of the beer. Coconut is pretty big. At 9% there is no surprise that there is a significant booziness. Its a bit too boozy to be very drinkable which hurts the beer a bit but well carbonated and the strong coconut is really pleasant to me. Definitely a well crafted beer that combines flavours I never expected to see used in brewing!

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2011 16:10:28 | More by Urbancaver

notchucknorris

California

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Scripps Ranch location

A: Black with a very thin dark brown head.

S: Good lord. Huge aromatic curry notes. To me it smelled like a Thai yellow curry. Coconut milk, cumin and spices. Amazing.

T: Lots of curry upfront with some coconut following. The finish brings a bit of roasted malts and powdered chocolate. I didn't think this beer was going to work, but somehow they pulled it off. Not sure I would want a full pint of this, but I'm glad I got to try it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2011 23:27:55 | More by notchucknorris

Enish266

California

3.85/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Ballast Point Linda Vista, served in a taster glass.

Pours a dark, smoky black with a minimal brown head. Still able to barely see through when held up to the light.

The nose is quite exquisite and complex. Tons of curry with both coconut and cumin in the background. Conjures images of being at an Indian restaurant just from the smell.

Each sip I was able to distinguish one or two of the ingredients. The cayenne heat was always present in the middle of the taste. Not overpowering at all and similar in strength to that of Stone's Chipotle Smoked Porter. I honestly wasn't able to distinguish the kaffir lime, no matter how hard I tried. I'm not totally sold on the contrasting flavors of curry and coconut together. I do enjoy them in Thai cooking however.

Both carbonation and viscosity were around average for the style and appropriate. Finish lingers just a bit with a little spice and roast.

I think a taster is the correct serving size for this beer. Though I could handle up to a half pint, if there were a touch more coconut. Very unique beer which I would consider buying if/when it gets bottled for Holiday Wine Cellar.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2011 08:37:40 | More by Enish266

HopHead84

California

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Madras curry, cayenne pepper, cumin, toasted coconut, and kaffir lime leaf Stout. This is the entry for the AHA Pro-Am Competition brewed by Colby Chandler and Alex Tweet. Congrats on this Alex (RIP checkii). I think this is also Holiday Wine Cellar's 46th Anniversary beer

Four ounces enjoyed at Homebrew Mart.

A: Dark brown with a ruby tinge and a frothy beige head.

S: Toasted coconut is aromatic, with faint cayenne notes and a little chocolate. The coconut and curry combination is unusual, but it smells great, and the cumin is a nice addition. The kaffir is evident as the beer warms. The coconut profile is fantastic.

T: Coconut and curry with an upper low level of cayenne heat and nice cayenne flavor. Chocolate blends with lime and cumin as the pepper heat fades in and out.

M: Lower full bodied with moderate carbonation. Mouthfeel is sticky and smooth, with an insistent pepper heat.

Overall: Awesome nose and really interesting all around. Four ounces was enough for me as the flavors are overwhelming after a while.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2011 23:21:17 | More by HopHead84