Did you know that Red Velvet Cake is made with beets? I certainly did not. In point of fact, I had never even eaten a slice of Red Velvet Cake until I moved to the south. When I tried it, I decided immediately it was delicious, but never thought to investigate its ingredients. Which, apparently, include beets to give it its unique flavor and color. It wasn’t until I enjoyed a glass of Ballast Point Red Velvet Golden Oatmeal Stout with Beets, Chocolate and Natural Flavors Added that I made the beet connection. Oh, the things you learn from beer.

But wait, what’s this about a Golden Oatmeal Stout? OK, you can have oatmeal in your Red Velvet Stout, but without the rich roasty flavors of roasted barley and dark malts this isn’t a stout in my book, folks. Consider a tasty spiced ale and you’ll do just fine. That’s what I intend to do.

That said, I’ll still let ballast Point tell you their side of the story.

This stout takes the cake.

Our Red Velvet oatmeal stout is a mind-bending beer. Like the cake that inspired it, the deep red color comes from beets, which add a rich, earthy character that complements the chocolate flavor and aroma. The foamy head of the nitro pour is our “icing”, adding a creamy smoothness to the mouthfeel. But this liquid dessert still finishes like a beer – not sweet, but just as satisfying.

Ballast Point Red Velvet Golden Oatmeal Stout has an alcohol content of 5.5% by volume with 35 IBUs. This is draft-only on a nitro pour. I paid $6.25 for an 11-ounce glass at Taco Mac which seemed quite reasonable indeed.

My glass of Ballast Point Red Velvet Golden Oatmeal Stout arrived a curious pinkish red color with a thick creamy head that resembles vanilla frosting on a cake. The beer actually resembles a slice of Red Velvet Cake! Taking a sip, the beer does not seem stouty but it is indeed very cakey. The aroma is cakey and vanilla frosting in the nose, the palate features a smooth velvety texture from the oats and nitro pour, then again becomes cakey and slightly sweet and beety. The finish is balanced and not cloying.

Give them credit, they pulled it off. If the goal was to make a beer that tastes like Red Velvet Cake, then Ballast Point has done it. Kudos to them, and one can only wonder what they’ll think of next.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 

 

 

Home