Ballast Point Big Eye IPA

Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
San Diego, California USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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Concentrated juicy citrus aroma with some grapefruit and hints of lemon. The malt smells dry and sweet. Tingly lemon/citrus with some grapefruit and that dry cake malt and then ending with a very nice and pleasing IPA bitterness. Definitely one of the best IPA’s I’ve ever had.

Pours a dark golden amber color w/ full, semi creamy froth that slowly recedes to reveal its beautiful garter. Aromas of snappy citrus rind w/ an almost Lambic tart whiff. Very nice ! Full nectar w/ ample residual effers creates a velvety texture. This brew is balanced right off the bat. Nothing is over-riden here. Big malts meet snappy hops head on in a collision to create strongly flavored yet perfectly drinkable IPA. But, theres a twist, a twist of salted raspberry w/o the berry, just the RASP part. Like I said in the aroma. A Lambic tartness w/ salt. Freakin awsome. I could tell by first sip this was a classic. The finish is perfect w/ the asprin bittering mechanism that is sustained like The Edges’ guitar solos. Well balanced and thirst quenching. Connoisseurs Choice ! Highly recommended. ( I have to knock a bit off because it’s only 6%, my only complaint. Should be 7%)

UPDATED: MAY 27, 2009 22 oz. bottle from Grape & Gourmet. Orange pour with a creamy off-white head. Aroma of peach, pineapple, grapefruit, and pine. Every bit as good as I had remembered; big bitter grapefruit hop flavor. Just outstanding. You don’t typically find flavor this big in a single IPA. At 6% you get most of the big hop flavor of a DIPA without the high alcohol. This is, to date, my favorite IPA.

UPDATED: APR 23, 2009 Tasted wedding night, one among many. My new favorite ipa. Great floral flavor, just the right amount of bitterness. No unpleasant weedy aftertaste. Needs another taste to pick apart. 4-23-09 Tasting it again to really analyze it, I still love it, it’s still my favorite IPA. Maybe I’m biased from living in San Diego. It’s a great IPA with a heavily floral and resiny hop flavor that mirrors the aroma. I also recognize a nice roasty flavor that I didn’t notice before. The finish leaves a bitter resiny pine taste. Very full, almost a bit syrupy mouth feel. This may have a different tinge since it’s been "aged." I may have lost some of the impact of the fresh hops.

Bottle from Dan Murphy’s. Great; complex and balanced. Aromas of grass, caramel, with hints of butter. Taste is sweet and bitter, with sour notes. Palate is creamy, and full bodied. Amber, with a frothy head.

Holy mackerel, this beer smells so good; grapefruit, tangy spice, lemon bright golden / amber hues with, disappointingly, no head at all nice carbonation and light on the tongue Definitely a hoppy beer. The hops are right up front, just like smelling a handful. The sweetness of the beer couldn’t be better balanced with the hopps I would call this a PERFECT IPA.

Glorious dark copper color with thin micro-bubble head that retains well. Nose is sharp/prickly citrus, maybe orange peel or tangerine. Enticing nose for sure. On the palate is a notable (pleasant) black Darjeeling Tea taste from the malt sweetness with an ESB-like quality to the ale. This is very clean, refreshing, with most of the hop character towards the end. Creamy characteristic across the palate. The nice head probably enhances this (good foam onto the palate at first, especially). More body than expected. Finish is firm and somewhat dry with a smooth chalky, tea-like sweetness with hop dryness. Very satisfying! One of my favorite and more unique IPA’s. Worth seeking out!

golden amber color with a citrusy aroma. The initial taste is a little bitter, but it finishes smooth and tart. Its a full/ wet taste with a nice white head that laces throughout. The mouthfeel is wet. This is a full, smooth beer...this is what IPA’s are all about!

Great aroma from american hops. Massive dry hopping. Golden, white foam. Medium sweetness, very bitter taste. Bitter, long finish. Great IPA, bought at the Homebrew mart in San Diego.

A wonderfully resinous beer, full of character. Full of piney hops, the exact thing I am looking for in an American IPA. Well done.