Sea Monster Imperial Stout (Willett Bourbon)
Ballast Point Brewing Company

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From:
Ballast Point Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
12.3%
Score:
92
Avg:
4.31 | pDev: 5.1%
Reviews:
3
Ratings:
16
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 16, 2020
Added:
Oct 20, 2016
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  2
Aged 10 months in Willett Bourbon Barrels. Bottled 9/2/2016.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by drahodo:
Photo of drahodo
Rated by drahodo from Missouri

4.21/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Jun 09, 2017
More User Ratings:
Photo of ryan1788a5
Reviewed by ryan1788a5 from Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
750ml bottle poured into a snifter. 9/2/16 dated, just over four years old.

A: Midnight black on the pour. Beige head dissipates after I’ve minutes or so, thin and broken collar of lacing.

S: Tootsie rolls, semisweet dark chocolate, layers of well-balanced smoke and char. Touch of molasses, chewy dark caramel. Oak, coconut shavings, vanillins. Subtle bourbon is sweet and gentle.

T: Mocha. Hint of black coffee. Soft layers of char and smoke. Tootsie rolls and bakers chocolate. More smoke. Plenty of bourbon, but none of the heat. Substantial oakiness with a lot of woody vanilla and faint coconut shavings. Brief figgy fruitiness and perhaps a quick hit of blackberry. Chewy dark caramel and brown molasses. More bourbon and smoke on a long finish.

M: Rich and thick body with a whipped heavy cream texture. Silky and chewy. Mild brush of wood tannin dryness. Fine and gently scrubbing carbonation. Awesome.

O: This beer aged incredibly well. It didn’t lose a step and feels like it could’ve gone another couple of years at least with no issues. Even with all the attention Victory at Sea gets, I personally always preferred these barrel aged Sea Monster variants. It really doesn’t get much better than this as far as barrel aged stouts go.
Sep 16, 2020
 
Rated: 4.75 by JamesLeung from Florida

Jan 06, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by cjgator3 from Florida

Dec 10, 2017
 
Rated: 4.05 by Zazzi82 from Tennessee

Dec 08, 2017
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.23/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Arrives pitch black with a thin cap that leaves strands and spots of lace

Smell: Chocolate, caramel and Bourbon, with undertones of brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla

Taste: Caramel forward, with the chocolate and Bourbon tones building; through the middle, the brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla emerge; the finish is filled with Bourbon and oak tones

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation; surprisingly thin for a beer of this ABV

Overall: Lots of nice flavor here despite the thinner than anticipated mouthfeel
Nov 13, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by cjohns73 from Delaware

Jul 31, 2017
 
Rated: 4.27 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Jun 09, 2017
 
Rated: 4.24 by YvesB from Belgium

May 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by tvenne from Minnesota

May 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by CB2maltygoodness from District of Columbia

Apr 26, 2017
 
Rated: 4.56 by atone315 from Wisconsin

Apr 24, 2017
 
Rated: 3.84 by Schlegz from California

Mar 21, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by Piglet_rulz_da_yard from California

Mar 10, 2017
 
Rated: 4.19 by shoegueuze from California

Jan 12, 2017
Photo of Alieniloquium
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida

4.1/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 mL bottle. Black body with a small khaki head. Smells of whiskey, chocolate, and cinnamon? Something like graham cracker. Tastes of bourbon, sharp and spicy, which is probably why I get cinnamon. It has that graham cracker taste too. Nice. Medium heavy. Medium carbonation. Good stout with a nice barrel character.
Jan 10, 2017
Sea Monster Imperial Stout (Willett Bourbon) from Ballast Point Brewing Company
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 16 ratings