Ballast Point Brewing out in California has recently expanded into additional markets. Craft beer drinkers are thrilled to see their brewing including their well known favorites like Sculpin IPA and Victory At Sea. Another Ballast Point great that is nice to see on the shelves is Sea Monster Imperial Stout. This brew has everything an imperial stout should.
Sea Monster pours a jet black with a deep brown foam that quickly subsides, leaving some nice lacing stuck to the walls of the snifter. A big roasty aroma with notes of coffee and light chocolate. Taking a sip, there are big roasted malt notes along with touches of coffee and silky oats. Light hop notes from the 65IBUs are able to make their way through the big malty base. Cocoa nibs and an oily mouthfeel round things out. The 10% ABV isn’t apparent in the aroma or flavor so this one would be able to sneak up on you if it wasn’t so big and heavy which makeshift fairly slow drinking. A tasty imperial stout with great availability and a nice price point.
As the craftbeer market continues to expand and brewers push into new and further away places, it’s very nice to see well known names come into your home market. While some offer highly prized brews with high price points and very limited availability thanks to stretched production, others like Ballast point have great brews at a decent price. Keep an eye out for them in your local better beer store or as they continue to push their distribution further from home. Beers like Sculpin and Sea Monster make great drinking options, most any time.
