Victory At Sea Imperial Porter with Coffee & Vanilla | Ballast Point Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Ballast Point Brewing Company
California, United States
ballastpoint.com
Style: American Porter
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 10.00%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
Our Victory at Sea Imperial Porter is a bold, smooth brew with just the right amount of sweetness. We infused this robust porter with whole vanilla beans and San Diego’s own Caffe Calabria coffee beans. The subtle roasted notes and minimal acidity of the cold brewed coffee, balances perfectly with the sweet caramel undertones of the malt, creating a winning combination for your palate.
Added by radshoesbro on 03-17-2009
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 7,037 | Reviews: 1,472
4.5/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.43/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.96/5 rDev +13%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
4.13/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Best before 2022
Black, beige head of small to medium sized bubbles.
Aroma was a bit muted. Notes of coffee, bitter chocolate and maybe herbal hops.
Taste was coffee and chocolate upfront, bittersweet with a vainilla finish.
Soft, velvety mouthfeel despite being a medium to full bodied beer. Chocolate aftertaste and a bit of a booze burn too.
Really nice imperial porter although I expected more regarding the hype around it.
434 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Best before 2022
Black, beige head of small to medium sized bubbles.
Aroma was a bit muted. Notes of coffee, bitter chocolate and maybe herbal hops.
Taste was coffee and chocolate upfront, bittersweet with a vainilla finish.
Soft, velvety mouthfeel despite being a medium to full bodied beer. Chocolate aftertaste and a bit of a booze burn too.
Really nice imperial porter although I expected more regarding the hype around it.
434 characters
4.47/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.03/5 rDev -8.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Outstanding beer from a well-respected brewery. Nice dark brown, almost black color with just a little head and minimal spotty lacing. Smells of dark, rich coffee and dark chocolate. Tastes of dark roast coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla and a hint of caramel and grains. Smooth clean finish with a slightly creamy mouthfeel and a good amount of carbonation throughout. The high ABV is well hidden and only slightly detectable towards the end of the beer. A great offering and I look forword to sampling their other similar products.
531 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Outstanding beer from a well-respected brewery. Nice dark brown, almost black color with just a little head and minimal spotty lacing. Smells of dark, rich coffee and dark chocolate. Tastes of dark roast coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla and a hint of caramel and grains. Smooth clean finish with a slightly creamy mouthfeel and a good amount of carbonation throughout. The high ABV is well hidden and only slightly detectable towards the end of the beer. A great offering and I look forword to sampling their other similar products.
531 characters
4.59/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.4/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.88/5 rDev +11.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours black as the depths of the ocean, with a thin mocha head that dissipates after a couple of sips. Smell - Wow! Strong coffee, vanilla and chocolate. Is this a dessert? Hopefully, this tastes as good as it smells...Mother of God, the taste does not disappoint! Sweetness up front, then the coffee kicks in. Strong alcohol aftertaste but not overpowering. This is the stuff that dreams are made of. Mouthfeel is about perfect - not too flat or carbonated. A bit syrupy but not too much. Good balance. You can tell this is gonna be a filling beer- a meal in a bottle so to speak. Too bad it's so damned heavy. My mouth tells me I could drink these all night, but my belly is full. A great special occasion beer but due to the price, not one I will be having often. I love Ballast Point, and this could very well be the best beer they make. Thankful I had the chance to try this one!
885 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours black as the depths of the ocean, with a thin mocha head that dissipates after a couple of sips. Smell - Wow! Strong coffee, vanilla and chocolate. Is this a dessert? Hopefully, this tastes as good as it smells...Mother of God, the taste does not disappoint! Sweetness up front, then the coffee kicks in. Strong alcohol aftertaste but not overpowering. This is the stuff that dreams are made of. Mouthfeel is about perfect - not too flat or carbonated. A bit syrupy but not too much. Good balance. You can tell this is gonna be a filling beer- a meal in a bottle so to speak. Too bad it's so damned heavy. My mouth tells me I could drink these all night, but my belly is full. A great special occasion beer but due to the price, not one I will be having often. I love Ballast Point, and this could very well be the best beer they make. Thankful I had the chance to try this one!
885 characters
3.73/5 rDev -15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
4.76/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Ballast point to me seemed overpriced but with this one it's worth it well done.
80 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Ballast point to me seemed overpriced but with this one it's worth it well done.
80 characters
4.39/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured from 12oz bottle into Seidel Mug. No date.
L: Opaque. Slim beige head has below average retention.
S: Lots of coffee, layered in with vanilla, chocolate and cacao. Very nice aroma.
T: Again, a lot of coffee however it is more subtle here, with the vanilla and chocolate being more pronounced. Very complex yet simple enough. Very good.
F: Medium body, crisp, smooth, lingering chocolate.
O: Very very good beer.
424 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured from 12oz bottle into Seidel Mug. No date.
L: Opaque. Slim beige head has below average retention.
S: Lots of coffee, layered in with vanilla, chocolate and cacao. Very nice aroma.
T: Again, a lot of coffee however it is more subtle here, with the vanilla and chocolate being more pronounced. Very complex yet simple enough. Very good.
F: Medium body, crisp, smooth, lingering chocolate.
O: Very very good beer.
424 characters
3.83/5 rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.7/5 rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
My second ever imperial coffee beer (first being Old Rasputin RIS by North Coast), this is an old favorite. Recently tried the amazing BA version and realized I had yet to review the original. So here it is:
L: Poured into a goblet, it produces about one finger of frothy brown-sugar head, like that on a mocha latte. Body as dark as any I've seen, retention is excellent, but not a ton of lacing.
S: Just amazing. Like a Tiramisu cake in a bottle. The pour produces immediate and luxurious quantities of vanilla, followed by turbinado cane sugar, fudge, coconut, bourbon, chocolate syrup, then blonde roast coffee.
T: The only difference in the flavor is that the coffee is more pronounced, providing a foundation and skeleton for the sweet chocolate and bourbon notes that compose the body. Boozy.
F: Syrupy, but finishes very dry. Not too sticky.
O: A perfect model of a sweet imperial porter. Makes one hell of a base beer for barrel aging too.
953 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
My second ever imperial coffee beer (first being Old Rasputin RIS by North Coast), this is an old favorite. Recently tried the amazing BA version and realized I had yet to review the original. So here it is:
L: Poured into a goblet, it produces about one finger of frothy brown-sugar head, like that on a mocha latte. Body as dark as any I've seen, retention is excellent, but not a ton of lacing.
S: Just amazing. Like a Tiramisu cake in a bottle. The pour produces immediate and luxurious quantities of vanilla, followed by turbinado cane sugar, fudge, coconut, bourbon, chocolate syrup, then blonde roast coffee.
T: The only difference in the flavor is that the coffee is more pronounced, providing a foundation and skeleton for the sweet chocolate and bourbon notes that compose the body. Boozy.
F: Syrupy, but finishes very dry. Not too sticky.
O: A perfect model of a sweet imperial porter. Makes one hell of a base beer for barrel aging too.
953 characters
4.34/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.5/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Almost perfect and great for the price. I pick some of this up whenever I get a chance. This is my favorite Ballast Point offering offering huge notes of coffee and vanilla. Beautiful color in the glass. Dangerously drinkable.
226 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Almost perfect and great for the price. I pick some of this up whenever I get a chance. This is my favorite Ballast Point offering offering huge notes of coffee and vanilla. Beautiful color in the glass. Dangerously drinkable.
226 characters
4.49/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.43/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.32/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Black appearance with light khaki head.
Smell is sweet coffee vanilla and chocolate.
Flavor is coffee forward with the vanilla and cocao flavors supporting. Great taste to this beer.
Mouthfeel isn't the thickness it would be as an imperial stout. Appropriate for the style. Not too thin either though.
Overall a very enjoyable beer. This is becoming a favorite of mine due to the quality, value and availability.
412 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Black appearance with light khaki head.
Smell is sweet coffee vanilla and chocolate.
Flavor is coffee forward with the vanilla and cocao flavors supporting. Great taste to this beer.
Mouthfeel isn't the thickness it would be as an imperial stout. Appropriate for the style. Not too thin either though.
Overall a very enjoyable beer. This is becoming a favorite of mine due to the quality, value and availability.
412 characters
3.54/5 rDev -19.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
Victory At Sea Imperial Porter with Coffee & Vanilla from Ballast Point Brewing Company
Beer rating:
4.39 out of
5 with
7,037 ratings
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