Ballast Point Come About Imperial Stout

Formerly brewed at Ballast Point Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
San Diego, California USA

Date: 12/01/2005
Mode: Draft, Nitro
Source: Brewery

dark ruby, big brown head, light roasted aroma with a hint of fruit, creamy body, big roasted malt flavor, nice fruity character, aged for two years

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

2003 vintage on tap at O’Briens: Pours a nearly opaque, very dark brown with a dense, frothy, dark tan nitro head. Aroma is milk chocolatey with a hint of tartness and cream. Starts nicely subtly sweet with good mild dark caramel and light fruitiness. There are hints of tartness in the body, but not too strong, heading toward a dark chocolatey finish. An interesting imperial stout, but could be thicker.

Draft @ Ballast Pt.: 2003 Vintage & Nitro Pour Black with a large tan cascading head. Arma of roasted malt and sweet light coffee. Flavor of roasted malt, coffee and bitter sweet chocolate. Light warming sensation. Creamy.

Cask. Poured almost black with nice brown head. Coffee and chocolate throughout. Alcohol finish.

Draft. 2003 Keg. Nitro. Black beer with a big beige nitro head. Chocolate aroma with a little roastiness. Big chocolate flavor with soe underlying roastiness and licorice. Some alcohol warming at the end. Very smooth - velvety mouthfeel. Great chocolate flavor - this is what Young’s Double Chocolate should be

(Nitro Draft: O'Brien's in SD) Listed as an Imperial Stout on ratebeer.com, but the very smooth and comparatively lighter flavor in no way resembles a traditional American Imperial Stout; From start to finish, the flavor is mildly sweet, dark roasted maltiness with a fairly bitter overtone; Velvety mouthfeel that caresses the palate; Minimal nose; Dark brown and opaque with ruddy black accents along the edge; Thick creamy light tan head with exceptional retention that simply does not die and a thick lacing that completely coats the glass

Sampled @ Strong Ale Fest San Diego

The beer pours the color of Onyx with the head creamy light chocolate brown and portly in size with the resultant lace a fine curtain to conceal the glass. Nose is that of rich toasted grains, coffee and bittersweet chocolate, fresh and pleasing to the olfactory senses, start is rich chocolate malt, sweet and the top thick and rich. Finish is mild in its carbonation with the hops purposeful in their spiciness, bitter-sweet dry aftertaste, quite a tasty brew tis' true!

This brew pours witha black body topped by a medium thick head with lots of lacing. The aroma is sweet yet roasty and malty with a slight coffee note. The flavor is slightly sweet yet bitter with roasty notes and a touch of coffee. Full bodied, smooth and a touch dry.