The Commodore
Ballast Point Brewing Company

The CommodoreThe Commodore
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From:
Ballast Point Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
American Stout
ABV:
6.5%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.88 | pDev: 8.76%
Reviews:
172
Ratings:
729
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sep 15, 2021
Added:
Sep 23, 2014
Wants:
  24
Gots:
  204
The Commodore came out of our search for a medium-bodied American Stout. The recipe began at our R&D pilot brewery, but quickly became a favorite of our crew. Strong flavors of roast coffee and bittersweet chocolate balance with light citrusy hop aromas, highlighted by a crisp, bitter finish. One sip of this gold medal-winning stout will have you ready to take command of your own fleet.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by rbenitez25:
Photo of rbenitez25
Reviewed by rbenitez25 from Florida

4.34/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Instant black coffee smeel once you open the bottle. Pour it hard and it creates a nice dark brown head. Hints of vanilla coffee and milk on the nose. Black coffee stout taste. Solid and very pleasant experience all around.
Feb 10, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of GarrettB
Reviewed by GarrettB from Colorado

3.79/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
September 10th, 2016 - The Commodore is as dark as inky black seas at night, with the illustrative sea foam to boot. Good malty notes come on the nose, and a heavy body to hoist the flavors. No tanginess here. Dark, husky and more chocolatey, it has a bitter ending with some meatiness on its bones, too.
Sep 15, 2021
Photo of tone77
Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania

3.59/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a black color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of chocolate, some fudge. Taste is of campfire, chocolate, but not nearly as much as in the aroma, hints of coffee. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent beer.
Jan 08, 2021
Photo of cyclonece09
Reviewed by cyclonece09 from Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours pitch black with a small light brown head. Smells of chocolate and coffee notes, very nice combination. Tastes of chocolate malt with slight raisin and coffee. Beer is light/medium bodied yet easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a very good beer.
Aug 08, 2020
 
Rated: 3.84 by jmbeerdude91 from Arizona

Jan 18, 2020
 
Rated: 3.92 by TP2MSU from Michigan

Jan 14, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by Oh_Dark_Star from Washington

Apr 30, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by Griffith from Connecticut

Apr 24, 2019
Photo of RyanK252
Reviewed by RyanK252 from California

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bottle poured into a Mountain Rambler Brewing Co pint glass

A: Pours nearly black with a frothy rich chocolate brown head that settles to a light layer and leaves some thick lacing.

S: Roasty, bittersweet chocolate, coffee, a little smoke, molasses, earthy notes, faint dark fruit, and a touch of toffee sweetness.

T: Roasted malt, dark bittersweet chocolate, coffee, and a little smoke, molasses, earthy, slightly herbal, faint dark fruit, and a bit of toffee sweetness.

M: Medium to full body, moderate carbonation.

O: Totally forgot I had this bottle hiding in my cellar. Seems to have held up pretty well, especially for only being 6.5%. Pretty solid stout. Wouldn't mind seeing it brewed again.
Feb 12, 2019
 
Rated: 5 by Kwright from North Carolina

Jan 24, 2019
 
Rated: 3.85 by KMcGrath from Massachusetts

Nov 28, 2018
Photo of craftbeersweden
Reviewed by craftbeersweden from Sweden

3.92/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
On tap at Tre Små Rum in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Dark brown to black beer with a beige head that leaves lacing on the glass.
Nose: Lots of coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malt, vanilla, nuts and chocolate niblets.
Taste: Coffee, dark chocolate, cookies, cocoa powder, roasted malt and licorice.
Mouth: Full body. Low carbonation. Smooth and creamy.
Sep 26, 2018
Photo of Martin194
Reviewed by Martin194 from Iowa

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Look: Opaque black with a small, light brown head.

Smell: Coffee, some sweetness, similar to brown sugar or dark fruits.

Taste: Coffee, some roastiness, hops; I couldn't smell a whole lot of citrus like they said I would be able to, but I can definitely taste some.

Feel: Full-bodied, normal carbonation, leaves a warm, dry, pleasantly bitter mouthfeel, similar to the feeling if you've ever crunched a coffee bean.

Overall: At the end of the day my review is going to be biased and higher than average because I just love these kinds of beers, but I loved this!
Aug 15, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by cjohns73 from Delaware

Apr 07, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by Howlader from Canada (AB)

Mar 10, 2018
 
Rated: 3.93 by Richie_C_Johnson from Minnesota

Mar 08, 2018
 
Rated: 4.48 by ToadMaster from Michigan

Mar 07, 2018
Photo of AWolfAtTheDoor
Reviewed by AWolfAtTheDoor from Washington

3.54/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Felt like getting a porter and stout sampler from my local Total Wine. Let's see what we've got.

Pours very very black. No light around the edges. .5" mocha colored head. Recedes quickly, very little lacing throughout session.

Burnt roast on the nose, with a hint of soy sauce.

Palate is a mix of earthy dirt-hop flavor, with a whack of roasted malts. Medium to low hop bitterness. This is a stout through and through. The roast level approaches acrid but JUST backs off before it gets over powering. I still think there's too much roast character. Slightly burnt finish lingers.

Medium-thin body that is buoyed by the roast character. With less roast, I think this would be perceived fuller bodied. Alcohol is present, but not unpleasant.

Overall this is a pretty good beer, but it's a little one dimensional. Yes it's a stout, it's supposed to be roasty, but it tastes like roasted dirt. Aroma is severely lacking as well. Definitely worth seeking out, glad I finally checked it off the list. This will not be a regular in my rotation through.
Mar 04, 2018
 
Rated: 3.54 by Moldy12 from Wisconsin

Feb 25, 2018
 
Rated: 4.4 by LeftyMike from New Jersey

Feb 20, 2018
The Commodore from Ballast Point Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 729 ratings