Beer – #295 – Ballast Point – Sea Monster

Slightly Different this one, the Ballast Point Sea Monster. Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company in the style of an Imperial Stout and they are of course in San Diego, California USA

At 10% ABV, 300 calories, and 65 IBU, this all adds up to 5.13 standard drink units. I’m not sure my doctor would approve all this, I’m not sure my liver does either.

The Selfie, of course!

Sea Monster Imperial Stout is a new version of an old favorite. This hearty stout is black as the abyss and clocks in at a whopping 10% ABV, a real monster. The flavors of roasted coffee and bittersweet chocolate are complamented by a velvety smoothness from the addition of un-malted barley and oats. Colombus and Amarillo hops help to balance out the huge malt character of this flavor bomb. Be careful the alcohol is well hidden and will sneak up on you if you don’t watch out. Like most scary monsters, it can be a little intimidating, but have no fear.

Our Sea Monster Imperial Stout explores the darkest reaches of the traditional oatmeal stout. This bold, rich brew first lures you in with roasted coffee notes, then grabs hold with hints of bittersweet chocolate and currant. Backed with a perfect hop balance, you’ll soon discover this is one monster of mythic proportions.

So another dark heavy, high ABV beer. It’s lucky that I’m only driving a mouse and keyboard. Plus I went for a run/walk/mooch so in pdubyah-world I’ve earned this.

A muted coffee note on opening, Totally dark pour, with a persistent and thick mocha head. Not a lot of the coffee aroma follows.

Really nicely bitter, that lies under a richer smoother malt taste, and it drinks ok too, with a nice finish.

There isn’t a ‘full’ mouthfeel with this, as you sometimes get with beers, and this is a solid nicely behaved dark stout.

The coffee is present, it’s pleasing and not predominant, and doesn’t add to the sourness. I also get a lovely sense of the roasted malts, but there is also the astringent note of the alcohol making itself known. This of course might be that this is a straight up honest stout, and there is nothing to mask or hide or deflect you to the alcohol content. I think drink in this you might be aware that you’d best be getting a lift home or sitting on the couch.

You know what I don’t get – bitter chocolate. Unless that is the sourness that I get with this. Of course you don’t get any of those raisin and fruit notes, after all this isn’t a fruit beer 🙂

I’m going to say that the pdubyah-o-meter rates this as an 8 which makes this very good. A beer I would be more than happy to have more of.

Music tonight is a pleasing and pleasant album tom the band Daughter, Dinner might be some bbq chicken affair with fresh garden herbs, and some garden salad and sweet-corn. After the beer which has put me in mu happy place what could go wrong.

IMPERIAL STOUT

Imperial stouts are usually extremely dark brown to black in color with flavors that are intensely malty, deeply roasted and sometimes with accents of dark fruit (raisin, fig) or milk sourness. The bitterness is typically medium and often the low sie of that. Imperial stouts are strong and often exceed 8% by volume.