Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

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

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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I had this at the IPA fest and thought it should have won. Man this is one heck of a beer and right at the top of my hoppy list. Yeah Baby!

This IPA pours a gorgeous clear bright golden orange color with a good sized bone-white head on it that left spotting lacing on my glass. The nose on this beer is very unique and interesting for an IPA. I think mango is the strongest scent followed by passion fruit, peaches, lemon and orange zest, floral hops, and a slight pine bitterness as well. The smell on this beer is leaping from my glass, and it never left for the entire beer. The flavor profile is loaded with citrus fruits with grapefruit and tangerines being very dominant followed up with only a slight touch of caramel malt. The hops are extremely fresh and vibrant on this offering. The malt is only barely noticeable, but somehow supports the hops beautifully. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation that left a very dry finish on the back of my palate. The drinkability is superb on this beer, and is one of the best IPAs I’ve have ever had the pleasure of tasting

Clear medium orange with a 1 1/2 finger slightly yellowish white head with good retention. Wow, the tropical fruit aromas that I get from this beer are nothing short of awesome. So much pineapple and mango notes, tangerines, and then some nicely bitter grapefruit and pine needles in the background with some cotton candy and caramel. The flavor has a bit of an added grassy hoppiness, and the tropical flavors don’t quite jump out at me as much as they had in the aroma. The cotton candy and caramel malts meld with the hops very well in that I get "sweet hops"--I don’t get this very often in beers and I think it’s great. Semi-dry finish with bitterness peaking around a 3. Light to medium body with the same for carbonation. An excellent IPA--hopefully they start bottling this year round

UPDATED: MAY 30, 2009 Style; glass: IPA; tulip 22 fl oz x 7% ABV = 154 / 60 = 2.56 beers * 150 C = 384 calories (est.) Purchased at: Craft Beer Outlet, Phila, PA for $11.99 Aroma: nice, calming, beach, field, grassy, salty, citrus. Visuals: brand focused packaging, a bright engaged yellow, brilliantly clear, bright white tight bubbled head, sticky lace. Taste: expertly balanced, honey, citrus, rind, peppers. Palate: Bright, crisp, and layered, drying, increasingly bitter long finish. Overall: Fantastic. In my top 3 IPAs, certainly. A favorite. From a firkin. Oh boy. This knocked me over at the Bella Vista Grand reopening in October in Philadelphia. Those 2 oz samples were like little tiny bricks sealing me in to a personal twiddly state. It was amazing, memorable, and significant. After about the third small sample, the world was a blur. Use with caution, and enjoy. If you can get it, suckas.

Tasted at Ballast Point. Light orange color with a fizzy white head. Good hoppy aroma of pine and citrus. Very good piney hop taste transitioning to a smooth sweet caramel flavor.

Personally, one of my favorite beers. This is what I think of and want when it comes to IPA’s.

citrus, floral, orange, golden, minimal head, lightly bitter, medium body, average carbonation,

UPDATED: OCT 24, 2012 Takes home the Gold thats all there is to say, If you don’t believe me put your hands on this one and you too will confirm my rating. By far the best IPA you will ever lay hands on. Pours a nice golden amber color and retains the lacing throughout of a nice white frothy head. Orange, Pine, Mango and Grapefruit are all present in this perfect example of what every other brewer should set their standard at. By far and above the best IPA available that I have had the chance to sample. And yes kids I did get a six keg to enjoy for my own pleasure. If you have not yet tried this one you owe it to yourself to scurry on down to your local store and pick it up. out of this world

Even though I don’t play favorites Sculpin IPA could be my favorite. Its always tasty, I have it everytime I come to San Diego. I have had it 3 or 4 times now and never rated it, well here goes. Aroma is peach, mango, grapefruit and orange, theres alot there. Appearance is beautiful orange gold with a nice frothy head. Taste is only amazing, thats it. Bright punchy sparkling liquid gold, with hops at the front mid and back of your swig, followed by a beatifully citrus swallow. Palate is hoppy, spicy and very tasty. It leaves some hoppy residue but for an IPA lover this is bliss. Overall super awesome you have to try it. 5.0

picked up this beer when i was exploring the many unknown beers to me out there i tried many but this one stood out my new absolute favorite beer in the world. At 8 bucks for 22oz its pretty pricey though.aroma is full of citrus and it makes me excited on whats to come, hints of peach and mango are definately there as the bottle indicates on the label.