Ballast Point Calm Before The Storm
A coffee ale with a touch of cream.
Calm Before the Storm came from a quest for a warm weather alternative to our Victory at Sea Imperial Porter. Like its more robust cousin, we infuse a punch of flavor using cold brewed Caffé Calabria coffee and a hint of vanilla. But this time, we added it to a lighter-bodied golden cream ale. The end result is a surprisingly bright, coffee-forward beer that’s perfectly refreshing. Previously listed at 6.2% abv.
Calm Before the Storm came from a quest for a warm weather alternative to our Victory at Sea Imperial Porter. Like its more robust cousin, we infuse a punch of flavor using cold brewed Caffé Calabria coffee and a hint of vanilla. But this time, we added it to a lighter-bodied golden cream ale. The end result is a surprisingly bright, coffee-forward beer that’s perfectly refreshing. Previously listed at 6.2% abv.
3.5
352 reviews
San Diego, United States
Community reviews
Clear, golden color with off-white head. Aroma has green coffee beans, some vanilla and also a slight acrid/acidic note. Taste starts with cacao beans and fresh vanilla beans, some acidity that maybe comes from the coffee or even the malts, but it’s not really bothering. Very balanced overall, neither sweet nor bitter. Light body with crisp carbonation. Overall it’s an interesting beer but the coffee and vanilla don’t really mix so well with such a light beer.
Flaska på Bishop Gustav, Malmö. Fin frisk cream ale med mycket tevlig kaffesmak, lite gräddig och en aning vanilj kombinerar fint. Riktigt gott.
355ml bottle pours a slightly hazy golden orange color with a finger of white head that leaves some spotted lacing on the glass. Aroma is dominated by coffee with some caramel and hints of vanilla. Taste is a coffee bitterness with a caramel malty sweetness finishing a little dry with hints of vanilla. Light to medium bodied with adequate carbonation. Overall, a solid brew that is well crafted. Recommended for those who enjoy coffee.
Bottle.
Clear gold with an average white head.
Light coffee aroma.
The flavor is lightly sweet with coffee and vanilla milkshake. No real hop flvor or aroma here. Spritzy light body. Not bad.
Best cream ale I’ve ever had. Nice aroma with coffee and vanilla bean aroma. A pinch of spice with lactose up front. Mild malt profile with a bit of sweetness on their finish. Smooth and rich. Nice brew.
On tap at Cottonwood. Pours a hazy copper with medium creamy white head that lasts. The aroma is roasted nuts, spice, cocoa. Medium body, hazelnuts, cocoa, light finish, very good.
Draft at Ballast Point. Aroma of creamy vanilla and coffee. Taste has soft creamy vanilla, coffee and a malt note. Very tasty.
Bottle. Notes of vanilla, malt, bread and metal. A pretty good drink. Spice, anise and coffee as well. You can really notice the fresh water used to make it. Sharp.
Bottle from beergium. Hazy dark gold color. Thin white head. Light sweetness, medium bitterness. Medium crispy body. Finish is dry and medium. Aroma is coffee, cacao, vanilla, light fruit.
355 ml bottle. Pours a clear orange-golden with little white foam. Intense aroma of vanilla, coffee and pipe tobacco. The taste is medium sweet with a light bitterness. Full body with a slick mouthfeel and nearly no carbonation. Flavours of Vanilla, pipe tobacco, licorice. Strong and pretty unique character and a nice brew.
On tap at Einstein’s Pub. Golden with a frothy white head. Aroma of coffee and cream soda. Taste is light with a little coffee and sweetness. Light-medium bodied and smooth.
Calm Before The Storm versa nel bicchiere di colore giallo dorato, molto chiaro; la schiuma è bianca a grana fine, non è molto pronunciata, ma lascia comunque un leggero strato persistente. Al naso è piena di aromi di caffè, sostenuti da sentori di vaniglia, note cremose e di malti dolci. In bocca vengono confermate le percezioni nasali: attacco sorprendentemente fresco di caffè, cui fanno seguito sapori di vaniglia, ben amalgamati a leggeri sentori di malto tostato. Rimane una birra liscia e mai astringente, dal corpo medio e da una carbonazione non elevata; solo nel retrogusto si avverte un delicato amaro, per una leggera sensazione di secchezza.
Bottle from K&B. Coffee up front with a bit of a sour flavor to it. Somewhat watery. Decent ale but lacking richness in the flavor and body. Not a lot of vanilla. Mild coffee. A little too watery.
375ml bottle.
Roasted coffee aroma with damp earth overtones.
Light amber color with good head and lacing.
Mild bitterness followed by a strong roasted coffee character and a slight creamy vanilla finish.
OK.
Draught at monks café. Pours golden with a small white head. Aroma is full of cream. Taste is really creamy with Caramel notes.
Draft at monks
Clear, yellow, small white head
Bachelorette party.
Aroma of cream dusty
Taste creamy textur, caramel
Quite old,
#linnea
12 oz. appears it was bottled 08/19/2016. Pour is clear amber with a spongy foam on top. Nose is toasted walnut, coffee with cream, and toasted bread. Tastes of vanilla, toast, chocolate and toasted nut. Really tastes like a Little Debbie Nutty Bar with some coffee on the finish. Near medium bodied with smooth medium carbonation. Coffee provides a decent balance to the sweetness.
Clear brilliant deep golden under a thin white cap. Lovely nose of big blonde roast coffee and lactose sugar and light earthy vanilla. Smooth and earthy flavor that features that lactose sugar creaminess prominently with a big bit of coffee and a fair deal of earthy vanilla, and a earthy crisp finish. It’s all very earthy roasty coffee but also creamy and sugary. It’s strange but I like it.
Clear gold with no head; aroma is malty grainy; flava is sweet notes of vanilla and coffee; feels Medium silky smooth soft fizz; finishes sweet yet mildly dry
I don’t know that I’ve ever had a Coffee Cream Ale. Coffee stouts and porters, yeah, sure, plus the occasional Coffee IPA, but not this style. Anyhoo, I liked it. Notes of fresh coffee up front, then subtle citrus and vanilla. Dryish finish. On tap at Bearden Beer Market.
Bottle in Las Vegas. Clear golden pour, thin off-white head. Aroma of coffee, vanilla, caramel and some grains. Flavor is quite sweet malty and with a thick body. Decent balance.
Golden and clear with a frothy white head.
Coffee, roasted nuts, and vanilla aromas.
Starts with bitter and sour coffee flavors but finishes with sweet vanilla coffee flavor. Average carbonation.
Coffee, vanilla flavor.
Bottle. Pours a copper color with white head. Coffee, vanilla, honey, sweet, malty, creamer aromas. Coffee, vanilla, slight bitter, slight metallic flavors. Light-medium bodied. Almost is really good, but flavor is just slightly off.
This cream ale poured a clear medium Amber colour with a beautiful creamy, bright white head. Scents of coffee, hops, light vanilla and cream most prominent. First swig was quite crisp. A little thinner than expected but very good none the less. Flavours of coffee and hops with a light vanilla flavour in the background. Finish is slightly bitter with coffee and vanilla lingering.
Bottle @ Man in the Moon, Stockholm. Clear amber with a white head. Aroma is sweet, malty, caramel and coffee. Flavor is medium sweet and light bitter. Sweet and light bitter finish. 260716
Golden amber pour with a thin white head. Aroma is coffee that dominates the aroma. A hint of vanilla. Taste is coffee, closely followed by vanilla. Creamy mouth feel. Coffee bitterness. What a treat.
Aroma of cereal grains, vanilla, and cream. Taste is cereal grain, vanilla cream, and a nice burnt coffee flavors just on the back of the tongue.
Earlier Rating: 5/12/2016 Total Score: 2.9
Aromas of cereal malts, vanilla, and black pepper maybe. Taste starts out with cereal malts on the front of the tongue, then vanilla and cream build up all the way down your gullet. Pepper notes appear in the finish. Not really any coffee (bottle is 2 months old). After taste of cream, vanilla, and pepper.
On tap at 2865. It poured a golden color with a white head. The aroma was of coffee, vanilla and some honey. The taste was similar to the aroma with more coffee, vanilla, cookie dough and honey. Interesting.
A tasty treasure! Pours gold w/ a thin white head & some lacing. The aroma is a beautiful blend of coffee & vanilla & the taste is right on point. The coffee & vanilla flavors blend exquisitely! It’s a complex, medium bodied offering that is a must try! Deliciousness!
"A coffee ale with a touch of cream." Ballast Point gets it right with that description - and they really get it right with how this beer is made. Clear gold pour. Earthy coffee aroma with subtle vanilla sweetness. The flavor starts of with coffee bitterness and ends with light creaminess. The coffee gives off a lovely brightness in this light-bodied beer. This usually isn’t my style, but Calm Before the Storm is my kind of Cream Ale.