Ballast Point Victory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter

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

22oz bottle. Huge Coffee nose wafts out of this bottle before it even hits the glass. Pours almost totally black with a small tan head. Huge coffee, with some definite hints of vanilla bean, chocolate and caramel. I sipped this right after the pour but then left it to warm to near room temperature and I highly recommend people do this, this beer opens up immensely at near room temp. Huge chocolate up front with a delicate roast in the middle. Big malty vanilla notes at the backend and a lingering moderate bitterness. So balanced, so tasty. So damn good. One of the very best imperial porters I’ve ever had. Not to mention I think this should age quite well. Very highly recommended

Pours a dark black, with tan head. Very sweet malt, caramel, toffee, milk chocolate, lots of vanilla flavor, coffee, and some roastiness. Vanilla is dominate in the brew.
Earlier Rating: 3/5/2009 Total Score: 3.9
On tap at Stone Bistro. Really sweet and chocolaty. Very tasty and strong, with roasted coffee beans, milk chocolate, peety malt, vanilla, oak, and hints of bourbon. Really nice desert beer.

Bottled shared by tjthresh, thanks man! Been wanting to try this for awhile now. Pours a vicious looking deep brown with a tan head. Aroma is full of coffee and vanilla. Almost like a fountain style vanilla Coke. Flavor is much the same, with vanilla being the dominate flavor, but the coffe providing a big backbone. A nice burnt grain on the back end. I would be very interested in trying the other versions of this.

22oz bottle. thanks to andrew for this one....pours close to black with a thin light tan head....aroma of heavy roasted coffee and sweet vanilla vapors ....flavors of coffee infused goodness with a nice lingering vanilla essence. creamy mouthfeel with light to medium carbonation.
Earlier Rating: 3/7/2008 Total Score: 3.8
growler from the man working at the PP Bottle Shop which i believe i recall him saying that it was the last of the keg....i really liked the nose in this one. fresh coffee grounds, extremely roasty and just a great coffee essence to it....poured a dark brown, almost black, and softer around the edges. head was minimal....outside of the strong coffee and chocolate flavors, i found it somewhat thin overall and this sample had little to no carbonation....decent and i’m sure it would have been better if taken from a fresh keg.

22 oz. Nearly black pour, cream colored head with a small amount of bubbly lacing. Aromas roast malt, hints of woody vanilla. Tastes similarly with much more assertive vanilla, coffee and some caramel. A little bourbon like booziness, but not bad at all. Definetely a sipper right now. Close to creamy mouthfeel. I bet this will age very nicely. Been very impressed with Ballast Point, this one did not disappoint.

22oz bottle. Pours dark brown/black with a moderate sized, creamy, light brown head, some lace. Smells of sweet malts and vanilla, roasty malts with just a hint of coffee. There’s more coffee in the taste. Flavor is of sweet roasty malts with a pretty big coffee flavor, slight coffee grounds with a hint of vanilla. Full body, pretty smooth, good carbonation.
Earlier Rating: 2/23/2008 Total Score: 4.1
On-tap @ Churchill’s 2/22/08. This beer is pretty damn tasty. Pours a thin looking, dark brown/black color. Creamy brown head that leaves good lace. Smells of roasty coffee and malt. Tastes of creamy, sweet coffee and roasted malts. There is a little alcohol burn on the finish. Mouthfeel is somewhat thin, carbonation is vibrant.

Bottle from beverages 4 less. Overpowering coffee flavor distracts from subtle oak, vanilla, and milk chocolate flavors. Tone down the coffee and this is one great brew.

bottle thanks to blutt59. poured black with a tan head that laces the glass. aroma of dark roasts, vanilla, coffee, and toffee. flavor of vanilla, dark roast, coffee, and alcohol. nice slick body with low carbonation. good stuff, want more please.