Victory At Sea - Coffee And Vanilla
Ballast Point Brewing Company
- From:
- Ballast Point Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Imperial Porter
Ranked #16 - ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 97
Ranked #539 - Avg:
- 4.39 | pDev: 8.66%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1,514
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Aug 28, 2025
- Added:
- Mar 17, 2009
- Wants:
- 1,155
- Gots:
- 2,314
SCORE
97
World-Class
97
World-Class
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.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by beerrat:
Rated by beerrat from Virginia
4.65/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Feb 28, 2021
4.65/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Feb 28, 2021
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by ttoadee from Texas
4.46/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.46/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
RB transfer
|Black. No light. Toffee head, thin. Dark chocolate and vanilla waft through the nose: alcohol is hiding there also. sweet and bitter engage in a playful tug of war. Similar to a cherry cola float with coffee beans and straight cocoa sprinkled on top. Finish cuts the sweet show short with alcohol & hops. What a ride...YUM&|3/12/2013
Aug 28, 2025|Black. No light. Toffee head, thin. Dark chocolate and vanilla waft through the nose: alcohol is hiding there also. sweet and bitter engage in a playful tug of war. Similar to a cherry cola float with coffee beans and straight cocoa sprinkled on top. Finish cuts the sweet show short with alcohol & hops. What a ride...YUM&|3/12/2013
Reviewed by Sinfull from New York
4.47/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.47/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Impressive porter. Dark brown with a beautiful, beige head. The aroma of coffee, chocolate, and vanilla. Same notes in taste with moderate roasted bitterness at the end at Sea
Jan 16, 2025
Rated by moysauce from Illinois
4.25/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
"YUM." - my Untappd, November 26, 2016
Apr 11, 2024
Reviewed by Whyteboar from Michigan
4.44/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured very dark brown and capped with an ambitious light brown head that climbed three inches very quickly.
The aroma to my chemically damaged nose was mild but still featured proper porter smells- roasted malts, coffee, a touch of chocolate.
The taste- I grabbed the can again to verify, but vanilla plays top position. Not sweet at all, but no mistaking there is vanilla in here. Coffee shows up later, this drinks true as it warmed.
The feel was good, ideal even. Not sure if it could be better. Ideally viscous.
OA- very happy to have been able to try this finally!
Jun 05, 2022The aroma to my chemically damaged nose was mild but still featured proper porter smells- roasted malts, coffee, a touch of chocolate.
The taste- I grabbed the can again to verify, but vanilla plays top position. Not sweet at all, but no mistaking there is vanilla in here. Coffee shows up later, this drinks true as it warmed.
The feel was good, ideal even. Not sure if it could be better. Ideally viscous.
OA- very happy to have been able to try this finally!
Reviewed by griffinwelsh from Texas
4.97/5 rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
4.97/5 rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
If you've ever wondered what could make a great porter even better it is notes of vanilla. This beer has a rich coffee flavor and a satisfyingly vanilla aftertaste. Color is dark and consistency is very smooth. It's a shame I can't buy it in Texas.
May 04, 2022
Reviewed by sjrider from California
4.43/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.43/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Can pour- dark as night with foamy khaki head leaving frosty/foamy lacing and a ring of bubbles. Nose is vanilla and coffee for days. Taste follows with some roasty malt and mild espresso bitterness. Vanilla lingers on the finish. Tasty.
Dec 18, 2021
Reviewed by Beersnake from California
4.21/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2021 release from can. Poured from fridge temp. Pours black with a really good amount of light brown head. Sticks around for quite a while as well. Nose is incredible. Vanilla, marshmallow, coffee, dark chocolate, red licorice, burnt toffee, and a nice amount of dark fruit. The taste nicely follows the nose, but with a distinct bitterness on the back end. Vanilla and coffee (very dark) are dominant. Definitely some charred wood, black licorice, roasted malts, almonds, and tar. Not sweet at all. Mouthfeel is fairly thick. Overall a really nice coffee stout.
Sep 17, 2021
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