Appearance

The Ballast Point Indra Kunindra pours thick and black with a cream colored fluffy head. Very appealing look that has me eager to start drinking.

Aroma

I immediately smell a fresh lime citrus, cayenne and trailing coconut. I’m unsure whether I’m about to drink a beer, or enjoy a cauliflower curry.

Flavor

The first few sips reveal a thick curried cauliflower taste. As my palate adjusts, I get cumin, vanilla, coconut, finishing with intense cayenne. It’s a very odd combination of flavors for a stout, but as the beer progresses I’m enjoying it more. Each sip has a satisfying creamy mouthfeel, with intense cumin lowering in intensity as it warms up.

Balance

Each of the flavors present are silo’d and never harmonizing. The cayenne intensifies with the other identifiable flavors being pushed aside. One flavor is detectable, then gives way to the next flavor.

Finish

As each sip completes I get the same combination of sweet coconut, then a stampede of spicy cayenne. The cayenne has a long finish between sips, and continues to intensify as the beer warms up.

Overall

The Ballast Point Indra Kunindra is a funky beer but does end up being interesting. The flavor combinations are unique, but most of the measurable components are out of balance, leading to a fairly average experience overall.

John McTavish

SCORE

5.92

Cost/Point

$1.52

Scoring System

Personal Beer Review: Ballast Point Indra Kunindra