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Ballast Point Sculpin IPA (North Star)

Ballast Point Sculpin IPA (North Star)

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 Percentile 
98
overall
An India Pale Ale (IPA) brewed by
Ballast Point Brewing Company

San Diego, California USA

bottled
common

on tap
common

Regional Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in  Advanced 
1323.94/5.03.92/5.07%98.3 Shaker, Tulip P  Stats

Commercial Description:
The Sculpin IPA is a testament to our humble beginnings as Home Brew Mart. Founded in 1992, the Mart continues to be a catalyst for the San Diego brewing scene, setting the trend for handcrafted ales. Inspired by our customers, employees and brewers, the Sculpin IPA is bright with aromas of apricot, peach, mango and lemon. Its lighter body also brings out the crispness of the hops. This delicious Ballast Point Ale took a Bronze Medal at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival in the Pro Am category. The Sculpin fish has poisonous spikes on its fins that can give a strong sting. Ironically, the meat from a Sculpin is considered some of the most tasty. Something that has a sting but tastes great, sounds like a Ballast Point India Pale Ale.

Most RecentTop RatersHighest Ratings Who's Rated This?
 BlackForestCO (479), Fort Collins and Black Forest, Colorado, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/103/514/20

Apr 18, 2008  
Thanks to Crosling for sharing this beer. Poured a clear golden color with a fluffy white head. Aroma of sweet, piny hops with some tart citrus and leafiness. Light malt upon entry leads directly into a piny, resiny hop hit with some nice citrus character and fresh, green hops on the finish. Smooth on the palate, but a hint thin. Overall, nice, basic IPA that has to be fresh to enjoy.

 ajm (265), USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/104/513/20
Jul 13, 2008  
Bottle from Stan at Lone Hill. A good recommendation - not as citurs juicy as I like them, but I was intrigued with the mango notes. Also packs that San Diego sting, but the fruitiness here is pretty unique.


 Glouglouburp (1876), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/104/518/20
Jul 6, 2008  
In short: An amazingly drinkable well-malted and ultra hoppy IPA. Complex, never aggressive, extra-refreshing. Fantastic
How: Bottle 22oz. About 3 to 4 months old. Big thanks to the simultaneous generosity of drewbeerme and hapjydeuce. I’ve got one more to drink!!! Yeah! You guys rule!
The look: Partly cloudy glowing orange topped by a small white head
In long: Ultra-hoppy orangy nose. Pillowy well-malted body. Malt sweetness has sponge cake flavour and mouthfeel. Enormous amount of hops. Next to the sponge-cake maltiness I had orange peels dipped in caramel, cedar, dried bananas, honey, some pineapples and some sponge cake. Pillowy body with a soft-medium carbonation. That dry cedar flavour fit so well in there. This is not a simple hop-juice IPA, this is rich, complex yet highly refreshing. Simply put this is one of the best “small” IPA I’ve ever had. I can’t believe people in San-Diego can drink that on a daily basis. I hate you guys, I hate everyone from San-Diego, may you all drown in your San-Diego beer. But before you do, one more trade please.


thickfreakness (10), Austin, Texas, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/104/58/104/517/20
Jul 3, 2008  
Ordered this beer from South Bay Drugs and Liquor. Thanks Joey! This is probably my favorite IPA and I’ve only had it twice. It poured a nice thick off white head and it has a beautiful golden color. The smell is just exceptional, above and beyond any other IPA I have ever had. Smells floral, grassy, piney, grapefruit, pineapple, and mango. Just all sorts of things going on in the smell and this translates directly into the taste. It tastes nice and hoppy, similar to the smell, and it also has a nice malty sweetness then a lingering, pleasant bitterness at the end. The mouthfeel is pretty good and the drinkability is amazing. This is really the best IPA I have had to date and I will definitely try to get some more in the future. Highly recommended!


 HopHeadinAZ (110), USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/516/20
Jun 30, 2008  
22oz Bottle: Pours a clear bright orange with a thin white head. Big aromas of citrus! Hops dominate the taste with pine and orange coming through the best. It’s such an in your face experience that also delivers bits of tropical fruit. The body seemed medium to lighter but it could be the carbonation. This has become one of my favorites IPAs. Too bad we won’t see it for a while.


 madsberg (4363), Bangalore, India
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Jun 27, 2008  
Bottled at Papsoes Blind tasting 19th. June 2008 no 27: Pine, herbs, flowers and citrus in the aroma. Flavour is sweet, herbal, has light caramel, flowers and pine. Meidum to full bodied. Dry. Medium to strong bitterness in the end. Is quite balanced. High drinkability.




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