Everyone
68

Ballast Point Sea Monster Imperial Stout

Ballast Point Brewing Company
San Diego, CA, United States of America


Vital Statistics

Release: Limited Rotating
ABV: 10%
Bitterness: 65 IBU

From the brewer

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.

Average Scores

Overall: 68 (logged 7 times)
Draft: 83 (logged 2 times)
Bottle: 62 (logged 5 times)

Who's been drinking this

Thin mouthfeel but with a rich flavor - smooth chocolate with an almost salty roasted finish. I do very much appreciate the unusual character. A very nice stout.
As with other oatmeal stouts, this beer is extremely smooth. Unlike lesser oatmeal stouts, this beer is packed with flavor. Not overly sweet, the roasted malts are present but are more akin to a bittersweet chocolate than a sweeter version. The bittering hops balance it out for a clean finish. I wouldn't call it a crisp finish, the malts still give a rich mouth feel, but that heaviness doesn't linger. In short, this is what you get if you took the smoothness of a stout with the strong but bitter maltiness of an imperial stout - exactly as adertised and very well done.
Bottle at Home
An unfortunate weird bitterness in the aftertaste. Dom called it envelope glue flavor and I'd have to agree.
A mostly clean stout, minimal tacky residue leftovers and has a nice roasted bitter finish.