Ballast Point Brewing Co. Cinnamon Raisin Commodore
What the brewers say
“To a gold medal–winning American stout first born in our R&D program, our brewers added cinnamon and raisins. The result is just the right amount of sweet and spice, with roasty maltiness at the helm.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Coffee and chocolate with light smokiness. There’s a light raisin sweetness, and the cinnamon is woody with a slight dark fruit background and touches of vanilla.”
Flavor: “Nice roast notes, dark toasted bread, caramel, and huge cinnamon character, almost overpowering on the retronasal. Nice roundness adds some richness. The raisins add a complexity. Moderate chocolate. Creamy consistency with moderate carbonation. Finishes with a long cinnamon flavor and spiciness that lingers.”
Overall: “If you don’t like cinnamon, this beer isn’t for you. It sticks around throughout the sip and well into the aftertaste. Underlying chocolate, coffee, and malt sweetness mix with raisins and try to come up to the level of the cinnamon but fail.”
