Ballast Point Brewing Unveils 2018 Release Calendar

Posted on by mashingin

BallastPointglassesBallast Point Brewing Company (San Diego, California) has officially sent out a 2018 Product Release Calendar that features three new series that will realign the brewery’s portfolio, a couple new brews, and few availability updates.

There has been a bit of a lull in brewery calendars lately, but rest assured that we will treat this one just as we have the others.  Ballast Point’s full 2018 Product Release Calendar is available below for you to go over at your own pace, but there are a few highlights and changes that we need to cover before we send you to that document:

  • Ballast Point will restructure its portfolio in 2018 to include three distinct series: The Discovery Series, The Flagship Series, and the Explorer Series.  This change has been put in place to help consumers easily distinguish the brewery’s wide portfolio and find exactly what they are after in a beer selection.
  • Meant to “serve as a great way to ‘discover’ Ballast Point though their approachability and exceptional quality”, the beers in The Discovery Series will all weigh in at 6% ABV or under.  These gateway beers will include Year-Round offerings such as Bonito Blonde, Mango Even Keel and Longfin Lager.  The Discovery Series will also feature a rotating lineup that will include Tart Peach Kolsch (April – July), Grunion (July – November) and Piper Down (December).
  • The Flagship Series will consist of “signature beers like Sculpin, Manta Ray, and Victory at Sea—pinnacles of their styles and premium award-winners. They also carry higher ABVs, 7% and above.”  This series will also consist of Year-Round and Rotating offerings.
  • The Explorer Series will be made up of limited releases that feature “bold, exotic flavors and styles, like barrel-aged and sour offerings.”  This series includes offerings such as Red Velvet (January – February), Tongue Buckler (February – March), and High West Barrel Aged Victory at Sea (November – December).
  • Aloha Sculpin will make its debut in February as a part of the brewery’s Flagship Series.  Aloha Sculpin uses “Brux Trois yeast to turn [the brewery’s] award-winning IPA into a tropical oasis, with bright and refreshing notes of mango, pineapple and guava, along with a slight haze and smooth mouthfeel.”
  • The Explorer Series will also see a brand-new offering with the release of Moscow Mule Ale from March through July 2018.  This offering is Ballast Point’s “take on the classic & refreshing cocktail, with ginger and tart lime in a light kettle sour beer. It’s an effervescent and aromatic beer just begging to be enjoyed in a copper mug.”
  • More Ballast Point offerings will be available in cans in 2018. This includes a rotating can 6-pack in the Discovery Series (Tart Peach Kolsch, Grunion Pale Ale, and Piper Down Scottish Ale), Unfiltered Sculpin IPA and Manta Ray DIPA in 12oz cans, as well as Sculpin IPA and Fathom IPA in 16oz cans.
  • Due to all of these changes and updates, a few offerings have been redesignated to become Seasonal (Grunion & Watermelon Dorado) or draft-only (Pumpkin Down, California Amber, Big Eye) releases in 2018.

That should just about cover all the details that we needed to go over, but there is still quite a bit to discover on the lengthy calendar below.  Be sure to check it out so that you can be properly prepared for the fantastic year of beer ahead from Ballast Point Brewing Company.  Prost!

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Click here for direct link to enlarged version of the calendar above  

Ballast Point Brewing Set for Black Friday Release of High West Barrel-Aged Victory At Sea

Posted on by mashingin

BPHighWestVaSsideBallast Point Brewing Co. (San Diego, California) has announced that it will officially begin the limited release of High West Barrel-Aged Victory at Sea Imperial Porter on Black Friday, November 24.

When it comes to widely-available Imperial Stouts and Porters, you are going to be hard-pressed to find a beer that can go toe-to-toe with Victory at Sea Imperial Porter with Coffee & Vanilla in a blind tasting.  This beer is a true standout in its original form, but Ballast Point has decided to step things up a bit this year by creating an incredibly special, barrel-aged version that has been simply named High West Barrel-Aged Victory at Sea.

To craft this Limited Release offering, the brewers at Ballast Point took their classic Victory at Sea Imperial Porter – already infused with cold-steeped coffee and vanilla – and aged it carefully in Bourbon and Rye Whiskey oak casks sourced from High West Distillery.  Once the aging process was completed, the various barrels that housed the beer were then blended “to create new layers of complexity” and impart “notes of soft caramel and smokey oak over a rich dark chocolate and roasted almond body.” The finished High West Barrel-Aged Victory at Sea weighs in at 12% ABV.

High West Barrel-Aged Victory at Sea will officially release in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles at Ballast Point Tasting Room locations on Friday, November 24. Distribution will begin shortly after the initial launch. Once fully available, beer lovers can look for this Limited Release offering at select beer establishments in Alabama, Florida, California, Virginia, and throughout the rest of Ballast Point Brewing Co.’s nationwide distribution area.  Exact dates and details for distribution have not yet been made available, but we will update this post with that information just as soon as we have it.  Stay tuned.  Prost!

Vital Information for High West Barrel-Aged Victory at Sea Imperial Porter (2017) from Ballast Point Brewing Co.

Release – Limited; launching November 24, 2017 (Black Friday)
Style – Imperial Porter
ABV – 12%
Added Ingredients – Vanilla & cold-steeped coffee
Treatment – Aged in High West Distillery Bourbon & Rye Whiskey oak casks
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles
Distribution – Nationwide (select retailers)

 

Ballast Point Brewing Releases Three Versions of Victory at Sea Imperial Porter in 22 oz. Bottles

Posted on by mashingin

bpvictoryatseaBallast Point Brewing (San Diego, California) has officially announced that 22 oz. bottles of three versions of their brewery-favorite Victory at Sea Imperial Porter have headed out to distribution.

As a bit of a tease to get everyone ready for the upcoming Victory at Sea Day on Sunday, December 18 (more info available below), Ballast Point Brewing has released 22 oz. bombers of the following three versions of their world-class Imperial Porter, Victory at Sea:

  • Victory at Sea Imperial Porter with Coffee & Vanilla (Original) – A big porter crafted to weather any storm.  Our Victory at Sea Imperial Porter is a bold, smooth brew with just the right amount of sweetness. We infused this robust porter with vanilla and San Diego’s own Caffé Calabria coffee beans. The subtle roasted notes and minimal acidity of the cold brewed coffee, balances perfectly with the sweet caramel undertones of the malt, creating a winning combination for your palate.  ABV – 10%  IBUs – 60
  • Coconut Victory at Sea Imperial Porter with Coffee, Vanilla & Coconut – Our favorite porter with just a touch of the tropics.  This Coconut Victory at Sea takes our popular Imperial Porter to another place.  We added sweet roasted coconut to our robust porter brewed with Caffé Calabria coffee and vanilla, the perfect complement to this beer’s subtle roasty intensity.  A favorite at our annual Victory at Sea Day, but it’s worth enjoying anytime you need to be transported.  ABV – 10%  IBUs – 60
  • Peppermint Victory at Sea Imperial Porter with Coffee, Vanilla & Peppermint – A winning combo of coffee, vanilla & mint.  This Peppermint Victory at Sea is a festive take on our popular Imperial Porter. We took our trademark robust porter brewed with Caffé Calabria coffee and vanilla and added a dose of refreshing peppermint. The trio of flavors play perfectly on your palate – the brew’s sweet roasting balances nicely with a cool, minty finish.  ABV – 10%  IBUs – 60

The original version of Victory at Sea Imperial Porter is a Year Round release available in 12 oz. bottles, 22 oz. bottles and on draft.  You can find this one on shelves and taps at craft beer-friendly establishments throughout Ballast Point’s distribution network.   Coconut Victory at Sea Imperial Porter and Peppermint Victory at Sea Imperial Porter are both Limited releases available in 22 oz. bottles and on draft.  These two Limited releases will be turning up in select markets within the Ballast Point distribution area.  Keep an eye open for all three of these offerings during your next visit to the beer store, and be sure to make plans to attend a Victory at Sea Day event near you on December 18.  Prost!

Vital Information for Victory at Sea Day on Sunday, December 18

Description of Event – “December 18th marks the return of Ballast Point’s annual Victory at Sea Day. What began as a local event in our tasting rooms featuring several varieties of our Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter has become a day to celebrate everywhere with our original, coconut, or peppermint Victory at Sea varieties coming soon nationwide.” 

Establishments in Florida Confirmed to be Celebrating Victory at Sea Day

**Victory at Sea Day will be celebrated across the country. Click here for the full list of event locations that will be participating in Victory at Sea Day.**

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