Victory At Sea - Coffee And Vanilla
Ballast Point Brewing Company

Victory At Sea - Coffee And VanillaVictory At Sea - Coffee And Vanilla
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From:
Ballast Point Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Imperial Porter
Ranked #14
ABV:
10%
Score:
97
Ranked #535
Avg:
4.39 | pDev: 8.66%
Reviews:
1,513
Ratings:
7,159
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 10, 2024
Added:
Mar 17, 2009
Wants:
  1,152
Gots:
  2,316
Our Victory at Sea Imperial Porter is a bold, smooth brew with just the right amount of sweetness. We infused this robust porter with whole vanilla beans and San Diego’s own Caffe Calabria coffee beans. The subtle roasted notes and minimal acidity of the cold brewed coffee, balances perfectly with the sweet caramel undertones of the malt, creating a winning combination for your palate.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by tectactoe:
Photo of tectactoe
Reviewed by tectactoe from Michigan

4.34/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Shared with Mike - thanks to GetMeAnIPA for sending this one my way. Pours a deep and dark obsidian-like color; very, very little brown on the edges with a solid, fine-bubbled tan head that fades much too fast. A quick swirl of the glass can coax it back, but only for a few moments.

The aroma on this one is very tantalizing; heavy, HEAVY roasted coffee beans - I'm talking burnt, scorched, charred, ashy. These beans smell super roasted and super bitter. This plays off of a delicate sweetness induced from the vanilla aromas that hang in the balance. Might be a tiny bit of cocoa somewhere deep in the abyss, but any attempt to further sniff it out is just met with more and more heaps of coffee beans, roasted malts, and light vanilla. I've always been partial to bitter porters rather than overly sweet ones. The nose on this beer tells me that my bias may be in effect.

...and right I was - the aroma is a perfect indication of the malt assessment in Victory At Sea. From the moment the beer hits your tongue, your palate is pile-driven with an enormous roasted, charred, and borderline burnt flavor. Coffee beans, coffee beans, coffee beans. Imaging taking a hand full of French Roast coffee beans, scorching them in a skillet, then shoving them in your face. A little overboard? Maybe.... but you get the idea. The alcohol is also noticeable from the first sip to the last, but at 10% ABV, I have no complaints. Some lightly sweet vanilla coats each and every sip also, providing a tiny bit of balance to the bitter-roasted brigade. Some chocolate definitely comes out more upon warming, although it was nearly absent in the aroma. The aftertaste is a compilation of mild charcoal flavors with some ashy and dry bitterness - a "balls to the walls", unadulterated coffee bean roast. Medium-thick body with a decent amount of carbonation; mildly creamy and smooth.

Hell yes. Victory at Sea gives the roasty bitterness lovers more of what they crave. Such a roasted, charred, and bitter stout with lovely little sweetness interruptions to keep things interesting. Very pleasantly surprised by this one - great way to end the night.
Feb 28, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
 
Rated: 4.24 by Ananabiya

Jun 11, 2023
 
Rated: 4.39 by not2quick from Missouri

Apr 20, 2023
Photo of Whyteboar
Reviewed by Whyteboar from Michigan

4.44/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured very dark brown and capped with an ambitious light brown head that climbed three inches very quickly.
The aroma to my chemically damaged nose was mild but still featured proper porter smells- roasted malts, coffee, a touch of chocolate.
The taste- I grabbed the can again to verify, but vanilla plays top position. Not sweet at all, but no mistaking there is vanilla in here. Coffee shows up later, this drinks true as it warmed.
The feel was good, ideal even. Not sure if it could be better. Ideally viscous.
OA- very happy to have been able to try this finally!
Jun 05, 2022
Photo of griffinwelsh
Reviewed by griffinwelsh from Texas

4.97/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
If you've ever wondered what could make a great porter even better it is notes of vanilla. This beer has a rich coffee flavor and a satisfyingly vanilla aftertaste. Color is dark and consistency is very smooth. It's a shame I can't buy it in Texas.
May 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4.59 by Beecham from California

Apr 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by bongobeer from Alabama

Mar 05, 2022
 
Photo of sjrider
Reviewed by sjrider from California

4.43/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Can pour- dark as night with foamy khaki head leaving frosty/foamy lacing and a ring of bubbles. Nose is vanilla and coffee for days. Taste follows with some roasty malt and mild espresso bitterness. Vanilla lingers on the finish. Tasty.
Dec 18, 2021
 
Rated: 4.43 by irishevans from California

Dec 17, 2021
Photo of Beersnake
Reviewed by Beersnake from California

4.21/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2021 release from can. Poured from fridge temp. Pours black with a really good amount of light brown head. Sticks around for quite a while as well. Nose is incredible. Vanilla, marshmallow, coffee, dark chocolate, red licorice, burnt toffee, and a nice amount of dark fruit. The taste nicely follows the nose, but with a distinct bitterness on the back end. Vanilla and coffee (very dark) are dominant. Definitely some charred wood, black licorice, roasted malts, almonds, and tar. Not sweet at all. Mouthfeel is fairly thick. Overall a really nice coffee stout.
Sep 17, 2021
 
Rated: 4.06 by BrewsOverHoes from Georgia

Jun 01, 2021
 
Rated: 4.54 by Luckydog91 from Texas

Apr 21, 2021
 
Rated: 4.5 by -Andrew- from Michigan

Mar 29, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by LasVinny from Nevada

Mar 19, 2021
 
Rated: 4.65 by beerrat from Virginia

Feb 28, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by Chipwells from Georgia

Feb 02, 2021
 
Rated: 3.39 by Argail from Louisiana

Jan 06, 2021
Photo of Rug
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

4.37/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
After being impressed by the High West BA version of this a few weeks ago I figured I'd give this a shot. Quite affordable at $3 for a single bottle given it currently sits at #323 of all time on this site

Pours a very dark brown with just a finger of espresso colored head that quickly fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing and decent legs

The aroma here is sweet but not overly so, bringing a nice balance of vanilla, hazelnut, toast, milk chocolate, medium roast coffee, and a slight dark fruit note

A bittersweet balance is maintained throughout the entire sip, starting off with notes of cocoa powder, lightly toasted malt, raisin, and a touch of grain alcohol. The swallow makes this one a bit sweeter, bringing notes of rich vanilla, slightly astringent coffee, milk chocolate, and almond

A medium silky body pairs with gentle carbonation for a smooth slow sipper. The finish is mostly dry, due to the roasty character of the coffee

Damn delicious beer right here. It hits all the notes expected and doesn't feel overly sweet or strong despite the high abv. I'd definitely get it again
Dec 29, 2020
Victory At Sea - Coffee And Vanilla from Ballast Point Brewing Company
Beer rating: 97 out of 100 with 7159 ratings