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Red Velvet (Nitro)
Ballast Point Brewing Company


- From:
- Ballast Point Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Oatmeal Stout
Ranked #240 - ABV:
- 5.5%
- Score:
- 80
Ranked #26,922 - Avg:
- 3.53 | pDev: 16.71%
- Reviews:
- 140
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 12, 2023
- Added:
- Nov 16, 2015
- Wants:
- 16
- Gots:
- 129
This stout takes the cake.
Our Red Velvet oatmeal stout is a mind-bending beer. Like the cake that inspired it, the deep red color comes from beets, which add a rich, earthy character that complements the chocolate flavor and aroma. The foamy head of the nitro pour is our “icing”, adding a creamy smoothness to the mouthfeel. But this liquid dessert still finishes like a beer – not sweet, but just as satisfying.
35 IBU
Our Red Velvet oatmeal stout is a mind-bending beer. Like the cake that inspired it, the deep red color comes from beets, which add a rich, earthy character that complements the chocolate flavor and aroma. The foamy head of the nitro pour is our “icing”, adding a creamy smoothness to the mouthfeel. But this liquid dessert still finishes like a beer – not sweet, but just as satisfying.
35 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
3.31/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.31/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Bottle from Albertsons. Pours out colored like Cranberry juice, pinkish head. Sweet, cake smell. Taste is also a bit sweet, vanilla, frosting. Dry finish, taste fades fast. Interesti novelty, but not worth the hefty price tag.
Nov 12, 2023Reviewed by Nuttin_but_the_best_Clark from Massachusetts
2.24/5 rDev -36.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
2.24/5 rDev -36.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
If this was Japan in the 1930's, the company CEO might be wise to force the brand's marketing team to commit hari kari. To call this red velvet cake anything is a complete misnomer despite the color of the beer ... maroon with lighter foam head.
If you read nothing else in this review, know that the beer's color is derived from beet juice ... and the beer unsurprisingly tastes like beets. Most folks don't eat beets for the taste ... why anyone would want to make beet tasting beer solely to give it the color of red velvet cake with none of the taste is beyond me.
When I saw this novelty in the store, I knew I had to try it. I love creative flavored beers and I love red velvet cake. As I drove home from my local liquor store, I wondered how the brewers would get the taste duplicated ... obviously chocolate for the cake portion? (nope ...) the maybe a creamy marshmallow note for the frosting? (nope ...) there is cream cheese in the frosting, so maybe a sour note to offset the chocolatey sweetness? (nope ...)
Spoiler alert, you are left with a beet flavored beer that looks like cherry soda and tastes like carrots and wood chips left to ferment in a cup of water.
If this was marketed as 'vegetable ale' I might respect their creativity slash lunacy enough to give a 3 rating. But the fact this is marketed as the most delicious dessert ever created in red velvet cake and in actuality tastes more like sudsy soup than beer gets it below 2 all day.
Jul 04, 2019If you read nothing else in this review, know that the beer's color is derived from beet juice ... and the beer unsurprisingly tastes like beets. Most folks don't eat beets for the taste ... why anyone would want to make beet tasting beer solely to give it the color of red velvet cake with none of the taste is beyond me.
When I saw this novelty in the store, I knew I had to try it. I love creative flavored beers and I love red velvet cake. As I drove home from my local liquor store, I wondered how the brewers would get the taste duplicated ... obviously chocolate for the cake portion? (nope ...) the maybe a creamy marshmallow note for the frosting? (nope ...) there is cream cheese in the frosting, so maybe a sour note to offset the chocolatey sweetness? (nope ...)
Spoiler alert, you are left with a beet flavored beer that looks like cherry soda and tastes like carrots and wood chips left to ferment in a cup of water.
If this was marketed as 'vegetable ale' I might respect their creativity slash lunacy enough to give a 3 rating. But the fact this is marketed as the most delicious dessert ever created in red velvet cake and in actuality tastes more like sudsy soup than beer gets it below 2 all day.
Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand
2.9/5 rDev -17.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 1 | overall: 3
2.9/5 rDev -17.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 1 | overall: 3
A reddish orange color, with a little haze, a little funk, little carbonation, and almost no yellow wish head.
It smells of cherries, and a bit like berries. No beets to me.
It taste bitter, no sweetness, I get vanilla, and a bit of cherry.
Light body with very little carbonation. Not smooth at all!
I think I got a really old bottle as this was packaged on January 18, 2018. I got this in Sacramento and I am drinking it here today on November 25, 2018. Really not loving in this brew from an otherwise great brewery.
Nov 25, 2018It smells of cherries, and a bit like berries. No beets to me.
It taste bitter, no sweetness, I get vanilla, and a bit of cherry.
Light body with very little carbonation. Not smooth at all!
I think I got a really old bottle as this was packaged on January 18, 2018. I got this in Sacramento and I am drinking it here today on November 25, 2018. Really not loving in this brew from an otherwise great brewery.
Reviewed by mike1990 from Indiana
4.28/5 rDev +21.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.28/5 rDev +21.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
With this being a stout, I wasn't sure I'd like it, since I haven't had a stout that I enjoyed. I love red velvet cake so I thought I'd give it a try. Straight from bottle, into nonic pint glass. Nice color, nice steady head. Smelled a good amount of beets.
Didn't taste like red velvet cake, but very smooth. If other oatmeal stouts are like this, I may have found a new style I like.
Overall, pretty good beer. Very easy to drink.
Nov 19, 2018Didn't taste like red velvet cake, but very smooth. If other oatmeal stouts are like this, I may have found a new style I like.
Overall, pretty good beer. Very easy to drink.
Reviewed by Nass from Florida
2.75/5 rDev -22.1%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
2.75/5 rDev -22.1%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Red velvet cakes are delightful, so I was compelled to partake in this beer. I observed that there is a bottled on date on the side of the label. There is interesting artwork on the label by the way. For a nitro charged beer it does not pour out like one, but oh well looks aren't everything right. Wow! this actually does taste similar to some red velvet cake. There is bitter sourness to the taste that is contrasting with the sweet red velvet cake aspect. I don't think beets & chocolate are a mix up folks. I do a agree with this beer being flat & watery. This beer does have a few flaws so I guess Ballast Point just got half way there with this beer, that's okay for a first try out. I would love to try a 2nd batch of this beer that has worked out these tweaks to make this beer come out better & more balanced because I can see that there is great potential in the Red Velvet (Nitro). Cheers! C
Oct 07, 2018
Red Velvet (Nitro) from Ballast Point Brewing Company
Beer rating:
80 out of
100 with
482 ratings
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