Victory At Sea - Coffee And Vanilla
Ballast Point Brewing Company

Straight pour from a 12oz pry-off bottle to an oversized wineglass (Jester King stemware); there’s some date information printed in white ink near the bottom of the front label (“VAS6715148”), but who the hell knows what that’s supposed to indicate. Either way, given the style, I’m not too worried about freshness.

Appearance (4.75): About one and a half fingers of rocky, dark tan foam rise off of the pour, capping a nearly pitch-black body. As the head dissipates, it leaves close-knit lacing and tightly spaced collars all around the end edge of the glass. It also shows some ruddy, mahogany highlights around the edge. This is gorgeous.

Smell (4.25): Mocha icing, chocolate syrup, deeply caramelized malts, and sweet cream fill out the nose—rich and sweet-smelling, but balanced with a modest amount of lightly acrid roast and cocoa powder. Well-structured and rich, while avoiding the tendency of these big stouts to try to muscle out every single note and component.

Taste (4.25): In contrast to the smooth, full, balanced set of aromas, the palate throws a quick jab right out of the gate, with a mid-level shot of mocha-like bitterness, followed by a smooth, malty body (some of the chocolate syrup from the nose mixed with instant espresso) . . . and then a sharp right hook of deeply bitter roast—espresso, unsweetened baker’s chocolate, and herbal bitterness. The beer leaves a more modest, drying bitterness in the aftertaste characterized more by dark cocoa powder than coffee or any other bittering agent. A healthy, boozy heat pops up halfway back on the palate, and carries on through the finish.

Mouthfeel (4.0): Definitely full-feeling and heavier than medium-weight, the beer’s big but not massive or syrupy. The booze in particular, mixed with coffee and cococa bitterness, lightens up the big body and lets the beer to finish surprisingly dry. Too punchy and bitter to drink lightly or with ease . . . this beer’s not for the novice stout/porter drinker, but the dryness really does improve drinkability.

Overall (4.25): This is a really, really solid beer, and considering its price point in six-packs, it’s a real bargain in the world of imperial stouts/porters/huge dark beers, whatever you want to call it. I like that this beer’s got a dynamic character, with multiple dimensions in every area, from the nose to the body. It’s an awesome drink, and one I’ll definitely keep in mind in the future.

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

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

"YUM." - my Untappd, November 26, 2016

 

 

 

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!

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.

 

 

 

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.

 

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.