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The Commodore
Ballast Point Brewing Company
- 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:
- 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 charlzm:
Reviewed by charlzm from California
3.91/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.91/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Consumed at the "MIramar" brewery. Very average looking for the style and a bit heavy on slightly sour coffee notes for me. True to style but not anything I would recommend.
Sep 12, 2015More User Ratings:
Reviewed by GarrettB from Colorado
3.79/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
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, 2021Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania
3.59/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
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, 2021Reviewed by cyclonece09 from Wisconsin
3.78/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
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, 2020Reviewed by RyanK252 from California
3.88/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
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, 2019A: 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.
Reviewed by craftbeersweden from Sweden
3.92/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
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, 2018Dark 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.
Reviewed by Martin194 from Iowa
4.13/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
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, 2018Smell: 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!
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
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, 2018Pours 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.
The Commodore from Ballast Point Brewing Company
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
729 ratings
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