Victory At Sea Imperial Porter - Barrel Aged | Ballast Point Brewing Company

4.78/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Amazing. This beer combines two of my favorite elements: Porter and Barrel Aging. It is no wonder that this beer as a WC rating. Complex. This is the only word to describe this home run from Ballast Point. This is the kind of beer that you have to taste slow and take notes. Yes, grab a pen and paper and take notes. The color is deep brown color with a thick tan head. The nose is a rich combination of bourbon, vanilla, and roasted coffee. For me, I found the balance between the bourbon, vanilla, and coffee to be spot on. Remeber when I said to take notes? Here is why. The taste starts off with burnt wood and coffee at the start and then at the end you find other elements like the coffee and vanilla. The flavors come in and out as on my second taste I also found toffee and molasses. The body, the mouthfeel, the taste... superb.

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4.68/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

4.35/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4.5/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4.35/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4.19/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

3.9/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

4.38/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

4.17/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

4.14/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

3.75/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

3.45/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

5/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

4.14/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

this is a killer beer, a really fine edition of one of their best, but it is also a great example of a beer that simply does not need to be put in the barrel. its already so flavorful, so complex, yet so mellow while being huge, the barrel only brings out more of that, but honestly the base beer is so dialed in that the barrel flavors almost overwhelm this balance. heavy whiskey and vanilla along with old charred wood come out so much to the front of both nose and taste on this that its almost difficult to recognize some of the underlying elements, especially the coffee, which is lost to the now overpowering vanilla flavor. still so rich and smooth though, i just think it throws some of the flavor off balance. this would be a cool beer to do in new oak without the whiskey element, just pick up the wood while leaving everything else in tact. they should do that. i had this side by side with several of the variants and it was not my favorite, despite being obviously the most special of the lot. amazing beer, dont mean to knock it down at all, but as good as it is, the barrel aspect is not necessary. delicious and wintery and special though, get some if you can!

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4.66/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

4.19/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

4.64/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Absolutely spectacular. I love regular Victory at Sea, and for my tastes this barrel-aging (the rep said it was Woodford barrels) adds positively to it. The look is its usual velvety, jet black with a thin chocolate milk head that leaves a little sticky lacing. The aroma is big and boozy with the familiar vanilla, chocolate, and roasted coffee, but additional, wonderful notes of whiskey, toffee, raisins and dark fruit. The flavor profile is near perfect. The strong vanilla and bitter espresso from the regular [email protected] are mellowed somewhat (though still very present), while the dark fruit, molasses, and chocolate are enhanced. And, again, added notes of caramel and toffee, a little oak, chocolate-covered raisins, and dark jam round things out. You're very aware that the bourbon is there, but it seems to weave its way around the other flavors, really acting as the glue that ties it all together.

It's honestly unfair to compare this offering against regular American Porters. This beer is absolutely decadent and I would drink it for very different reasons and in different situations than regular [email protected] But I certainly hope to drink it again soon.

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4/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass . Opaque brown color with a thick tan head. Rich aromas of bourbon, vanilla, and roasted coffee. The Bourbon was very prominent up front, overpowering the vanilla and coffee. I love VAS, and I felt like this took away from the great balance and flavor. A great beer, but I certainly prefer the base version.

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4.38/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

4.39/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4.16/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75