Ballast Point Sea Monster Imperial Stout

Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
San Diego, California USA

Serve in Snifter

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Dark brown/black with a very fine carbonation and a small beige head. Aroma is chocolate, liquorice, coffee, hint of blackcurrant and play doh. Slightly oily mouthfeel, good balance of malt and roasty bitterness, touch of booze on the finish. Flavour is bittersweet chocolate, soy sauce, liquorice, mild roasted coffee.

Pours a lacy beige head. The color is black as night. The nose is raisins, date and allspice. The flavor starts with roasted malts, followed by a bit of oak, then proceeds to have a sweet malty raisin/date flavor and finishes with a astringent, sweet, off-dry, vanilla bourbon profile. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

650 ml. bottle. BBD 02/08/14. Pours a medium, light beige medium retention head, with hints of lacing, over a clear, black brown (SRM 40) body....nose is light coffee, light chocolate, plum, current, cherry, hints of umami .....taste is light cocoa, coffee, chocolate, hints of toffee/caramel, light soy, finishing with a moderate bitterness......mouth feel medium light, sticky, slightly astringent, alcohol burn present, carbonation adds a tingling foaminess. This is, undoubtedly, an Imperial Stout. It is a bit light on the flavors, mouth feel and the alcohol is very poorly hidden. Given the relative lightness of mouth feel perhaps an extra charge of oats would help, and also would mask out the high alcohol. BJCP 8/3/14/4/6

Bomber. Pours a thick and opaque brownish-black, thin espresso head that doesn’t linger, but leaves really nice lacing. Nose is roast, some coffee, vanilla hints, cocoa (the usual suspects). Mouth is full and sticky, lot of carbonation, bittersweet with delightful notes of chocolate malts, vanilla, coffee, toffee and dried fruit (dates mainly). Finish is warm. Really nice.

Bottle. Pours black with a 1 finger tan head. Nose is sweet and boozy, roasted malt and coffee. Taste is similar. Palate is medium with a decent carb. Solid stout. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

This is a default message... As I do not wish, nor have time to comment on each beer I try at this time. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

I used to go to the home brew mart that was next to Ballast Point to get my beer making supplies and they would have their beers on tap right there so you can have a beer when you get ready to make your next batch. Well, one thing that I noticed was that most of their beers were too hoppy for my taste. But I do think they have much potential, they use high quality ingredients, it just seems to be the trend lately to make imperial strength beers very hop laden. This beer is just too bitter for me, I can sense it’s potential but ultimately I am disappointed in the taste.

Draft at Sybarite Pig. Tulip. Black pour with thick light brown head. Great lace throughout. Aroma was lighter than I was expecting. Roasted malts, cocoa and booze. Taste is mostly cocoa, dark roasted malts, vanilla, slight bitter hops, booze. The 10% comes through loud and clear. Was a mediocre to good imperial stout.

Black. Inviting, with a dense, medium-brown head that leaves behind some serious, solid lacing, this imperial stout is quite the looker. Easy on the nose, with roasted but not overly so, it smells sweet and sticky with a touch of alcohol and chocolate. In the mouth there’s enough alcohol and hop bitterness to really grab your attention... It seems like the bitterness is coming from the malts, but I think it’s the hops, as an earthy greenness comes through in the finish. It ultimately ends with some syrupy, roasted malt alcohol persisting on the palate. It’s serious, rich, roasted, and alcoholic... A touch of spice, maybe anise, and a roasted uniqueness decorates with each sip. Very good. Not your average imperial stout. Impressive and satisfying if you’re looking for a serious, alcoholic stout. Big nomnoms.

Very dark brown with a tan head. Mild aroma of roast, nuts, and cocoa. Tastes rich and chocolatey with some booze and a hint of fruit. Creamy, full body. Not all that great for an imperial stout. Nice rich taste, but not much complexity and the aroma is a little weak.