Ballast Point Sculpin IPA (North Star)

bottle shared by psprings... amber-golden colored pour with a thin white head and some random lacing. resinous nose with notes of white peaches, grapefruit, orange, flowers, pale malt sweetness and some cereal graininess. the flavor is much the same... sharp, spicy, bitter and dry on the finish with some lingering waxiness. it feels like it is missing something mid palate to put it over the edge... a richness, perhaps some malty depth. it is medium bodied leaning on light... making it terribly easy to put away. 8/3/7/4/16/3.8

Bottle at Blind Pig in Champaign IL. Pours a golden amber with a white head, and very nice lacing. Aroma is stellar, which is floral hops and exotic fruits (tangerine, mango, apricot). Lighter side of medium bodied with carbonation somewhere between medium and soft. The malt profile is very pale, pretty much to the point where the hops dominate the flavor. The hop profile more fruity than bitter, with pleasant notes of peach, orange, and pineapple. Good attenuation to compliment the fruit notes. Finish has moderate herbal spicy bitterness with toffee, but you can tell this is starting to go downhill. I would treat this beer like Pliny- drink it as soon as possible, and it may be shot after 4 weeks. This is what I refer to as a "delicate" IPA.

I paid 17 bucks for a bomber. It did not live up to the hype or the price tag. It was a good IPA however. Golden color, small head, good lacing. Hoppy aroma and slightly tropical. Hop bitterness, hop flavor and tropical fruit are the main flavors. Not as bitter or hoppy as I expected. Smooth finish with minimal hops lingering on the palate. I would like to try this in Cali to ensure freshness.

Pours perfectly clear and golden with an off-white quickly disappearing head. Nose is freshly hoppy and floral, then fruity, like peaches. flavors are fruity, hoppy and overall fresh tasting. Its tasty in a fruity way, but rather one-dimensional...i think the hop varieties used here bore me.

9/10/2008: Ballast Point Sculpin IPA is cloudy, copper-colored, and has an off-white to beige head that offers quite a bit of lacing. It has a floral aroma that is also filled with pineapple. There is a floral hop flavor, perfume, and a toffee bitterness. There are also flavors of tangerine and lemon pell. The beer is medium-light in body and has a good body and flavor. Overall this is a nice IPA.

650 ml/22 fl. oz. bottle (7% Alcohol by Volume) shared by alexsdad06. Thanks Brad! Rating #259 for this beer.

Bomber bottle: Pours a clear golden with a thin frothy off-white head that diminishes to the perimeter of the glass. Has an excellent hoppy aroma with hints of peaches and apricots. Citrusy lasting flavor is hoppy with a medium body and a mild bitterness in the finish. This beer is very refreshing with an all around WOW factor-excellent!

Bottle Pours a clear golden with a frothy white head. The head lasts well and produces spotty lacing. Has a good hoppy aroma of spruce, citrus, peaches, and some bread. Has a good carbonation. The flavor is real good. Mild bitterness, with good hoppy kick. Real smooth mouthfeel. Blended very well. Has a medium body. The texture is a touch oily. Has a good solid finish with an excellent aftertaste. I waited for this one for a while. Too bad the store only sold one to a customer.

Bomber poured a clear gold with a lingering ring of white foam. Aromas of grapefruit, pine, biscuit, orange zest and light melon. Palate was light to medium bodied and smooth with a dry finish. Flavors of biscuit, pine, grapefruit and light tropical fruit with a smooth dry lingering bitter finish.