Ballast Point Dorado Review

Name: Ballast Point Dorado
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 10%

Well look at this, another beer from Ballast Point. This time I have their Dorado, which is their Imperial IPA. According to the internet, Dorado is Spanish for The Golden One. Maybe it's in referral to the beer color? I can't say for certain but it's definitely not talking about the two green fish on the front of the label.

Appearance - Mildly hazy bright orange color with a light constant stream of carbonation. The head takes on a pretty thin light-khaki appearance and the lacing is pretty good. Looks almost like......a Dorado!

Aroma - Strong grapefruit notes on the front of the nose and some moderate citrus hoppiness here as well. I'm also picking up on some mild toffee sweetness backed up by some caramel maltiness.

Taste - It is grapefruit and piney hop notes upfront, with some citrus hoppiness accenting afterwards. The caramel maltiness encompasses the flavor as a whole and compliments everything quite nicely. The aftertaste is mainly grapefruit notes with a strong bitter resiny flavor.

I have to say this is quite flavorful & it has a powerful hop profile that will satisfy hop heads everywhere. I'm not quite sure of what the retail price is on a full 6 pack of this, but if I had to pay a couple extra bucks for one, I would happily do so!

Ballast Point Dorado - 9.5/10

Ballast Point Victory At Sea Review

Name: Ballast Point Victory At Sea
Style: Imperial Porter
ABV: 10%
IBUs: 60

Now here's a brewery I haven't had for a while, Ballast Point Brewing! Today I have their Victory at Sea Imperial Porter, which is brewed with coffee beans and vanilla. Now before I start this review, I'm going to make a little observation. Take a look at the label above....


Now when you consider the name of the beer itself, the label artwork could best be described as ironic. When you're a skeleton at the helm of ship under the sea, it doesn't mean that you've won, it means that you were on the losing end of naval warfare.

Appearance - Pitch Black with some light carbonation on the sides of the glass. The head takes on a khaki-colored appearance with some pretty good lacing.

Aroma - Very roasted barley & coffee ground forward. Some rich vanilla sweetness in here too along with some caramel sweetness that has an almost syrup-like quality to it

Taste - Fairly similar to the aroma. You've got some strong coffee & roasted barley notes upfront, followed by some mild vanilla sweetness. Encompassing the entire flavor is some chocolate maltiness. The aftertaste is mainly roasted barley and bitter hoppiness.

Victory at Sea is a solid Imperial Porter, though I would've liked the vanilla flavor to be a little more pronounced. As it is, it's a decently priced beer that is worth the price of admission and it is great way to introduce someone to the Imperial Porter style.

Ballast Point Victory at Sea - 8.5/10

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

AleSmith Wee Heavy Review

Name: AleSmith Wee Heavy
Style: Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy
ABV: 10%

So my insomnia has started to kick in again after a 3 year absence. Since Nyquil, warm milk, and ambient music aren't doing the trick, I figured that I would spend my extra awake time finishing off a couple reviews that I've been meaning to finish. Because productivity!

As some of my loyal readers may remember, I did a review of Speedway Stout, which was great, but it didn't quite live up the hype that I had seen on the internet forums. Nonetheless, it was a solid beer and I have decided to take a look at AleSmith's Wee Heavy. Like Speedway Stout before it, their Wee Heavy is very highly regarded and considered to be one of the best representation of the style out there. That's a pretty bold statement so let's check it out!

The beer pours an initially pitch black color that turns to a bright-dark crimson color when held up to a light. The head is about a finger thick and khaki colored and it leaves behind some good lacing.

The aroma is quite vibrant as I'm getting notes caramel, vanilla, scotch, oak, smoked malts and rum raisin. Each smell mentioned above is distinguishable in it's own way and it's a pleasure to the senses.

Much like the nose, the flavors starts out with a strong caramel, scotch, and vanilla sweetness. On the back end are some rum raisin, dark fruit, and smoked malt notes. There is also a sweet vanilla/scotch and dry hopped aftertaste.

The body is on the heavier side but the very mild carbonation makes for a very smooth and creamy texture. It adds a lot to the overall drinkability and allows one to savor the overall flavor.

After having this, I can safely say that AleSmith Wee Heavy is probably one of the best Scotch Ale styles that I have ever had and well worthy of the reputation it has received. The flavor is vibrant & delicious, it smells absolutely wonderful, and it's incredibly easy to drink! In fact, I would even go as far to say that I cannot find a single thing wrong with this beer and I'm okay with that! You owe to yourself to try this, you will not regret it!

AleSmith Wee Heavy - 10/10

Green Flash Le Freak Review

Name: Green Flash Le Freak
Style: Tripel
ABV: 9.2%

San Diego seems to have a thing for Minnesota this year. First we are given Ballast Point and now Green Flash Brewing which is another high profile brewery to come out of San Diego that recently has graced it's presence on our shelves.

What I have here is an interesting creation from them, their Le Freak Ale. According to the brewery, Le Freak is a combination of an Abbey Tripel & an Imperial IPA, hence the name.The only "mixture" I've had of two beers is Mississippi Mud Black & Tan, which is a Porter & Pilsner combination.

Le Freak pours a mildly hazy orange color with some visible moderate carbonation. The head is quite foamy in appearance and the lacing left behind is quite good.

A strong aroma of lemon zest and citrus hops starts things off in the nose. I'm also getting some fairly strong clove, banana, toffee and pale malt notes as well.

The taste is a pretty wide assortment of flavors. Right off the bat are cloves, spices, lemony zest, piney hops, grapefruits, caramel, pale malts, and yeasts. A bittersweet resiny flavor makes up the aftertaste.

The body is pretty heavy and the carbonation is surprisingly strong for what it is. Given the complexity of the beer, it's pretty easy to overlook and it adds some dimension to the flavor.

True to it's description, it really is like someone mixed together an Abbey Tripel and Imperial IPA. Thankfully it pulls it off quite well thanks to it's complex and robust flavor. It's a different take on the Tripel style and an excellent one at that!

Green Flash Le Freak - 9.25/10

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

AleSmith Speedway Stout Review

Name: AleSmith Speedway Stout
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 12%

At the risk of sounding smug, we Duluth (And Superior, Wisconsin) residents have gotten some access to some pretty sweet beers recently. While the selection isn't quite as bountiful as say....Chicago, Colorado or the West Coast, I feel it is safe to say that we got quite alot on our hands.

Recently, AleSmith Brewing started distributing to Wisconsin and have brought their beers to our neighbors over in Superior, WI. I've been reading about this brewery in particular online and have seen their Speedway Stout at the top of many "Must-have" beer lists. They are also a very highly regarded California Brewery and joins Ballast Point in terms of availability in our area.

I don't know if I should consider myself lucky but.....here it is! My review of AleSmith Speedway Stout!

Speedway Stout pours a pitch black color with a creamy-looking filmy brown head. The lacing has some good retention and the carbonation visible is mild.

The nose has a sweet chocolate nib and coffee aroma, with some licorice, vanilla, chocolate malts and roasted barley.

Flavor-wise, it's got a very strong coffee taste upfront with rich some chocolate, roasted barley, and malty notes. There's some minor but noticeable booziness in the flavor throughout. Aftertaste is a bitter coffee and malty flavor

The body is very heavy in weight and carbonation-wise, it lands in between mild & moderate; So it's quite manageable.

The flavor, while robust, isn't quite as complex as the aroma and it tastes somewhat boozy. With that said, it's still an excellent Imperial Stout that is worth checking out. Since they have brought multiple offerings to our area, I'll be sure to check all of them out.

AleSmith Speedway Stout - 8.5/10

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