Ballast Point Calm Before the Storm

Six packs available on Craftshack.com

 

I'm not trying to diminish what you've done. I'd be very happy to be in your shoes. I'll try to explain my thoughts better.

I don't see it as totally black and white, so I apologize if this is of no help. I do think that different beer styles and beers will have different thresholds for this. Sculpin (for me) already has lots of grapefruit flavor. Adding more of that and getting Grapefruit Sculpin... the resulting beer still has some resemblance to Sculpin. If a decent percentage of grapefruit juice makes its way into that beer (I have no idea what the process is), I also wouldn't think twice if you called it a shandy instead of an IPA. I would imagine that a little bit of actual coffee addition to a beer with patent malt would be quite different to a large coffee addition to a beer that was largely pilsner malt. In other words: how far away are the results from the base style? As far as I've always understood it, cream ales came to be because the brewers wanted to push their ales in a lighter direction. It's a subtle style that could be easily undone by introducing strong outside flavors. In addition, I'm more traditionalist with certain styles. For example, I find it confusing that Ballast Point changed the name of their Kolsch to "Pale Ale" since I don't see them as interchangeable labels. Cream ales conjure up a specific thing for me. Maybe it's BS. I do wince a tiny bit when "favorite Barley Wine" threads are filled with bourbon barrel aged beers. I just don't make that association 100% of the time. I'm not a total purist either. Sometimes I think that placing the ale/lager dichotomy at the top of the style tree hierarchy was a bad way to go.

Anyway, I feel bad that I'm rambling in this thread. Pay no heed to it. Because you responded as you did above, I'll happily buy a single of this beer if I see one.

 

Yes and no. I called myself out on this earlier, so it's clear that I understand that it's problematic. At the same time, one can question the "authenticity to style" of a beer without trying it. An oatmeal stout made without oats. A black Helles. A Pilsner with added tomato juice. I'd certainly reserve judgement on whether or not I thought any of those were good until I tried them... but authenticity to style...

 

Ordered two the other day....Can't wait the three months for it to hit NJ!

 

King of disappointed with this one...it's obvious they're trying to make a Victory at Sea 'light', but this one falls pretty flat. I love me some VaS but the roast coffee nose smells almost synthetic and is way too overpowering for the balance of the beer; the 'cream ale' portion is swallowed up and not in a good way. It almost drinks like a golden stout.

 

This is just now hitting the Philly area. Very excited to try. Also filling my Regular Coffee void with this!!

 

Not even close

 

The lady that works at my bottle shops keeps mentioning this, but I never knew what she was talking about until this. This looks super interesting. I'd like to give it a try.

 

Had this at the tasting room several months ago when it was R&D and had it again today on tap and bottled. I was really looking forward to this beer again as I remember it being amazing.

The coffee nose and flavor are much different than victory at sea but not in a good way. Has a darker color than I remember. It's definitely a great tasting beer, but the coffee flavor is a little over the top. The balance just isn't as harmonious as victory at sea. Still worth trying if you can find it.

 

FYI...I see you are listed as NH. NH will finally have Ballast Point within the next week or so. It's actually in the state and in warehouses but waiting on some final approval or something. I have multiple sources confirming this including the distributors web site.

 

Great! I live on the VT border and the only stores within 20 or so minutes from my house are in Vermont, but I do hit up NH stores once in a while.

 

Bought some (along with some Habanero Sculpin) in Toledo yesterday. Looking forward to tonight to try it!

 

Picked up a 6 pack at Vinnin in Swampscott yesterday evening.

 

Showed up this week in Ohio.

 

They been pouring it at the Oxnard, CA Wholefoods for a few weeks now. Great beer!

 

Love Ballast Point, and been looking for a good cream ale too. This could be a match made in heaven, "coffee forward", this sounds great. I hope they don't have a heavy hand with the vanilla though.

 

Where at in Toledo if you don't mind my asking? I'd like to try some of it!

 

Good but not great, I found the vanilla to be a bit cloying of you want to have more than one.
I won't be buying this very often at the $15 per six price.

 

Still on the hunt for this

 

I bought a 6 pack priced a dollar more than a victory at sea 6er. I enjoy it but no way is it worth the price. Noble's naughty sauce destroys it but isn't bottled so it's an unfair comparison.