Commander
Ballast Point Brewing Company

 

On tap at Ballast Point Miramar...one of their R&D beers (a bock with asian pear and spices). Pours quite pale for a bock with little head. Nose showcases the spices and gives you a bit of malt. Actually, the nose is pretty interesting and really doesn't give you much of an idea of what to expect in the flavor of the beer. Unfortunately, the flavor itself is dominated with the spices. If you are thinking of a spiced Xmas beer, maybe this would be okay to try. For me, the spices dominate to the point of not really wanting a big serving. The asian pears do give it an added layer of complexity that I'd actually like to see in one of their berliner weisse beers or sours. Overall, not a bad beer, and I can appreciate what they are doing here, but just not quite on the mark.