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: 7,026 | Reviews: 1,467
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
4.51/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
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
4.75/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Really well made. NO DATE on the bottle anywhere to speak of. A porter that has adjuncts in it should definitely have a date on their. Wonderful tasting coffee with a tad bit of sweetness from the vanilla. That 10% abv is not traceable. This is at least a 95 in my opinion. Oh well, maybe I am just a sucker for these dark beers with coffee added to them. Cheers! A (95-99) World Class
385 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Really well made. NO DATE on the bottle anywhere to speak of. A porter that has adjuncts in it should definitely have a date on their. Wonderful tasting coffee with a tad bit of sweetness from the vanilla. That 10% abv is not traceable. This is at least a 95 in my opinion. Oh well, maybe I am just a sucker for these dark beers with coffee added to them. Cheers! A (95-99) World Class
385 characters
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
4.23/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.6/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.65/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Creamy and great mouthfeel. It does not taste like its ABV. Coffee is very prominent followed by a sweet vanilla. Great beer and my favorite porter.
148 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Creamy and great mouthfeel. It does not taste like its ABV. Coffee is very prominent followed by a sweet vanilla. Great beer and my favorite porter.
148 characters
4.45/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.35/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.34/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I think victory at sea is a very flavorful porter but perhaps a little bit too much.
Look: black with a very thick off-white head head
Aroma: roasted malts, coffee
Taste: Roasted malts (a lot), coffee, some vanilla, not much booziness for ABV 10.00%.
Feel: medium to full body
280 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I think victory at sea is a very flavorful porter but perhaps a little bit too much.
Look: black with a very thick off-white head head
Aroma: roasted malts, coffee
Taste: Roasted malts (a lot), coffee, some vanilla, not much booziness for ABV 10.00%.
Feel: medium to full body
280 characters
4.23/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Victory At Sea Imperial Porter with Coffee & Vanilla from Ballast Point Brewing Company
Beer rating:
4.39 out of
5 with
7,026 ratings
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