Ballast Point Brewing Co. - "Indra Kunindra" export stout

You may recall I actually mentioned this beer several weeks ago in my review of Ballast Point's "Habanero Sculpin." I was doing some research on Ballast Point for that post, and saw this beer described on their website. It's originally a homebrew creation from Alex Tweet, picked up by Ballast Point and turned into a seasonal release. Those who know me know that I love to cook and eat South Asian food, so this beer is right up my alley. I was excited, but figured since it was seasonal it might be a limited distribution (like other BP offerings). Well, perusing the selection at Whole Foods recently, I noticed they had a couple bottles on the shelf. Score!

It's the "Indra Kunindra", a 7.00% ABV export stout made with Madras curry, coconut, cayenne, cumin, and kaffir lime.

An export stout is a stout made stronger than usual, a nod to the olden days when stouts for export needed to be brewed stronger for the boat trip overseas for sale in foreign markets. So it's no surprise that this beer pours dark. It generates a tan-colored head; and is not too aromatic, but I can detect both definite Madras curry spice notes and floral scents (likely the kaffir) as it warms up. As per usual with darker beers, I like to let them warm up a bit before drinking.

Aww yeah, damn this is tasty. It starts out with a nice burst of heat, some pepper flavors, and strong, clear curry flavors. I was surprised at how pronounced and straightforward those curry flavors were. But those flavors gave way quickly to very solid coconut and cumin notes, which also come through strongly and clearly. The finish is of cumin and some cayenne, which is nice, leading to a pleasant aftertaste.

I'm always so interested in trying experimental beers, if only to see how a brewery happens to pull off the attempt. And Ballast Point hit another home run here because this beer is very well put together. It's got a nice progression of flavors, a good mix of lingering heat and taste, and great balancing of flavors. Each flavor makes an appearance in succession, a rarity in beers with so many ingredients. Perfect, and at $7.99 for a 22oz bomber, a steal. D'Vines also has it for $9.99. Do yourself a favor and give this a try if you can - it's well worth it!