The Tongue Monster - Ballast Point Brewing Company

notchucknorris

California

4.4/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours almost black with a slightly reddish hue when held to the light. Really nice light brown head that sticks around a while.

S: Lots of bourbon upfront with a bit of soy sauce. As it warms, the soy sauce smell disappears and some sweeter aromas come out. Toasted coconut, chocolate, caramel and tootsie roll.

T: Nice and sweet to start with flavors of caramel and a bit of dark chocolate. The middle brings the tongue buckler with some nice citrus hops. There's also a hint of roasted malt in the back. Nice creamy mouthfeel. This is a win in my book for Ballast. I hope they make more.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2011 22:32:44 | More by notchucknorris

HopHead84

California

4.28/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

6/30/2011

On tap at Ballast Point Old Grove in a snifter. This is a blend of Sea Monster and Tongue Buckler aged in Bourbon barrels for 8 months. Sounds interesting. Considering the Bourbon Barrel Aged Tongue Buckler I recently had resembled a Barrel Aged American Barleywine (and it was only aged for a few months in the barrel). I expect this blend of Tongue Buckler and Sea Monster aged for eight months to be like a barrel aged blend of American Barleywine and Imperial Stout.

A: Black with an impressive one inch of light brown froth. Retention is great; the head takes a few minutes to recede. Some lacing is left behind.

S: Caramel and coconut with dark chocolate, vanilla, and bourbon. An aromatic blend of excellent components. Tongue Buckler contributes notes of grapefruit and pine. Light booze and a decent amount of oak. Very good.

T: Chocolate and caramel up front with a firm upper moderate bitterness. Hop notes resemble grapefruit and pine. I get a fair amount of coconut midpalate with vanilla and drying oak. Bourbon is pervasive and insistent. The finish is a bit aggressive, but not overly so considering the potency of the two components, with an upper moderate bitterness blending with evident alcohol and a touch of astringent character. Chocolate, bourbon, caramel, and oak linger.

M: Full in body with an upper moderate level of carbonation. Mouthfeel is chewy, creamy, lightly tannic, and silky.

Overall: This is a bit aggressive but very good. I'd say this experiment was a success.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2011 20:11:08 | More by HopHead84