Ballast Point Victory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter

Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
San Diego, California USA

Draft@Obriens. Dark brown with ruby edges, off white head dissipates quickly. Nose is big coffee malts, roast, vanilla, touch of cherry. Flavor is bigger coffee than expected from the aroma, chocolate, vanilla, dark fruits, finishes sweet. Full-bodied, thick texture, low carbonation. Complex and flavorful coffee porter that is east drinking despite the abv.

Thanks kiefdog for the share. Pours cola brown with an off-white head. Nose is malt, vanilla, booze, and chocolate with noticeable coffee and whiskey. Flavor is whiskey, vanilla, booze, chocolate, roasted malt with some vanilla in the finish. Medium-bodied and enjoyable.

Bomber back from bruisin’ ales. Head is a quickly dissipating tan one that leaves a decent lacing. Dark chocolate and wood aroma. Man is that chocolate aroma spot on. It takes me to a special place. Vanilla comes through in the flavor with a bit of roastiness as well. Body is surprisingly light but the roasted coffee bitterness sticks with you for a while. Pretty tasty desert beer and a typically crappy offering from a San Diego brewery.

Bottle shared with JoeTheYounger. Pours a jet black with a creamy short tan head. Aroma is hot chocolate mix, vanilla and a good bit of coffee. Flavor is strong with alot of coffee and roast, vanilla is powerful but not overbearing, and a nice sweet background supports all of the above. Palate is velvety smooth but not too thick and the smooth carbonation provides a nice creaminess.

Pours out black with lots of foam. Great roasty smell. Taste is mostly coffee and vanilla. Nice balance. Great beer.

Bottle: Very deep brown with a deep khaki film of head. Big aroma, but balanced. Charred espresso roast meshes with the vanilla and a dark malt chocolaty note. Slick body, big but not cloying. Charred coffee upfront blends well with the smooth vanilla bean character. Both the coffee and vanilla presence are smooth and very natural. There’s plenty of heavy dark malt to back both as well. Pretty tasty and cohesive blend of bitter espresso and sweet vanilla- works well together, but use this one in moderation.

Bomber. Pours fairly black with spotty lacing and a small head. Smells like some good stuff: lots of sharp, roasty coffee with cacao and distinct vanilla. The palate is just medium heavy. The ashy, burned coffee flavor is great, but why is there so much vanilla? It’s a very sweet, vanilla/sugar powder note and it is so sticky it subtracts from the beer. It gets pretty overwhelming after a bomber for sure. The drier coffee and cacao notes keep me in for a few snifters, but man. Too much vanilla.

Bottle, courtesy juiceisloose. Pours a deep murky brown/black, leaves a little lacing with a small off-white head. Vanilla, coffee, smooth roast and chocolate nose. In the flavor this is a vanilla bomb, too sweet for my taste. Vanilla could have been more bearable if this wasn’t so sweet. Medium body, a little heavy on the carbonation.