Watermelon Dorado
Ballast Point Brewing Company

Watermelon DoradoWatermelon Dorado
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From:
Ballast Point Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
Ranked #2,086
ABV:
10%
Score:
79
Ranked #26,731
Avg:
3.45 | pDev: 18.26%
Reviews:
248
Ratings:
956
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 24, 2024
Added:
Jun 23, 2015
Wants:
  28
Gots:
  343
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by heddar33:
Photo of heddar33
Rated by heddar33 from Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nov 06, 2017
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.47 by Beecham from California

Jan 24, 2024
Photo of CCastillo
Reviewed by CCastillo from California

5/5  rDev +44.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This is my new favorite beer. I pick up four-packs of 16 oz. cans at the Grocery Outlet in San Antonio and will continue to do so as long as it's available. Intense hop flavor balancing the pronounced alcohol notes and sweetness from the 10% ABV. But the watermelon is the real wildcard here and bound to be polarizing. The weird thing is that the watermelon does not enhance the sweetness but actually works against it with complex aromatics. It's confusing on the first sip, but once you get it, you get it.
Nov 21, 2023
 
Rated: 4.24 by QuakeAttack from California

Oct 21, 2023
Photo of Cathartes
Reviewed by Cathartes from Massachusetts

3.82/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
For national watermelon day and national IPA day.

16 oz can acclimated to 56°F and poured into a tulip glass.

Pours fairly hazy, very close to a red jasper color, amber to yellow at the edges, very nice. Has a 2 finger cream head, dissipating relatively quickly and leaving a thick ring of lacing.

Initial aroma is strong real watermelon esters backed by alcohol after sniffing a few times. Clean, hints of malt that peaking out, I'd say bready if I had to but I can't really tell. After agitating I get intensified alcohol that remains reasonable, and the same watermelon.

Initial taste before swallowing is alcohol burn, growing stronger with time, as well as general fruit essence wafting around. After swallowing I'm hit a big punch of watermelon, a relatively strong sensation of alcohol, and a bitterness soon follows. This is not a bitterness I'm used to in an IPA, it's earthy and vegetal, tasting like a bitter melon. It's intense enough to be slightly puckering, lingering into the aftertaste and concentrating in the back of mouth and back of the top of the tongue. I also notice a sweetness after swallowing that fades before the bitterness comes, cool and fruity. Additionally the entire process is malty, bitter and caramel like. More than half way through I'm starting to taste a burning that feels almost like the hops are burnt, not alcohol.

Mouthfeel is quite nice, pillowy while retaining a rich fullness. The carbonation adding a foamy smoothness like a hefeweizen. It Cascades wonderfully.

Overall I would say this should be a 12oz and not a 16 (I'm aware it exists in 12oz), as it became a chore to finish at a point. It's an excellent beer, but quite intense. The watermelon flavor is excellent but is drowned out at a certain point. I'm aware it's an imperial IPA and they are the way they are, but still this one is intense. The mother is fantastic, and would be welcomed among many styles. I must say watermelon is very mellow and I feel it more suited to a session IPA than an imperial, which would be a lovely beer. This is executed very well, just honestly a little too intense for me to enjoy properly.

I don't think I will buy again. I enjoyed it but I'm satisfied not having it again.
Aug 04, 2023
Photo of backsplash
Reviewed by backsplash from California

5/5  rDev +44.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Based on other ratings, I guess this gem is not for everyone, but I love it. The taste of watermelon is strong, over top of a solid 10% imperial. Shocked the rating isn't higher!
Jul 30, 2023
 
Rated: 2.93 by ebanigan

May 14, 2022
Photo of mfrogs
Reviewed by mfrogs from New York

1/5  rDev -71%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
The worst beer I've ever had. And I've had a few. 16 oz can at Petco Park. Bubblegum watermelon flavor is dominant at first sip then fades into overwhelming, one-note bitterness. I love fruited IPAs and I love hops and this just made sad.
Apr 25, 2022
Photo of Todd
Reviewed by Todd from Finland

1.28/5  rDev -62.9%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1
16oz can. Sample from the brewery.

Pours big, then lands flat. Dorado tries to push through to flex its Imperial IPA muscles, but attempts are shutdown by intense watermelon aromas and flavors that dominate versus complement. Too candy-like, cloying, contrived, and hangs around for way too long. Woke up the next morning regretting trying this beer, because it was still lingering in my mind, body, and soul.

Simply doesn't work. Waste of Dorado, which has a BA Score of 92 right now versus Watermelon Dorado at a 79.
Apr 19, 2022
Photo of cyclonece09
Reviewed by cyclonece09 from Wisconsin

3.71/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours reddish orange with a small white head. Smells of tropical fruit, little bit of watermelon. Tastes of some tropical fruit and citrus, but fake watermelon dominates aftertaste. Beer is medium bodied yet still easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a good beer.
Oct 28, 2021
Photo of JamarcusMarinovich
Reviewed by JamarcusMarinovich from California

4.16/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from crowler, big head that dissipates to a half finger. Light copper color with fruity nose and definite watermelon, juicy taste. Strong hop presence but doesn't linger too long on the tongue. High AC not upfront and doesn't appear until after a few pulls. A nice change from the ubiquitous hazy, juicy, tropical IPAs...all in all in pretty good combo
Nov 07, 2020
 
Rated: 3.27 by DvdP from Netherlands

Oct 04, 2020
Photo of GarrettB
Reviewed by GarrettB from Colorado

2.76/5  rDev -20%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
April 15th, 2016 - Ballast Point has started with experimental fruit flavors, and I don't think I care for this new trend in brewing curiosity. It's pleasant enough on the nose, with a juicy aroma, and a slightly candied smell. But the hops in the flavor and the watermelon fruit are confused and muddied and also at each other's throats. The semi-sweetness in the flavor is, by itself, too sugary but it's clash with the other elements of the brew make this an ill-advised purchase.
Sep 05, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by TallGuyCM from California

Jun 16, 2020
 
Rated: 4.09 by jmbeerdude91 from Arizona

Jan 18, 2020
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottled January 2016; drank 2/21/16 @ the Yarchives.

See-through orange rust appearance.

A rough pour yielded a nice off-white head; nice lace.

Watermelon & strawberry notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Watermelon & sweet strawberry flavors up front; dry wheat & faint booze heat notes on the finish.

Fruit forward but nicely balanced; this would be dangerously drinkable on a hot summer day.
Dec 07, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by Griffith from Connecticut

Apr 24, 2019
 
Rated: 1.25 by AnotherDisease from California

Mar 06, 2019
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Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand

3.77/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Copper hazy with a pink tinge, moderate carbonation and a finger of yellow head.

Smells of malts, citrus, a hint of watermelon, caramel and pine.

Tastes of watermelon, creme brulee, pine, and deep dank double ipa notes.

Thick, syrupy body with moderate carbonation.

I got this in Redding where I am drinking it, Feb 1st, 2019. Decent, different, and makes you think.
Feb 02, 2019
Photo of Tacoma223
Reviewed by Tacoma223 from New York

4.06/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Nice smell, nice color and good foamy head. Taste is of watermelon and a nice hoppy iPa. The aftertaste is where it goes wrong, very off bitter taste but not undrinkable. This would be a nice summer ipa and has a nice amount of ABV so all you would need is a few. I cannot see me sitting and drinking more than 2 in a sitting.
Jan 29, 2019
Watermelon Dorado from Ballast Point Brewing Company
Beer rating: 79 out of 100 with 956 ratings