Ballast Point Calm Before The Storm Review

Name: Ballast Point Calm Before The Storm
Style: Cream Ale
ABV: 5.5%
IBUs: 15

There is a reason why mix-a-six selections exist. For some it means trying out a variety of different beers before deciding which one is worthy of a purchase of a regular pack. For others, like yours truly, it is a cost-effective means of trying out as many types of beers as possible and bragging about it to your friends. Of course, there is also the crowd that loves exploring and finding out brand new styles of themselves. In the case of this review, it means being able to try out a beer that, as a whole six-pack, would set you back way more than what it is worth.

That's right, I've got an offering from Ballast Point for this review and I have a lot to say about this beer. Before I do however, I'm going to go on a bit of a rant of sorts. There is no denying that Ballast Point makes great beers, and it's truly a great thing that they do. However, lately it seems that some of their offerings have become so high in price that you start to wonder if it's because of overall cost production or because they feel like it.

Case in point, Calm Before the Storm. I was terrified to buy this because the asking price is around $15 for a six-pack and it wasn't until last week when that I found this as a single bottle for a "reasonable" price of $2.89 that I finally decided to pick it up. I mean seriously, $15 for a cream ale? What gives? Is it made with the sweat of the last living unicorn on Earth or is it infused with golden flecks that we can barely see? I can find cream ales for literally half that cost and still get some great flavor. Well if they keep releasing new beers with this high of a price, it means that someone must be buying them.

Which brings me to my next question, what exactly does this beer have going for it? Well according to the label it's a cream ale that is made with coffee and vanilla. I'll admit that it is an interesting concept when you consider that those are flavor elements usually reserved for dark and/or heavier beer styles......but does it work?

Appearance - Mildly hazy amber color with some light visible carbonation. The head starts out rather foamy and about a finger in width before settling for a thin filmy appearance and some decent lacing along the sides of the glass

Aroma - Right away, I'm picking up on some coffee grounds and barley on the front of the nose. I'm also getting some light cereal grains, mild pale malts and just a touch of vanilla sweetness. If I close my eyes, it's like I'm smelling a porter or a stout of sorts

Taste - Mild vanilla & pale maltiness on the front of the palate, followed by some surprisingly mild coffee ground notes. The second half of the flavor is more lingering vanilla notes and light floral hops. The aftertaste is more of that lingering vanilla sweetness and light roastiness.

It is a good beer by itself, but it is definitely is not worth the $15 price tag that is attached to it and that seriously hurts the appealability of this beer. Which is too bad because the idea of adding coffee & vanilla to a beer style that seemingly only works in darker beer styles is actually an incredibly cool concept. If you're really curious to try this beer out, buy it as part of a mix-a-six before deciding if the $15 price tag is actually worth it.

Ballast Point Calm Before the Storm - 7.5/10

Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin Review

Name: Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 7%
IBUs: 70

About 2 years ago, I reviewed Ballast Point's Sculpin IPA, which had recently began distribution in Minnesota. At the time, I considered it to be a very good beer and I didn't warrant any complaints against it, which could've been a case of rose-tinted glasses at the time. I've since found a valid complaint about it: it's way too expensive.

Which brings us to the Grapefruit Sculpin, which is their Sculpin IPA but made with actual grapefruit. Normally this goes for $15 a six pack, which makes me all the more thankful that I got this as just a single 12oz. bottle for literally a fraction of what I'd have to pay to get a six pack. Still, I've heard some pretty good things about it, so let's see how it is.

Appearance - Hazy dark orange color with a mild amount of visible carbonation. The head is fairly foamy, if not, on the thinner side with decent retention and there's some moderate lacing along the sides of the glass.

Aroma - Strong citrus hops mixed in with some grapefruit notes & caramelized maltiness, along with some apricots and mangoes. Looking at my notes from almost 2 years ago, I wrote.....pretty much the same thing.

Taste - Strong citrus hops and caramel maltiness notes on the front of the palate with a very potent grapefruitness that reminds me strongly of Froot Loops cereal. These in turn are followed by some mango sweetness. bitter piney hoppiness and a very light yeastiness. The aftertaste, however, is still quite bitter and resiny. Also much the original, the palate is still stingy just in case you were wondering.

With Grapefruit/Froot Loops flavor aside, this is pretty much the same beer that I had nearly 2 years ago, which isn't really a bad thing as it's still an outstanding IPA. The only real drawback to this beer is that it's too expensive as a six-pack, which makes it slightly harder to recommend if you're not looking to pay the full price for admission. If you're able to buy this in single bottles, however, then by all means go for it!

Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin - 8.5/10

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp 2014 Reviews - Part 1

Last week, I came into possession of the Sierra Nevada Beer Camp 12-pack, with each beer being a collaboration from different breweries all over the country. This 3-part series will cover each beer included in the said 12-pack with my score underneath each beer.

Now the reason why I'm not giving each beer it's own separate review is because each beer is a one-off collaboration, meaning that it won't be brewed again; With the exception of Hoptimum which was originally a "Beer Camp" beer. Since these are twelve beers that will never be brewed again, I figured it would be more efficient this way.

Electric Ray India Pale Lager (8.5 % ABV) - Brewed in collaboration with Ballast Point Brewing. The flavor is very citrus hop forward but with a solid pale malt sweetness as opposed to a caramel/toffee maltiness. The aftertaste is quite bitter with some grapefruit and citrus hop notes. IPLs tend to be around the 5-6% ABV range so this is definitely strong for it's category. However the alcohol content is masked quite well and the flavor, while not complex, is quite robust and tasty. I could see this being a regular visitor in my fridge if it weren't a one-time only offering.

Verdict - 8.5/10

Alt Route Altbier (6.6% ABV) - Brewed in Collaboration with Victory Brewing Company. Pours a solid ruby red color. This is a very malt forward beer in terms of flavor with caramel malts, roasted barley, a bit of dark fruitiness and a surprisingly bitter hoppy finish. Nothing terribly special in terms of flavor when it comes to the style, but it's quite good nonetheless.

Verdict - 8/10

Tater Ridge Scottish Ale (7.0% ABV) - Brewed in collaboration with the Asheville Brewers Alliance. This ruby red colored beer has a distinct bitter hoppiness on the front of the palate with a roasted barley & chocolate taste. There is also some light grassiness and another type of bitterness that isn't of the hoppy variety which I'm assuming is the potatoes used in the brewing process. My only exposure to potato based beers is from Indeed Brewing with their Sweet Mama Jamma, which I found to be very good. As for this beer, it's balanced in terms of flavor but I'm not really a fan of it at the same time. I'd rather just have a regular Scottish Ale instead.

Verdict - 6/10

There and Back English Style Bitter (5.6 % ABV) - Brewed in collaboration with New Glarus Brewing. Pouring a hazy orange color. The front of the taste has a maramalade-like sweetness to it, some pale malts and a bitter finish. Like the Altbier, it's a pretty standard English Bitter that tastes good and is drinkable. The only thing that makes this beer stand out is the higher-than-normal ABV level (most English Bitters fall into the <5% range.)

Verdict - 8/10


I hope you all enjoyed the first part of this series. Stay tuned for the next part which'll be posted tomorrow night. If you are still able to get "Beer Camp" in your area, I would highly recommend checking this out!

Cheers!

- Nick

Ballast Point Sea Monster Review

Name: Ballast Point Sea Monster
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 10%

Last year Ballast Point Brewing started distributing to Minnesota and we have since seen an expanded lineup from the brewery. The other day I was at the store and saw this new offering from them....or at least I think it's new.

I may not be the most knowledgeable about the craft beer industry but I do know that this is an older style label that was once used by the brewery; The label even has an expiration date of 2014, which happens to be this year. Well, I'm going to tempt fate and give this beer a go. This is Ballast Point's Sea Monster, which is their Imperial Stout style ale.

Sea Monster pours a pitch black color with a khaki colored head. There is some mild carbonation climbing along the sides of the glass and the lacing is fairly abundant.

A strong chocolate malt profile kicks things off in the nose with a vanilla sweetness, roasted barley, and a mild but noticeable hoppiness.

Flavor-wise, you've got a chocolate malt base, with notes of vanilla, a strong roasted barley/coffee flavor and a surprisingly strong hoppiness, even by Imperial Stout standards. The aftertaste is a mild roasty aftertaste with just a hint of vanilla.

The palate is quite heavy in terms of body and the carbonation has a moderate feel. It's not creamy by any means, but it allows some of the flavors to sink in.

Sea Monster isn't going to blow you away with it's flavor but it is still a pretty vibrant Imperial Stout with a nice hoppy kick to it. Fans of the style will no doubt find something to enjoy with this beer.

Ballast Point Sea Monster - 8.5/10

Ballast Point Big Eye Review

Name: Ballast Point Big Eye

Style: India Pale Ale

ABV: 6.8%

While Ballast Point Brewing is most well known around here as the brewery behind Sculpin, they actually have other IPAs in their lineup that I feel others seem to miss. Tonight I have their Big Eye IPA, which upon adding to part of my mix-a-six, I noticed that were still a few bottles behind it. One could only why this is the case.

Big Eye IPA pours a mildly hazy orange color with a foamy head that leaves behind some soapy lacing. The amount of visible carbonation is also fairly high.

The aroma starts out with a mild citrus hop & grapefruit smell. Backing that up are notes of toffee, caramel malts and yeasts. 

Upon drinking this, I noticed that there is a very strong strong piney hop flavor which I did not pick up on earlier; Almost like a cloak-and-dagger. Once you get passed that, you find yourself with notes of caramel malts, grapefruits, yeasts and an extremely bitter resiny aftertaste. I don't mind some bitterness in my IPAs, but I feel this is pushing it. 

The overall palate is pretty light but it packs quite a punch when it comes to the carbonation. I don't really feel it helps the overall flavor either.

Big Eye is an okay IPA but the bitterness, particularly in the aftertaste, is way too much for my liking. If the overall bitterness were taken down a few notches, I would be more likely to recommend this.

Ballast Point Big Eye - 7/10

Ballast Point Pale Ale Review

Name: Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ale
Style: Kölsch
ABV: 4.6%

A couple months ago, Ballast Point Brewing Company started distributing to our neck of the woods much to the delight of craft beer lovers everywhere. I've even been hearing about this brewery outside of liquor stores and bars which is pretty significant in my eyes.

When I picked up Yellowtail Pale Ale as part of a mix-a-six, I assumed that this was Ballast Point's own rendition of their pale ale; I mean the label says in bold lettering "Pale Ale." However when I got home and inspected the label, I made a startling discovery...

Y u do dis, Ballast Point?

Okay so we're NOT having an American Pale Ale but a Kölsch instead. I'm not terribly familiar with Kölsch style but the only one I've had has been from Lake Superior Brewing right here in Duluth and I thought it was pretty good. Let's take a look at this, shall we?

Yellowtail pours a bright yellow color with a rather fizzy and filmy head. The carbonation visible is quite mild and there is no lacing left behind.

The nose starts things off with a sweet & grassy pale malt backbone and fruitiness; Along with some wheat, bready and barley notes.

Likewise, the flavor is also pretty representative of what's in the nose. You have sweet pale malts, fruitiness, sweet wheat notes, yeasts and barley. The overall flavor is a tad earthy and the aftertaste is also pretty dry with just a hint of fruitiness lingering on the palate. The body as a whole is pretty light with some moderate carbonation to compliment it, giving it a crisp feel.

It doesn't hold a candle to Sculpin in terms of flavor but I found this to be quite enjoyable. It's like they took an American Adjunct Lager and made it not only drinkable but quite good! In fact, I'd say this is a great beer for your non-craft beer drinking friends. It's not everyday you see a Kölsch-style beer on the shelves but I'd say this one is definitely worth trying out if you see it!

Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ale - 8/10

Ballast Point Sculpin Review

Name: Ballast Point Sculpin
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 7%

Recently Ballast Point Brewing, a very well regarded West Coast brewery, started distributing here to Minnesota along with Green Flash Brewing. I decided to grab some of their Sculpin IPA upon hearing that it's amongst the best widely available IPAs on the market and, according to someone I talked to, it's comparable to that of drinking from the Holy Grail.

Well seeing as how the Sculpin is a poisonous fish that leaves a stinging sensation, which is something they proudly boast about in the commercial description, let's see if that is really true.

Sculpin pours a mildly hazy orange/amber color with some light carbonation and a semi-foamy head that has some good retention.

The aroma kicks things off with some very strong fruity notes which include, mango, apricots, citrus hops and grapefruit. Rounding it out at the end are some caramelized malts. Very fruity and somewhat malty; I've been encountering this alot more as of late.

The flavor is also very fruity and malt forward with citrus hops, grapefruit, apricot, mangoes, peaches, and some caramel maltiness. There's also some piney hops and resin-like notes in there as well throughout that were not in the nose. Sneaky sneaky!

The body is quite heavy and the carbonation, while had light appearance to it when first poured into the glass, is surprisingly aggressive in nature. What I mean by that is that it's not overwhelming but...stingy; Kind of like it's namesake fish.

I can safely say that this is, in fact, one of the best widely available IPAs on the market. It's got a rich & robust flavor, a nice aroma, and a body that's unique but doesn't hamper the overall experience. I would highly recommend checking this out, particularly if you're into the fruiter tasting IPAs!

Ballast Point Sculpin - 9.5/10