Sculpin India Pale Ale - Ballast Point Brewing Company

chinchill

South Carolina

4.38/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours an orange-amber with a very slight haze and a smallish off-white head.

Exceptionally fruity aroma, featuring oranges and other citrus fruits. Some caramel here too. In fact, the aroma seems markedly sweet. Still, this much hop aroma can indicate a rather bitter brew; such is not the case here. The flavor is actually rather tame for style since there's plenty of sweet malt to partially counter the hop bitterness. No question, however, that this leans to the bitter side, as it should, and eventually one is left with an aftertaste consisting of hoppy, grapefruit bitterness. The premier feature of this IPA, however, is the powerfully fruity aroma and flavor. This actually tastes like it was somehow made with a citrus punch featuring tangerines. [Citra hops?]

M: very smooth; medium body; light harshness/bite from 7% ABV which is otherwise not evident in tasting.

O: an outstanding IPA for those who, like me, are particularly fond of a citrusy IPA.

Serving type: growler

02-26-2012 20:31:15 | More by chinchill

smartassboiler

Illinois

4/5  rDev -9.7%

05-18-2013 23:53:42 | More by smartassboiler

Sixbolt

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +7.2%

05-18-2013 19:07:33 | More by Sixbolt

eyeenjoybeer

Indiana

4/5  rDev -9.7%

05-18-2013 16:49:55 | More by eyeenjoybeer

NJB145

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%

05-18-2013 12:13:43 | More by NJB145

sdonegan

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%

05-18-2013 06:31:13 | More by sdonegan

D_Villa

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%

05-18-2013 04:22:42 | More by D_Villa

Arsenal0328

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%

05-18-2013 02:54:41 | More by Arsenal0328

CharlesRamsey

California

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

What can you say about one of the best? Some might call this a hop bomb, but its balanced so well they would be as wrong as Ariel was for taking those girls. A strong, dry hop presentation with spice, pine notes off of a thin white, low carbonation head. Beers like this make me want to live in the ballast point parking lot.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2013 02:12:22 | More by CharlesRamsey

mkirkland80

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +7.2%

05-18-2013 02:10:36 | More by mkirkland80

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into becker. Golden orange, the color of honey, with a thick fluffy white head that fades after a bit but seems to leave lots of lacing. Smells of floral hops with tropical fruit; pineapple and mango are noticeable. Taste is less hoppy than the smell; sweet and clear up front with hops coming in at the end, quite a bitter finish though. A great drinkable IPA though; if the hop flavor had been all throughout, it would have been more of a sipper.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 01:57:13 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

FanofHefe

Illinois

4.24/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz. bottle, best by 9/27/2013, poured into a Duvel tulip. With a reasonably aggressive pour, I get nearly two fingers of dense, off-white head, over a clear, light amber body that has bit of yellow tint. Decent retention a little lacing.

Nice aroma. Starts out mostly citrus, primarily grapefruit, with some light tropical notes following. As it warms, I get a fairly sweet malt aroma as well.

The flavor doesn't stray too far from the aroma. The hop flavors are a bit more on the pine and grapefruit side than the aroma. Only a minor notice of the bready malt, that tends to stay in the background. Very west coast style as far as the up front hop flavors. As it warms, the flavors tend to blend even better.

Medium texture in the mouthfeel and no notice of alcohol. An excellent beer overall. Glad its finally being distributed in my area.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 20:37:28 | More by FanofHefe

tattoopunk031

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%

05-17-2013 19:36:21 | More by tattoopunk031

hsaye

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%

05-17-2013 18:44:21 | More by hsaye

DHS1029

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +7.2%

05-17-2013 14:56:42 | More by DHS1029

Glider

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -15.3%

05-17-2013 13:46:28 | More by Glider

rmank

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +7.2%

05-17-2013 13:15:00 | More by rmank

Syracuse12

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev -4.1%

05-17-2013 05:57:30 | More by Syracuse12

myersk27

Indiana

4/5  rDev -9.7%

05-17-2013 03:51:53 | More by myersk27

ElizabethEleanor

Texas

5/5  rDev +12.9%

05-17-2013 03:08:05 | More by ElizabethEleanor

Big_J22

Maryland

5/5  rDev +12.9%

05-17-2013 01:48:42 | More by Big_J22

BradStokley

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%

05-16-2013 19:37:44 | More by BradStokley

carlosega

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev -4.1%

05-16-2013 18:34:15 | More by carlosega

Gregvg

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +12.9%

05-16-2013 18:28:28 | More by Gregvg

BigbROB

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%

05-16-2013 17:43:44 | More by BigbROB