Ballast Point Sea Monster Stout (Bourbon Barrel Aged)

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

Serve in Snifter

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On tap at Urge in RB/Poway. They had 25 different brews from BP that day. Tasted side by side with BA VaS and Black Marlin. Not as smooth and rich as VaS, but thicker and richer than the Black MArlin. This was a great complement to the sharp coffee and cocoa. Added rich smooth alcohol flavor. Lovely.

A: The beer pours just about black with a tan colored head on top. S: What a horrible aroma. I can smell it before I even get the glass to my face. Lots of rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, vinegar, and booze. There is a bit of bourbon and maybe some roast, but they’re overshadowed to say the least. T: The flavor is only a slight improvement. At least the roasted malt is more pronounced, but there’s still plenty of nail polish remover and paint thinner. Booze, vanilla, bitter chocolate, and just a prevailing harshness. M: The body is medium with a moderate to high level of carbonation. D: This was truly bad. Not sure how old this beer/keg is, but I think it’s time it goes down the drain.

This was the winner of the day for me, 3 breweries and a stop at knb and pizza port and this one took the grand prize. It smells of bourbon, oak, vanilla, and chocolate malts. The taste is amazing it starts off tasting somewhat like angels share but then comes back to molasses and brown sugar. Awesome bourbon and oak flavors very balanced. I heard whispers that it will be bottled but not sure what quantity or when/where it will be sold (source: ballast point employee; i was dropping eves).

On tap at Pizza Port’s Barrel Blast. Pours with a black body and minimal head. Aroma is huge with brown sugar and molasses, bourbon and vanilla with notes of coffee and chocolate in the background. Flavors are heavy on the vanilla and chocolate with a woody finish. Some how manages to finish somewhat dry compared to some other big barrel aged RISs. Tasty.

Co-rate! Tap at Pizza Port Carlsbad barrel event. Aroma of chocolate and smoke. Taste is boozy chocolate with great body. One of my favorites from the event.

Tap at Pizza Port Carlsbad barrel event. Aroma of chocolate and smoke. Taste is boozy chocolate with great body. Nice.

Tap at TND. Pours a deep almost black with smaller bubbly deep tan head. Aroma of bourbon, oak, coffee, dark chocolate and vanilla. Flavor was a Match of the aroma. Well done bourbon barrel treatment to an already excellent beer.

On tap at Naja’s. Super excited to try this one. Dark dark brown color with a thin bubbly brown head. A lot of bourbon and coffee in the aroma. Dark chocolate and bourbon in the flavor, with a bitter finish. For a stout aged in bourbon barrels it had a good amount of carbonation. A medium mouth feel, nothing too big. Quite a tasty treat

Tap at Naja’s Place. Pour is pitch black with a smallish tan head that left a very nice lace ring around my glass. Aroma is black malt, coffee, chocolate, dark fruit. flavor is awesome! Heavily roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, finish mild bourbon, oak, vanilla and roasted malt. Very nice way to end an awesome afternoon at Naja’s Place December 30 2010.

This one was great. Pour is a black opaque color with thin head. Taste is a marvelous array of chocolate, deep dark fruits, and toasted malts. Smooth, not harsh. Long dark fruity finish. Excellent beer.