Bruz: Ballantine Ale is a classic 40 with a classic ale flavor. It's definitely a good brand to grab when you're looking for something different than the OEs & Colts. I'm a big fan of the "spicy" taste of this crisp ale. I drink it often, but drank too often & it can wear out your taste buds and get old. You need your OEs & Colts to balance our your malt lifestyle properly. Overall, this is a great 40 that everyone should drink on special occassions. 8/10 swills

11/12/09 d07c0m: Absolutely divine.

Exactly the taste I want in a beer that I drink to relax with.

Haven't had one in at least 2 years so I had an idea of what it tasted like but wasn't completely sure.

I was pleasantly surprised that it was even better than expected.

As always, the green bottle gives it the edge providing that European taste (at least in my mind and on my tongue).

Reminds me of Becks and Czechvar, beers that I have always associated with chilling hard.

Great stuff, good buzz, can't wait to drink again.

10/10

9/21/09 40ozHawaii: Thanks to TheFear for sending me my 1st Ballantine. I was pretty excited about trying this based on the past reviews. However, I wasn't as impressed with the taste, and maybe I was expecting too much from other crew members' reviews. It definitely had an ale taste, and the flavor wasn't too bad, but I thought it was a little "off". Can't explain what I mean, but there was a tinge of tartness that didn't hit my palette well. Perhaps it was my mood, or something I ate earlier, but I didn't get too excited over the taste. One factor that I feel may have impacted the taste was the coldness. I didn't wait to chill this beer as much as I typically do, and I would have preferred it colder.

I will need to try this one again. Until then...

Taste: 6.5/10
Buzz: 5.5/10
Label: 8/10
Swill: 7/10

9/11/09 BlackMetalTroy322: Ballantine Ale, Well this Malt had a hint of a green grape taste to it but tasted like a malt nonetheless. It goes down really smooth, and has that green bottle skunky flavor to it which is good in my book. It reminded me of a Private Stock, but this was a little sweeter, and almost creamy! I'm gonna have to give this 40 9 1/2 for taste, and a 7 1/2 for buzz.

9/6/09 211 Swilla: First stop after flying into NYC was a hole in the wall liquor store with a wide variety of fours. Grabbed a Ballantine because I've never had it before. Gotta say, it went down smooth from the initial crack all the way to the swill. It was the second of 2 because I started with a Country Club. Maybe my gut was a little full from the CC but it could've just been the smooth taste that had me sippin the B-Ale nice and slow. Nothing to special about this brew, seemed like a middle of the road 40 in all respects: alcohol %, taste, price. It was a nice warm up to the 22 of St. Ides I rolled with on the L. Overall its a 7, nothing special but smooth and tasty enough even for rookies.

9/1/09 sleazye: I would like to thank TheFear for hooking me up with this 40 I can't get in my area (for some reason, I can only find the 16 oz cans and 12 oz bottles here). The crack was a little weak and the hiss wad mid-range. First swig was awesome, as can be expected with this killer ale. While comparisons to Private Stock are not without merit at all, comparisons to an East Coast version of Ranier Ale are more fitting for this 40. One great thing I liked about this was how loud my belches were, something to me that is a great thing in any 40. Around halfway in, and no degradation of flavor at all, unlike with most 40s of beer, malt or ale varities. Coming in at 5.7%, the buzz was mid-level and not too weak. Great for a mid-week 40 or a 40 to have while grilling, while looking to get loosened up but not get blackout piss-drunk.

Taste: 8.5/10
Buzz: 7.5/10
Swill: 9/10
Label: 8/10

8/10/09 40zForSatan: I tried out ballantine last night for the first time expecting it to taste like private stock since I always see the two compared. I noticed a slight resemblance but the taste was kind of off for me, it just didnt have that perfect crisp taste with it. When I first cracked the 40 it gave a decent hiss, but then I caught an overwhelming whiff of skunk smell, which made me pretty hesitant to try it. I overcame my fear and took a big gulp and the flavor was not bad, I guess the skunk was just the scent of the beer itself because it was still just fine. I got kind of bored with the 40 pretty quick, losing interest in it all together before I hit the middle. I don't think I'll ever get another. 4/10

7/5/09 TheBelligerent: I tried this 40 for the first time 2 weeks ago and it didn't disappoint. It had a crisp spicy taste to it and it did smell funky, but overall it was good went down smooth and I killed it in about 20 minutes. One of the better 40's I had in a while. I do profer this over Old English and Colt 45, only because it went down really easy and tasted a bit better than them. Overall taste 7.5/10 buzz 7/10 and swill 8/10.

6/12/09 SRSER: I'm having a little trouble with this 40. It's very crisp and easy to drink while in my mouth but once swallowed it gives a very toasty and strong malt flavor. I'm not talking about classic malt liquor taste either like OE or Colt but rather actual malt taste, for those unfamiliar think of the finishing taste on a fat tire beer, pure toasty malt.

Unfortunately, I don't like toasty malt.

It sucks, this 40 is great until I swallow it then that malt taste kicks in and I'm left making faces. I believe this, like private stock, I would much prefer out of a smaller container. It's good but not really my thing and about halfway through I wanted to switch to something else. Thanks to Bruz for the 40, I give it a 6/10 based on personal preference.

6/12/09 maltliquorswigga: Ballantine Ale, ripped this last night, got it from Bruz.

Nice crack and hiss. Had that funky kinda smell to it, So I take my first sip and it reminds me of a local brew from Latrobe,Pa called Rolling Rock. I have to agree with almost everyone else on that classic/spicy Ale taste. Didnt get the heartburn that some of u guys mentioned. Im not really a fan of the Ale taste, but pounded this 40 down with the quickness, My Dad grew up in Brooklyn,NY and seen me rippin the Ballantine and told me my great-uncles used to pound Bally's back in the day. Its definitely a different taste then what Im used to, I love malt liquor and would take Malt over any other type of Brew, but this was something I've wanted to try for years. I'd be down to rip this 40 again, but its definitely not one of my favorites. Big shout out to the Bruz man for hooking me up. The swill still had a lil carbonation to it, which is a good thing. Definitely worth trying if u never had it before. My ratings for the Ballantine....
Taste 6/10 (again not a big fan of Ale)
Buzz 5/10
Swill 7/10
Overall 7/10 (I was going to give it a 6, but gave it an extra point, for the dope ass label, green bottle, and cuz I've wanted to rip a Bally for a long time)
Again :fist to Bruz. Thanx homie.

5/7/09 havinafett: Drank this for the first time the other day. I'd definitely get again if I was in the mood for something a little different. The first sip threw me off; for some reason I wasn't expecting it to be so tasty. It definitely had an ale-ish bitter flavor to it. Usually I don't really like ale's much (at least I thought I didn't) but the more I drank the more surprised I was by how much I liked this stuff. Drank it pretty fast so it never really got too warm, but the taste stayed true till the end. Taste - 10/10, stand alone buzz is debatable because before the Ballantine I drank a King Cobra, but I will say that a little while after the Ballantine was gone I felt pretty fucking great, so it definitely added something overall. That being said, I think this would be a great drink on its own, as well as something decent to follow up with if you're starting out with some kind of malt or high gravity beverage and want to continue with something a little different, but will still deliver an alright buzz. Overall - 9/10

4/3/09 TheFear: Good (unusual) Flavor

Looks Cool
Weak Buzz
Wicked Heartburn

6/10

3/11/09 BigJandthe40: Props Bruz40

I cracked this one up, and ripped it so hard... I was alot different then any other 40oz I have had, it had a spicy to it, it was a curve ball I wasnt expecting. I am so use to King Cobra type 4 that this one really took me by suprise. At the half way point I got heartburn real bad. After I killed it, the 4 nearly killed me, I have never gotten heartburn from a 4 before. I dont know whats wrong with me but this one wasnt my favorite. The Bottle and Lable are kick ass 8/10 the taste was 6/10 so I will give it a 7/10 I am going to have to try this one again. It might have been the food I had for lunch that fucked it up for me but who knows

40 Ounce Killa: Thanks out to elantrax for the hookup on this. I was very eager to try this 40 after all the good things I have read about it. Well, it didn't disappoint. This was delicious, with a bit of a funky flavor that reminded me a lot of Private Stock. It was so good that I finished it in about 20 minutes. Buzz factor was pretty decent considering it's not a HG, but that might also have been because I drank it so quick. This is only available in 12oz bottles in my area, but I'm going to start buying it. I give Ballantine 9/10 swills.

91firebird: Shit was good. Very spicy like Bruz said. Kina nutty too. Reminded me of St Pauli Girl or Becks .Good 40, but compared to the other green 40s in rotation gotta say that Private Stock is a little better. Overall great 40. Buzz was OK, ripped a few Coors Light 16ozers after. Overall 8/10 Buzz 7/10, drinkablilty 9/10 this 40 is Nice. Thanks to Splatterhouse for letting me try this 40

4TDogg: Kinda smooth at the start but it fell off from there. was not down with the fruity/bitterness either. thus I drank it slower than usual and paid the price. should carry a warning on the label about dangers of letting schwag get warm. buzz factor was average. 5 out of 10

AK40seven: I'm drinking back a 40oz of Balling Time Ale as I like to call it now. Thanks out to Satan for this trade. I'm sure I've had Ballantine before, but it was so long ago I don't recall if it was the ale or the lager, never had it in a 40oz. This is most definitely an ALE, not only does it say on the bottle, I'll bet I could do a blindfold test on this and tell it's an ale. Crispy and somewhat dry, it has the notable bubbly uniform body of an ale. Rather light bodied and lightly hopped as in the American style, it possesses an easy to drink appeal that most tastes can handle. 7/10 for this American 40oz ale.

Alvin Karpis: First off a big shout out to NickMoulton for the hook up on this East Coast legend. Small crack and hiss, very funky ale smell. First sip and this has Ale written all over it, very good taste. Shit this is just like a weaker Rainier Ale, which is a very good thing! Holy shit I like this alot. Ballantine is to the East Coast what Rainier Ale is to the West Coast, two classic Ales in the 40oz. While drinking this Ballantine I was bumping some River Grove Rap by Satan165 to set the drinking mood. The buzz is even pretty good for a non HG. Everyone should try this 40. Taste 10/10 Buzz 6/10 Overall 9/10 (Extra point for this classic old school brew)

beam21: I ripped 3-4 16oz cans of ballantine in 2004 among a smorgasbord of beers when I was in maine and I've been thirsting for the 40oz like none other ever since... shit was amazing to say the least. Crisp and refreshing, kinda like a watered down private stock. It had an above average crack and it had an instant musky smell that blasted outa there when I cracked it, also similar to p stock. There really isn't that much to say, it was more like drinking a premium brew than a malt/typical 40, delicious, minimal but present buzz. This is the prototype of an everyday 40 and nearly the tastiest I've ever had if not #1. Ballantine 40oz is a revelation. Taste A+ buzz doesn't matter, 9.5/10. Big thanx out to dukesplace for the connect!

Bud404life: I was in the Midst of swillin my Ballantiine and White Mikes drunk ass dropped it and it foamed up, its like a mix of Heiniken and Private stock. If he didnt drop it i would of rated better. It gets a 7.5/10.

Buzzcore: Well, back in the 60's and 70's this stuff was considered a quality brand, in NJ. When the brewery was still in Newark, it was aged in oak barrels for 12 months before it was packaged and sold. The ABV% was much higher than it is now, too. (Currently it's 5.4%) Over the years, the aging process has changed a lot. These days, I doubt it's aged at all, but for what it is, it still tastes pretty good. I'll give it a 8/10 'cause it's easy to find (around these parts, at least) and almost as good as it's Narragansett Brewing mate, Private Stock.

ders0: I got this thanks to dukesplace today. I cracked it open while watching the wild playoff game. The wild just scored to tie it up 1-1. Fucking awesome. First first period goal of the playoff series. Well wild shit happened while drinking this. I'm 3/4 through and its awesome. Right after I cracked it I was swiggin it and it tasted fucking great. I drank a few grain belts and some scotch before it so I was buzzed and I was taking a big swig off teh ballantine and boom I dropped that shit and caught it after it fell a few inches and it starts exploding like when someone cracks a bottle of beer over the top of your open bottle and it blows up all over. I got fucking ballantine spilling all over my carpet and I get up quick and run that shit to the sink. I lost like an inch or two off the 40 in foam but it still tastes alright. Not as good as before, but still good. Ballantine rules.

DolbyZero: Thanks to White Mike for this one. It was the first non-malt that I drank in about a month, so It was kinda weird to me. It was a little like Heineken. It was proabably the best "ALE" that I have, but I couldnt make it my weekend beer. Gave me a little buzz. 6 outta 10 swills.

Drastic Mezures: Ballantine is one of the strongest 40's out there thats not malt liquor. This stuff is as strong as Steel Reserve and every bit as nasty when you first try it. I had a friend try it once and they said it tasted like elephant sperm. I don't know about what elephant sperm tastes like but I do know Ballantine is definetly an aquired taste but once you get used to it it'll fuck you up dumb nice. The first time I had it I tried havin' tacos afterwards and when I went to go eat one it missed my mouth and hit into my chin instead. The next taco I tried to eat missed also. Ballantine definetly messes with your coordination.

ImissMy64oz: great brew
tastes like import
A+

JoeWebberlione: I love ballentine ale, up here in the 207 & down in the 603 this shit is widely available in the 16 oz can and 12 oz bottle. I've ripped both of these on several occasions its one of my main brews of choice, but thanks to my homie Dukesplace for the hookup on the 40 ounce bottle of Ballentine. First crack smell was amazing first chug was great, as a matter a fact I dont think there was a single sip of this that was un satisfying. There was no swill factor what so ever with this stuff. I love this brew so much, and apparently so did my grandpapi on my fathers side. So I got that malt gangsta shit all through my blood! 10 out of 10 swills hands down. This also is my favorite "green bottle 40"

Kool EJ: I love Ballantine Ale. Plain & simple. I recently found out that this was my grandfather's (RIP) drink of choice, along with gin, back in the day, so there must be something in my blood that attracts me to this sh*t!

I'm not sure either what classifies this as "ale". I would guess that it's stronger than beer, not as strong as malt liquor, but I could be wrong, since it tastes plenty strong to me.

My pops said it was traditionally known as a New York beer, even though Falstaff makes it now somewhere in the Midwest. I like that it's pretty easy to come by in NYC, regardless of who's brewing it now.

Overall rating: 10 out of 10. Great taste, nice & strong, cheap. What the f*ck more do you want?

I even made up my own slogan for it:
"Ballantine, feeling fine, sipping some Ballantine!"

lookin 4 a 40: Had this when I went up to New York for new years 08. I found it at this shitty bodega off of broadway and immediately had to make a purchase. They had em in 16oz light green cans labeled "Half Quart" and in the 4's. 40oz- This was remarkebly smooth, in my opinion tastes a little better than P-Stock, imported taste. This brew also stayed ice cold throughout the drinkin and the swill was a non factor. Very easy on the pallate. Green bottle, Smooth import taste both get this brew 9/10 Wish I could find em down south.

MarkBlackout: drank the ballantine drastic meazures sent me tonight.. i have to say i was very impressed. It had been probably four years since i'd had ballantine, and then it was in the lime-green 12oz cans. upon opening (with a loud crack and hiss), a nice hoppy scent emanated from the bottle. this stuff is smooth! much easier to drink than i remembered. sort of somewhere between a pale ale and a lager. i only wish i could get this around here.. highly reccomended. 9 out of 10 swills just because there might be something else out there i like better. purity, body, flavor. great fucking 40.

nickmoulton: Ballantine is common around the poughkeepsie area where I am schoolin'...I'm not going to talk about the smell and the color the SRSER wants to hear...I am going to talk about how much I enjoy this 40, because it is My review. Anyways...Picked this up yesterday at a new joint down the street called the Beer Depot. I have drank a lot of Ballantine in the past, mostly 6 pack cans.. but this 40 (at a rather expensive $2.49) hit the spot better then ever. This shit is delicious..totally different then the malts that you are used to drinking. It has a classic Ale taste, with an Extremely smooth swill. The Alcohol content isnt the greatest at a respectable 5.7%..but who gives a shit? I enjoyed this 40 more then most that I have had lately and I highly recommend it to anyone that has it available to them, I will also Happily send anyone on the board one of these if you are interested...9/10...definitley in my top 3 forties.

satan165: Thanx to my man 64 for the hookup on this bitch. As far as the 2 of us know, this shit is sold in only 1 store in the Chicago and surrounding areas. Immediate comparisons to the green bottle 40s come about -- but this is pretty unique. Of the 'greens', its most similar to Ranier Ale probably. I drank it after a 40 of Big Bear. Its lower alcohol % made it a prime candidate for such an occassion, combined with the fact that I had to drive the 20 miles or so home from 64's crib. All in all, its most similar to Rainier but much easier to drink. Not bad, but I'm not sure if its good enough to drink again. I'll stick with Private Stock. Buzz: C+, Taste: B+

TheSnakeDoctor: My gratitude goes out to Bruz for the hook-up. When I first started to drink it I noticed the piquant taste as everyone else had pointed out, but I also felt that there was nice full body that really increased the drinkability. The smoothness continued through its short life as it was very easy to kill. This is definitely one of the better ales that I've tasted and could certainly be a dinner 40. As for America's largest selling ale ... 8/10

ThUgWiGGa: Drastic hooked me up with a 1.99 SRP ballantine when we met up in montreal.
I cracked it the nite i got home
it was SO good!
very tasty and easy going down.
it is kinda imported tasting but very very smooth and premium tasting
i love this shit i would buy a case if i could access it
9/10

Tiger Tai: Bruz actually gave me this bottle before I ever drank one. I didn't get to drink one of these until I went to New York Christmas shopping. Ballantine actually wasn't too bad. It had a little bitterness but was kinda smooth. I'd give it a 7 of 10 Swills...

Vile Fiend: First of all, thanks to Brooks for hookin me up with this 40 when I was in Chi-town for the 2004 meeting of the minds. This was the first 40 I sipped there, after just one swill my eyes widened and I nearly collapsed……no not really, but it was by far the best tasting 40 I’ve ever had. If I could get this around me, I’d drink it on the reg. In fact, I would probably drink more of this shit than Rainier Ale. Such a great taste, it’s hard to explain, kind of light, kind of crisp, but with a definitive ale taste. I will probably do trades in the future just to acquire more of these delicacies. Not sure what the alc. % is on this bitch, but it was relatively weak, with a small buzz, but the taste more than made up for that. I’d give this 40 a 10 outta 10.