Ballast Point 'Victory at Sea' High West Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter 2017. 12% abv. 35 IBU. Black in color, dense. Finger of foamy, mocha head. Outstanding retention and superb lacing. Even after ten minutes, there is still a thick surface. Nose of vanilla, bourbon, raisins, dark chocolate. Coffee aroma comes through as the temp changes.

Front taste is bourbon, bittersweet chocolate, walnut. Plum taste and wood expression stands tall in time. Aftertaste is ground coffee, rich chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, mild herbal hops, sweet forward with a dry finish. Medium-full body. Mouthfeel is warm-hot, boozy, thick, clingy, carby, astringent on the back end.

This is an extraordinary beer, a big BBA that is an exemplary example of its category. The flavor profile is complex, with huge swaths of chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and bourbon, supported throughout by high notes of dark fruit, oak, sweet pastry, and herbal hops. Readers of this blog know that I am a huge fan of BBA brews, and this is a solid, steadfast example of the brilliance that can come from a barrel. Strongly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Imperial porter with coffee and vanilla flavors aged in High West bourbon and rye barrels... We partnered with our friends at High West® Distillery to create a barrel-aged version of  Ballast Point Victory at Sea, our award-winning Imperial Porter with cold-steeped coffee and vanilla. From a blend of Ballast Point Victory at Sea aged in High West’s own bourbon & rye whiskey oak casks, new layers of complexity emerge with notes of soft caramel and smoky oak over a dark chocolate and roasted almond body. High West crafts delicious and distinctive whiskeys to honor the American West, making it the perfect pairing with our signature San Diego-born porter."
[source: ballastpoint.com]

Modern Times 'City of the Dead' Nitro Stout with Cocoa Nibs, Almonds, and Sea Salt. 7.5% abv. 30 IBU. Dense black with a pinkie finger of beige, rich, foamy head. Outstanding retention that is typical of nitro beers, and superb thick lacing like melted ice cream. 

Nose of ground coffee, dark chocolate, with subtle bourbon notes emerging as the temp rises. Front taste of brewed coffee, bittersweet cocoa, vanilla, light wood notes on the back end. Aftertaste is dark chocolate, burnt caramel, faint caramel, mild herbal expression. Medium-full body. Mouthfeel is warm, thick, creamy, a touch astringent.

This is a very good coffee beer that is a tad shy of excellence. The chocolate and coffee flavors are prominent throughout, but the promised almonds and sea salt are absent, with the bourbon taste nearly so. This beer benefits from 10 minutes in the glass, with buried aromas and flavors standing taller as the temp rises to room. Given enough time to warm, it steps forward tasting more like a milk stout than anything else.

Still, even with time on the table, with all its cards laid out, the commendable flavor profile leaves me wanting more, if only because I've had so many superior similar beers. Based on its description, which includes almonds, sea salt, and bourbon barrel aged coffee beans (the coffee is BBA, not the beer itself), this beer clearly aimed high - but narrowly missed its mark. Still, it's surely a good brew to try, particularly if you enjoy coffee beers. Recommended.

From the brewery:

"This groundbreaking export stout is brewed with house-roasted, bourbon barrel-aged coffee. Yup, bourbon barrel-aged coffee. This unique process imbues our coffee with the incredible flavor and aroma of a freshly emptied bourbon barrel, which carries over magnificently into this rich, chewy beer. Unlike any other beer in the world, City of the Dead is immensely flavorful and unforgettably delicious."

[source: moderntimesbeer.com]