Ballast Point Sculpin IPA (North Star)

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

A phenomenal IPA. Sculpin pours a relatively pale shade of golden amber with a creamy white head. The aroma is very hoppy with notes of peach, grapefruit and wildflowers. The smell is quite intense for the size of the beer. The flavor is dry and hoppy. I particularly like a good dry IPA. The hops are different, but it reminds me of Pliny the Elder in that respect. I was inspired to try them side by side and they’re quite similar beers, both magnificent. Sculpin is clean and strong. The mouthfeel is quite dry with lots of pleasant bitterness and no alcohol. Sculpin is one of the finest beers that I’ve ever tasted and probably my favorite IPA thus far. It’s great stuff and it’s a shame that it’s not more readily available.

On tap at Ballast Point. Pours clear pale yellow. Nose has lots of citrus hops, relatively strong. Flavor is solid hops, on the lemony citrus side. Very good IPA.

Bomber thanks to GorditoABD! Thanks Chris! Pours a beautiful golden honey color, with a solid two finger head. Smells like Hops on top of hops. Pure pine resin and grapefruit rind. Taste is almost chewy its so wonderful of grapefruit. Finish is bitter and citrusy..Good stuff. If California falls off into the ocean, perhaps we can at least save San Diego.

Bottle from Craft. Pours hazy deep gold with copper edges and off-white head. Nose is piney, with tropical citrus fruit including pineapple, tangerine, feety Simcoey hops, and malt. Tastes intensely hoppy, very tropical citrus fruity, with a crisp hop burst and mid-palate malt. The hops do overpower the malt here, but not to a degree that would warrant deductions. I was very excited to find this one, and was not disappointed. This is a world class IIPA.

Stefanje with another gem! Thanks bro! Orange pour. Tons of caramel and citrus on the nose. Flavor is bitter and sweet. More hops than caramel, but malt is present. Good, very good!

22 oz bottle courtesy of duffmansw extra. Pours a hazy golden pour, a touch amber, with moderate offwhte head, quite bubbly and carbonated, decent lacing. Aromas throw good floral hopping, grapefruit rind, resinous pine, and tropical fruits mellower underneath, with pale and caramel malts that take a backseat. Initial is medium bodied, even keeled wih a good hopping of citrus, florals, and tropical fruits, the malt body isn’t overbearing and a carmel bomb, but still packs a good balanced bitterness. Tropical mango always wins points with me in an IPA, with a touch of soapiness, good citrus to boot. This is a quality IPA than does’t weigh you down in the malt department, but still makes a valiant effort with a touch of gumball and good fruit and bitterness with pale and caramel malts in expertly decided quantity. One of the best IPAs I’ve had.

On tap @ Obriens. Orange yellow pour, off white head. Huge hop aroma, tropical fruits, citrus, pine. Flavors of bright pine, light fruits, ans citrus/citrus rind, very fresh. Bitterness holds largest presense with mild sweetness and dry finish. Awesome, aroma was more powerful than the Pliny I had before it, which was plenty powerful on its own.

Growler from Grape Vine in Fort Mill. Had been looking forward to this for a long time, with all the hype. QUITE disappointing. Nice aroma and initial flavor, then just fades into a thin finish in body and flavor, with just the dry bitterness. Ah well.