Ballast Point Sea Monster Stout 8% (2006-2010)
STOP! This beer is not produced anymore.
From the deep dark depths of our Brewmaster’s imagination comes this rich and monstrous oatmeal stout. Our Sea Monster embodies all that the true dark beer aficionado will appreciate: roasted coffee notes, with hints of bittersweet chocolate and currant flavors all brought together by a perfect hop balance.
Don’t fear the Monster!
Our Robust Series gives all beer lovers an opportunity to try our most rare beers, previously available only on draft at select tap houses. Enjoy!
From the deep dark depths of our Brewmaster’s imagination comes this rich and monstrous oatmeal stout. Our Sea Monster embodies all that the true dark beer aficionado will appreciate: roasted coffee notes, with hints of bittersweet chocolate and currant flavors all brought together by a perfect hop balance.
Don’t fear the Monster!
Our Robust Series gives all beer lovers an opportunity to try our most rare beers, previously available only on draft at select tap houses. Enjoy!
3.7
173 reviews
San Diego, United States
Community reviews
On tap at Hamilton’s served in a snifter. Obviously black in color with a mocha colored head. Smells roasty and stouty! The flavor was roasted, bitter chocolate, really flavorful for being listed as 7% on the chalkboard. This was probably the best of the three Ballast Point beers I had that day.
Serving type: on-tap
Reviewed on: 09-22-2009 01:44:54
Draft at Capone’s on 8/15/09. Pours black, tan head. Sweet roasted nut and coffee aroma. Very unique soy sauce and umami flavor balanced with good bitterness. Then a unique soy/sour finish. Very little alcohol flavor. Points for being a unique stout, but overall slightly disappointing.
Draught at Capone’s: Aroma of oats, chocolate, and slight roasting. Very dark brown/ruby in color with a medium-sized, creamy, tan head that diminished but lasted around the edges. Clear. Slightly sparkling. Ok lacing. Flavor is medium sweet. Tastes of dark malts, chocolate, light currants, light caramel, slight smoke, slight roasting, and a hint of scotch. Medium body. Lightly dry texture. Average carbonation. Chocolate, malt, and slight smoke finish is dry. 8%ABV is totally hidden.
22oz bomber, listed as 8% ABV, poured into a tulip.
I’m glad I opened this over the sink as this was a minor gusher, though almost no beer lost in the end. It’s almost completely black in the glass with a huge creamy tan head that doesn’t go anywhere and sticks to the glass stubbornly.
The aroma big, dark and malty. There is plenty of roasted dark malts but with lots of bakers chocolate and hints of coffee bitterness as well. Interestingly enough, after all this time, there’s definitely a noticeable citrus hop aroma as well.
The taste follows the aroma but doesn’t have much of a hop presence. The deep roasted malts are the most dominant flavor with lots of bittersweet chocolate and even a bit of oatmeal and vanilla showing through.
The mouthfeel is medium bodied with tons of carbonation, too much in fact.
I really liked this one, one of the better stouts I’ve had recently in fact. The mouthfeel is the major drawback as I think it’s a bit overcarbonated, but it’s not too much of a distraction and the underlying beer is excellent.
Bomber. Poured medium cola brown with a very active, creamy cap of tan head. The aroma picked up well-toasted sweet and darker chocolates plus sweeter coffee character with accents of tobaco and brown sugar.. oak-like character gave a slight sour impression upon digging deeper. The flavor had moderately-roasted coffee and sweet chocolate notes at the core with anise and slight char present.. vanilla joined building earth and coffee bitterness on the edges.. tangy bitterness left the first impression on the finish, transitioning well to more coffee and chocolate. Sweet overall and extra smooth across the palate with rolling carbonation.. bitterness was spicy and entirely complementary.. long, memorable finish. Excellent stuff!
Draft. A dark brown beer with a lazing brown head. The aroma has notes of sweet malt and caramel, while the flavor is sweet with notes of malt, caramel, and roasted malt, lending it a bit of acidity, as well as light notes of alcohol.
Bomber courtesy of thecheeseman. Pours dark brown with a tan head. Smells of roasted malt, fruity. Tastes spicy and sweet with some fruity hints on the finish.
Bomber, thanks After4ever. Pours opaque blackish brown with a scant tan head. Sweet chocolate aroma. Medium-full body and light carbonation. Sweet chocolate and caramel aroma and taste. Not big on complexity, but a solid beer from front to back.
22. Thanks, Hopscotch! Pours ebony black with scattered caramel highlights. Very little head, no lace. Great big chocolate, roast, and sea salt nose. Creamy medium body--tons of chocolate, roast, caramel, and gentle salt notes on the mid-palate. Lovely. Big and balanced.
Bottle at PilsnerPeter’s Spring Gathering. Pours a lightly still black with a thick tanned head. Light chocolate, plums, and other dark fruit. Medium bodied and roast, and chocolate.
Bottle shared by wolf at SL on 4-6-09. Black in color, nice head. Nice aroma of roasted malts and some coffee. Taste reminds me of a porter. Lots of roasted malts and coffee. After taste had a slight hoppiness to help keep it balanced. Light in texture really easy to drink. Overall... everything I have had from Ballast Point has been awesome and this beer was not the exception. Really impressed. Great beer
I really enjoyed this beer shared by IBrew2or3. Pours dark cola brown with a dark tan head. Lots of yellow lace dances around when this baby swirls. Nose is dark roasted malts, licorice, chicory, booze, and ripe dark fruit. Flavor is ripe dark fruit, bourbon, licorice, and roasted malt. A very enjoyable medium-full bodied beer.
Very dark black color with a nice head. Room temp make this beer. Aroma was roasty and bitter with some sweetness. Taste is upfront sweetness and dark roasted coffee and cocoa. Not too rich, nice.
Bottle, at LCRBM 2008, ’s Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Black body with a brown head. Strong aroma of deep malts with some spicy complexity. Great, robust aroma. Moderately sweet, lightly bitter flavour. Heavily carbonated. Good balance. Strong malty mouthfeel with a good complexity to make it interesting, but it is not overwhelming by complexity. Steady beer.
Leaves a nice brown head. Flavor is crazy roasted malt and bittersweet chocolate. Nice creamy texture. Aroma is fruit, molasses, and plum. At first none of that comes through to the flavor but as it warms a bit of a red fruit flavor develops in the background. Finish is slightly sweet. All in all a good impy stout with some decent full bodied character.
Bottle 66cl. @ LCRBM 2008, ’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Clear dark black color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, light brown head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, roasted, burnt, dry coffee. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and bitter with a long to average duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20081025]
22 oz. bottle. Pours dark brown/black with a small tan head. The aroma is roasted malt, dark chocolate, and dark fruits. The flavor had roasted malt with a moderate amount of sweetness. Dark chocolate, dark fruit, and some bitterness in the finish. Medium bodied and easy to drink. This is a solid stout.
Bottle shared at local BA tasting.
Poured black color with an average brown frothy head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate roasted malt,chocolate and small alcohol aroma. Medium to full body with a smooth texture and flat carbonation. Medium to heavy sweet roasted flavor with a medium to heavy bittersweet finish of moderate to long duration.
Good complex stout.
courtesy of retorp.
Pours pitch black with golden/beige head.
Aroma of caramel malts with faint hops.
Taste, malty and spicy with notes of hops. Light roasted malts coffee with chocolate and cocoa powder for a light bitter palate and finish.
Caramel lingers for a nice sugary mouthfeel.
This black ale poured with a thin brown head and a chocolate aroma. There is a nice chocolate flavor with a smooth bitter finish. A taste of coffee is left on the palate.
A- Dark red to deep brown hue, 1/2 finger of tan smooth head, mild lacing
S- Sweet espresso aroma, earthy/floral hops, tones of dark chocolate
T- Initial taste is espresso coffee malts, roast malts, nice mix of sweet and bitterness, hops, fruits and berries come through midway, finishes bitter coffee
M- Light/medium-bodied, watery texture, minimal carbonation
D- Smooth and easy-drinking imperial stout, nice balance of roast coffee malts and bitter hops
I actually liked this a little more than the Sea Monster Imperial Stout, believe it or not (you probably don’t). Pours black with a tan head, not unlike the imperial version. Aroma of coffee and roasted malt. Flavor is similar with some bitter cocoa thrown in. Palate is fairly creamy. Pretty nice stout overall.
bottle. Black pour with minimal head. Aroma of bitter chocolate and whole coffee beans. The mouthfeel is much lighter than i expected. The flavor is of chocolate malts and roasted coffee beans. To be honest though, it just didn’t taste very full. It was a big of a let down to be honest.
12/07 bottles shared by oldstylecubsfan. Thanks Todd. Pours a dark brownish black with a small tan head. Nose is the typical roast, cocoa, light coffee notes. Flavor is more of the same. The lower abv does not necessarily lead to an easier drinking imperial stout. Still kind of a pain to drink, as has been the case with many imperial stouts for me recently. Just not digging on this style as much as I once did. Solid beer though. Just realized this is not an imperial stout at all. Oh well. Comments are still valid.
Shared by OldStyleCubFan. Year old bottle. Pours a dark black that allows some light. The nose is one to two fingers thick frothy and tannish. The aroma shows coffee, smooth chocolate, light and fruity, earthy roasted malt. The flavor is roasty, has a mild coffee and chocolate bitterness. Palate is creamy and smooth.
2007 bottle shared by Todd. Surprisingly fruity, malty aroma... not just roasted barley, chocolate, and coffee, though they are present as well. Really lovely aroma. Deep dark brown pour with tan head. A bit overcarbonated, and finishes a bit thin. Still quite good.
Thanks to Todd for sharing this one! 2007 vintage. Dark brown pour fluffy khaki head. Milk chocolate on the nose. Creamy mouth-feel & well balanced. Slightly roasty with hints of espresso and licorice
Bomber from South Bay Drug. Opaque brown/black color with a decent dark tan head. Aromas of chocolate, dark fruit and coffee. Medium body with creamy carbonation. Flavor is rather sweet, heat, dark fruit and coffee. Some chocolate as well. The heat seems to calm down after a bit. Good drink. Rerate: Bottle shared by Marcus. Dark brown/black color with purple edges. Slight tan head. Medium body with mild carbonation. Flavor is burnt malt, brandy, and very slight treacle. Slight sour touch perhaps in the finish. Overall excellent. No significant change in numbers. Good brew.
Bottle. Black pour, brown head. Aroma is sweet with chocolate, prunes, and maybe some coffee. Flavor is very nice. Creamy mouthfeel leads to some chocolate, raisins, and light roasted malts. Nice beer.
Thanks to whomever brought this to the Bruerys Beer Geek Show and Tell in Dec08
black pour with flavors of bittersweet chocolate