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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Draft... RBSG ‘08... This beer rocks!... Pitch black with a creamy, khaki head and terrific retention. Slowly leaves thick, creamy lacing on the glass. The aroma is a churning eddy of buttermilk and coffee with traces of chocolate and bourbon. Full-bodied and velvety with very restrained carbonation. Mostly acidic flavor provides a gentle note of sourmash. A touch chocolaty and not very sweet. Finishes chocolaty and tangy with a hint of bourbon. I like the subdued whiskey in this 30% barrel-aged blend.

Really disappointed by this. Too boozy. The flavor of booze completely dominated everything and it really never went away. Would not get again.

On Tap @ City Beer Store SFBW ’12. Pours opaque black, with a tan/khaki head. The aroma is dark roasted malt, little bit of dark chocolate, oak, vanilla spice, and a bit of a root beer like sweetness coming through. Taste, honestly this is the "root beer-iest" beer I think I’ve ever had. Yeah its got dark choclate, like 85%, vanilla, a touch of toffee, woodiness, but that spicy sarsaparilla quality is huge in this thing. Finish is rather earthy and slightly astringent sweetness. Mouth feel is medium with velvety carbonation. The alcohol is totally hidden. Good, but not as good as I hoped.

On draft at the Livermore Saloon. It pours dark brown with a tan head. The aroma is mildly astringent with hints of roasted malt. The flavor has chocolate, toast, caramel and light notes of wood. It has a dirty, roasted/tobacco finish. Just Ok.

Black color with tan foam. Dark chocolate, wet wood tannin, tobacco aromas. Medium to full bodied. Lightly tart wet wood bug, dark roast malt, dark chocolate flavors--good bugs

Appearance: Pours black with no head, no edges and no swirls.

Aroma: Bourbon, roast and dark chocolate.

Taste: Dry roasty malt, minerals,tannins, bourbon, finishes with very bitter dark chocolate.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, creamy carbonation.

Overall: Delicious. I’d like to see this get bottled one day.

Deep black color with a monster tall tan head. Hefty sweet roasted nose, modest amount of bourbon in the nose, a mild woody note, light chocolate and dark coffee notes at the end round it out. Flavor is rich overall with a very rich roasted malt and bourbon flavor early. This is followed by a light dark fruit presence but this is quickly overtaken by a sweet chocolate and solid coffee bitter bite. Flavors are well balanced with none of the flavors taking over the full flavor profile of the beer. The beer has a very smooth, dense feeling to it with a fine amount of carbonation. It has a very creamy feeling too it. Overall a fantastic beer! The flavors meld perfectly and have some staying power to remind you how good it really is. The only knock on this beer is that even with all the flavors present in the brew, it has a pretty alcoholic kick too it. Definitely a great beer for a not so hard hit on the wallet.

Had on tap sometime during RBSG 2008 in SoCal. Smell was mealy with some peaty alcohol apparent. Ruby black in the glass with a dusting of head. I really enjoyed what I termed "whiskey sourness" in this beer, a complement to the dark malts. I tasted apricots and sour apples in the acidity, corn and roastiness in the malts. The sourness and carbonation prick lingered on the tongue after the swallow, which was enjoyable. The carbonation overall was perfect, fizzy then softly foamy. Slightly oily on some sips, but overall the beer was nicely expansive for being so big. I remember this one getting mixed reviews, but mine was positive.

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).