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Ballast Point / Kelsey McNair / Stone San Diego County Session Ale

 (RETIRED)
Score
9799
OVERALLStyle

bottled
common

on tap
available

Regional Distribution

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RATINGS: 315   WEIGHTED AVG: 3.68   SEASONAL: Special   EST. CALORIES: 126   ABV: 4.2%
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COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Ballast Point/Kelsey McNair/Stone San Diego County Session Ale was inspired by homebrewing and exceptional quality of life found in San Diego County. A collaborative effort between three San Diego brewers, this aromatic and flavor-driven beer can be enjoyed during any "session." San Diego offers a variety of memorable sessions. Surfing, dining out, homebrewing and conversing with fellw beer enthusiasts are some of my favorites. Positive experiences and good conversations require a careful mix of good people, a little time and more than one tasty beer. As a homebrewer, I was fortunate to have been a customer of both Stone and Home Brew Mart. Now with thirteen years of professional brewing experience, I am honored that Kelsey McNair picked Ballast Point Brewing Company as his inspiration for this award-winning recipe. Created to evoke San Diego County’s best sessions and favorite beer ingredients, this beer was infused with an ample amount of hops. Bright and floral, this brew will leave you inspired and ready for your next session! Cheers to the Stone Crew and Beer Drinkers everywhere, Colby Chandler, Specialty Brewer Ballast Point Brewing and Spirits Hi, I’m Kelsey, and I am a hophead. There’s definitely no shortage of well-hopped India Pale Ales here in San Diego. The local craft brewers are true masters of the style, making some of the finest examples in the world, and a lot of them! If you’re a hophead like me, that’s a pretty good problem to have. These big, aggressively bitter and intensely aromatic brews are the ones I crave the most, but they often pose a dilemma: you can only have a few, yet those bright, complex flavors leave you wanting more. BUT, what if you could find a smaller, more sessionable beer that could really scratch your itch for hops? An "all-day-IPA?" Quantity and quality at the same time! Within this bottle, I think you might find just that. From one hophead to another, I give you Ballast Point/Kelsey McNair/Stone San Diego County Session Ale! A deceptively small beer that is bold, aggressively hopped, assertively bitter, and captures the essense of our local brewing culture. Cheers! Kelsey McNair, Homebrewer North Park Beer Co.


5
   AROMA 10/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 10/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 20/20
jstraw (1206) - Chicago, Illinois, USA - OCT 30, 2010
Orange with big, foamy, white head / Rich nose of weed, cut pine, and citrus / Light to medium body, moderately biting hops with good balance and lightly bitter finish / Flavors of grapefruit, orange peel, cut pine, resin, and weed / Just a perfect ipa in the stated lighter style.

4.8
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 10/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 19/20
Rciesla (5499) - Exit 15W, New Jersey, USA - DEC 10, 2010
Let me just start with these words, ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME. Bottle. pours a copper bronze body with a light mostly white head. Huge hop aromas, pine, grass, pot, light citrus and grapefruit. Fresh as fuck, i feel like i’m chew-in on all the above. Dank herbal fresh cut grass. Prickly fresh hop tones, really sharp cut white grapefruit. I wish it wasn’t a 24$ sixer but that didn’t stop me did it. In-fuckin-credible.

4.7
   AROMA 10/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 19/20
DocLock (5966) - Lower Pottsgrove, Pennsylvania, USA - APR 12, 2011
Bottle from Capone’s 4Q 10. Pours medium copper with 3-finger uniform off-white head. Nose is tropical fruit, heavy hops, resiny, with navel orange and black pepper notes. Tastes very complex, very hoppy, with heavy resiny sticky hops, black pepper, mango, tangerine, and floral yeasty notes. This one is super smooth, complex, extremely hoppy, and absolutely delicious.

4.5
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 10/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 18/20
KUEric (826) - Washington, Washington DC, USA - JAN 11, 2011
This is delicious! Like crazy good. Plenty of hops, some nice malty ... a perfect balance. It was reminiscent of Matt & Phins which was a favorite of mine. this is up there now as well. VERY good.

4.5
   AROMA 10/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 10/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 18/20
Alphadelic (1470) - Portland, Oregon, USA - JAN 9, 2011
When I cracked this open I immediately thought of Denmark. Don’t ask me why. This is one of the best beers I’ve had in a while. Very well thought out. The balance of sweet, candy-sugar tickles and mellow but fragrant hops is just right. It’s decidedly moreish which suits its goals admirably. I wish I had a case.

4.4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 17/20
vtafro (1629) - Wayne, New Jersey, USA - AUG 25, 2011
Bottles. Hazy golden pour with some nice white head. Tropical fruit, pine, grassy aroma. Full flavored with a nice crisp finish and appropriate body. Great beer, although doesn’t have long shelf life. Still see some bottles on the shelf...

4.4
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 18/20
nolankowal (917) - Columbus, Ohio, USA - OCT 22, 2010
Pale orange pour with a frothy white head. Aroma of pine, grass, herbs, citrus rind. Flavors are dry and bitter, pine and grapefruit notes over a very dry malt. Light body, well carbonated and finishes with a lingering bitter/dry punch. My god this stuff is good, if this was available in six packs for a more modest price I’d buy it like crazy. In a lot of ways it reminds me of Victory Prima Pils which is by far my favorite session beer.

4.4
   AROMA 10/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 18/20
crackedmachine (297) - Seattle, Washington, USA - OCT 17, 2010
UPDATED: DEC 8, 2010 Growler. Pours a slightly cloudy orange with a super thick foamy white head. Appealing floral hop aroma with some pine undertones...really nice. On the first impression, the flavor is very unbalanced - all delicious hops, but a bit thin. Further sipping reveals a lightly sweet malt foundation that in no way overwhelms or distracts from the beautiful display of hop flavors. Really, really good. I wish there were more beers like this: refreshing, and highly drinkable without compromising the flavor.

4.3
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 17/20
ross (1913) - weddington, North Carolina, USA - APR 5, 2011
This beer was incredible. I cannot remember the last time I had something that was so easy to drink. It brings a whole new meaning to the term session ale. Gold color, white head, grassy hop smell, fruity hop taste, 100% refreshing; no after burn. Awesome beer. I would pretty much buy only this beer if it was sold in six packs at the grocery store.

4.3
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 17/20
willblake (2601) - Bel Air, Maryland, USA - OCT 11, 2010
20101011 Tap at Max’s. Oh COME ON SAN DIEGO!! Incredible, delicious, crackin, snappy hops on mild and unobtrusive malt backbone. Crackery, then a blast of slowly emerging but incredibly refreshing resinous and herbal hops. Dear lord thank you for California. Would you east coast brewers PLEASE drink this and take note. Session beers can also be hop bombs!


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