Sculpin IPA - Ballast Point Brewing Company

jamex

California

1.93/5  rDev -56.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

I used to really love Sculpin. I would periodically stop by the Scripps Ranch brewery and fill up a growler at least once a month. Many times I'd stop by the brewery just to get a pint. Life was good, and I was excited to have such a world class brew within a few minutes of my house.

Then something changed. I'm not sure what - the hops, the blending, whatever - I'm not a brewer so I can't explain it. I'd say it happened about a year ago. The aroma changed. The taste drastically changed. It just wasn't the beer I fell in love with. Tropical notes all but vanished. The bitterness was heightened. The fresh piney hints turned sour and "urinal-like."

Maybe my tastes have changed. I guess it's possible. Maybe I need to visit the Home Brew Mart location for a final test since all of this ranting is based from multiple, different growlers and pints at the Scripps tasting bar. But each pint and growler fill pushes me away. Last night I did the unthinkable: drain poured a 1/2 growler of this mess.

If there really is an alternate recipe, please BP go back to your roots. Let me once again give this golden drink the score it deserves.

Serving type: growler

01-31-2012 20:30:13 | More by jamex

markh814

1.95/5  rDev -56%
look: 1 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

I will be the first to review this beer honestly.

It pours cloudy with an off white soapy head (how anyone could rate appearance any higher is beyond my imagination)

smell wasnt bad but wasnt great. hoppy if you like that but nothing special. i would say average.

taste? over complicated, involved, and not very likeable IPA.

mouthfeel medium body with a strange full/bitter aftertaste

overall? this is exactly what beer shouldnt be. It is like a 6 year old was given some beer ingrediants and tried to make it....or like an adult tried to outsmart the beer drinking population and failed miserably.
why must IPA brewers overcomplicate beer? its like they want you to slowly sip it, say you've had enough, but then you can be proud you tasted something obscure.
i rathe enjoy what i am drinking and when i am finished i can have another if i am still thirsty.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 16:08:59 | More by markh814

mactrail

California

2.23/5  rDev -49.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1

Hops, or more precisely, grapefruit pith, takes over the taste totally. There is just nothing else to say.

If you like this particular hop profile, to the exclusion of every other taste, you'll think this is great. To me it's a stab to the root of my tongue. It's not a beer flavor, it's a chemical link to a very specific pain receptor.

Nice aroma, though. The usual orangey amber in the pint glass. I thought I would try this again since it's been a couple of years. But I arrive at the same conclusion: total bitterness. First glass out of the keg at Quality Social in San Diego. Couldn't be fresher.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2012 05:26:22 | More by mactrail

Arbitrator

California

2.7/5  rDev -39.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

In the latest installment of "Angrytrator goes to the beer store," I'm re-reviewing Sculpin. I haven't bought this beer in over a year, because it's simply not worth $9 / bomber or $7 / pint.

But a $2.50 12oz bottle is quite fair. Since they just hit the area, I bought a sixer.

A: Pours a hazy burnt orange with lazy bubbles up the glass. Has 1.5" of off-white head with decent retention, but it recedes eventually into a light film on the brew and a moderate collar around the edges. Leaves a little sudsing down the sides of the glass.

S: Hmm. I remember this having a beautiful tropical citrus bouquet. This has barely any nose to it, despite pouring it into a snifter to enhance the aroma. I detect some grapefruit and a mild pale malt nose, but that's about it.

T: A nice blend of grapefruit, lemon pith, and apricot. Not much malt flavor, though there is a little sweetness on the finish. I seem to remember Sculpin being drier. Some pine, particularly in the aftertaste and exhalation. But nothing substantial or flavorful. Perhaps my palate is damaged, but I really don't taste a lot here.

M: Medium bodied, medium carbonation. Carbonation is creamy, not crisp. The flavor (what there is of it) is clean with no lingering bitterness or resin.

D: I don't know what's going on here. This has all the hallmarks of being an old bottle, but the bottling size (and its first appearance into our market) suggest it is fresh. Either they really screwed up the recipe, or some distribution snafu took place. Either way, this is a pretty big fall from grace. Ballast Point, feel free to start dating your IPAs so I can give these a fair shake.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 07:48:21 | More by Arbitrator

Steasy66

Minnesota

2.7/5  rDev -39.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

12oz into snifter, thanks to Scalene for sending this in 'Everything Local BIF'. Bottle says 'Enjoy By 080912'
A- Golden, lacy 1 finger head.
S- Big citrus, a bit dank
T- Very bitter, but not much flavor. Where is the citrus from the aroma?
M- Good carb, good consistency.
O- Was really excited for this one, but its simply not good. Everything seemed promising, but it just doesn't taste good. Really bitter with very little flavor and not much balance.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 09:03:16 | More by Steasy66

Corker444

Texas

2.73/5  rDev -38.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 22oz bottle. Used Pint Glass.

Had med to light foam not more than a quarter inch. Was light on carbonation. Poured light orange and had decent citrus notes. A lot of veg/bell pepper which I was not expecting.

Palate was smooth but not real lengthy. Was clean on finish and that did not last long.

It was good but not something I will go out of my way for over and over.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 22:11:11 | More by Corker444

n2185

North Carolina

2.8/5  rDev -36.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Beer stores around here just got this one in, so I assume it's fresh. No way of confirming though.

A: Pours a clear, honey orange with a finger of white head which quickly recedes into a ring with little lacing.

S: Grapefruit and pineapple up front with some pine on the finish. Quite nice.

T: Some bitter grapefruit up front followed by lots of resiny pine and bitterness. Lots and lots of bitterness on the finish, lingering around well after the beer is gone.

M: Medium body and carbonation, there is an oily character to it that coats my mouth along with the bitterness.

D: Drinkability is alright, though definitely hurt by the bitterness and oily character hurt it. Overall, not a terrible beer, but not particularly good either. It is extremely overpriced though at nearly $10 for a bomber when I can get sixers of better IPAs for less.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 18:52:11 | More by n2185

MusicaleMike

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -33.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

"Best By" date of 12/22/12.

Body is a bright, hazy golden orange hue. Two fingers worth of white head, which dissipates to a very thin layer quickly, yet leaving a decent lacing on the sides of the glass.

Aroma is not my favorite. Hop character is somewhat grassy and herbal. I know that it may just be something of a fashionable thing to get American IPA's to have a citrus, tropical fruit aroma, but I find it more pleasant. Some cracker maltiness in the background.

Again, I am not too impressed with this beer's taste either. I know that people swear by this IPA, but I could just have some aversion to whatever hops they are using here. It is well-balanced, with only a slight lean towards bitter. Floral hops, slight honeysuckle, biscuit malts.

Decent carbonation level, with some sharpness. Medium body, slight astringency in the finish. Good for the style, enjoyable.

This beer does not live up to the hype. It isn't a bad IPA, but it does not compare to some of the amazing examples out there...Triple Play IPA, HopDevil, Two Hearted, etc....

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 23:34:09 | More by MusicaleMike

ncaudle

Virginia

2.95/5  rDev -33.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

poured from bomber into snifter.
no date code on bottle but local bottle shop had just received it the previous week.

pours a orange/gold color with thick white head. some nice lacing left around the glass.

some hop aromas there but not in your face like most other IPAs - kind of subdued. citrus and floral. taste is crisp but there is this funk going on which I just can't wrap my tongue around... almost "fishy" tasting to use the bottle label as point of reference. not a pleasant taste.

nice mouthfeel with right amount of carbonation.

drinkability would be much higher if it didnt have that funky taste. not a drain pour or anything but I won't be buying this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 01:24:12 | More by ncaudle

champ103

Texas

3/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A friend brought some back to share from a trip to California.

A: Pours with a nice clarity. A bright and vibrant orange color. Two fingers of white head forms with good retention, and plenty of lace is left behind.
S: Bitter hops, lightly resiny, and some orange peal. Pale, grainy malts. The bitterness lingers on and on.
T: Again, mostly just bitterness with a splash of orange fruity flavors. Some very light grainy malts, but mostly a very strong bitterness that just does not stop.
M/D: Very thin and watery. Alarmingly so. A very week body. The bitterness and lack of body makes this a little hard for me to drink.

Mostly some nondescript bitterness and that is it. Add the very thin body, and I am not impressed. Just an average IPA. Nothing I would really recommend.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 03:59:40 | More by champ103

ne0m00re

Ohio

3.03/5  rDev -31.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

09/19/10- Had a bottle of this courtesy of Pabs311.
A: Hazy amber, nice cream head dies to a good film.
S: Nice mix of hops: grass, grapefruit, resiny pine; honey and mild fruit (like strawberries) come through as well.
T: Very bitter, resiny, with a cheese finish. There are roasted walnuts, honey and pale malts. It is clean and mild but overly bitter (unbalanced).
M: Slightly syrupy, but with a good frothiness.
D: Good, while being very bitter.

I had another chance to try this beer over this past weekend (06/18/11) in a bomber that was most certainly fresh. My description of this beer in this review is good, but my ratings are overly high. Smell was changed to 3.5 from 4.5. Taste was changed from 3.5 to 2.5. Drinkability was changed from 3.5 to Overall 3.0. One glass was more than enough and my group was fighting over who would draw the short straw to finish the bottle. This was a disappointing brew and I probably won't get it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 18:58:34 | More by ne0m00re

Minkybut

Virginia

3.03/5  rDev -31.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I poured this IPA into my tumbler at 45 degrees. The beer was ugly cloudy colored but did have a very nice luxurious poofy head. The Hay colored beer was very hoppy and smelled very hoppy also. Just like it should have. I think it was what an IPA should be but I will not buy it again, tooo hoppy for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2011 23:39:15 | More by Minkybut

tewaris

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev -31.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

70 IBUs

22 oz. bomber with no freshness date poured into a New Belgium globe. Thanks Dan!

Appearance 5/5
Golden-tangerine with the appropriate haze of a dry hopped IPA, Sculpin poured with a big off white head that took its time to settle and left kickass lacing. Signature American IPA looks. Perfect.

Aroma 4/5
Lots of fruity hops in the aroma: most notably apricot and then some mango. Just a hint of the herbal character that comes with dry hopping. Very good, but not up there in my opinion.

Taste 3/5
Smoothly bitter but hugely lacking flavor, and rather one dimensional. Is it not fresh? No one will know because Ballast Point doesn't date the bottles. Leaves a bitter aftertaste even though it's not all that bitter that brings us to the next item, mouthfeel.

Mouthfeel 2.5/5
Even though it says right on the bottle that this is a light bodied ale, I don't deem that a good excuse for an almost entirely missing malt backbone. Thin, and very thin when warm. Finishes dry but what's the point? I firmly believe that there should be a stronger body and more malts in a 7% ABV beer.

Overall 2/5
Sculpin was underwhelming, big time. There was no malt backbone whatsoever and the hop flavor was entirely missing in the taste in spite of the great aroma. Scupin is not the most bitter IPA but that's not my beef -- fresh Two Hearted is a great example of a fruity IPA that's not a bitterness bomb, and yet is amazing.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 05:45:23 | More by tewaris

czarnowski

California

3.08/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sculpin India Pale Ale by Ballast Point Brewing Company is an average example of the style. I found that like many IPAs, the pine flavor was overwhelming. I don't find skunky, bitter, and unbalanced beer all that appealing. On a positive note, it was a gorgeous amber color. I liken it to a hot blonde with bad breath.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 00:59:38 | More by czarnowski

samie85

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -30%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes; originally 6/10/11.

A-Pours a clear orange with a finger of white head with suspended hop matter throughout.

S-Apricot and grapefruit notes with a strong pine resin finish.

T-Dry, bitter apricot and pine with a bitter, bordering on astringent piny finish.

M-A little over-carbonated for the style, in my honest opinion, with a thin body and bone dry feel.

D-A little difficult to finish for me due to the combination of the very dry feel and the hop profiles used.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 02:51:21 | More by samie85

ifnkovhg

California

3.1/5  rDev -30%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass. No freshness date as far as I can tell.

This beer was very Jeckyll and Hyde for me. Great appearance: burnt orange, maybe a bit hazy. Big, billowy head that never quite disappears completely. Great lacing.

The smell is also terrific: citrusy, apricot, peach (as others have noted). The taste is in keeping with the smell.

But in the aftertaste and mouthfeel, this one loses me. Oily mouthfeel that really dominates in the back of the throat, and parks itself. Should beer make you thirsty? Plus a bitter aftertaste that lingers.

I think that while my hop tolerance has climbed, I may not be ready for IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 05:33:23 | More by ifnkovhg

SFC21

New York

3.13/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22oz bomber poured into Sam Adams pint glass

A - Pours a hazy, golden color with a nice 1 inch head. Leaves some nice lacing the whole way down.

S - Citrus and floral hops, smells lovely.

T - Citrus and light malts to start and then an absolute wallop of bitter, piney hops. Far too much bitterness for my liking and the bitterness just lingers at the back of my mouth.

M - Some creaminess with nice carbonation.

O - I was really looking forward to this one after all of the great reviews but unfortunately I was left disappointed. Perhaps this is more of a brew for the hop heads that love the bitterness but for me I prefer a little more balance.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 01:56:42 | More by SFC21

viverlee

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Doc review today. $MM-level deal and I’m pretty sure no one will read the summary or care about the risks until it goes south, when all of the sudden the group unit leaders will wonder out loud, “How the fuck did this get past legal?” Let me tell you now how: I told you it was poo-poo, and you went ahead and did it anyway because “we need the volume.” That’s how it got past legal. I was overruled.

I’m 100 percent certain more people will read this free post about a $7 beer than GULs will dare actually read about the seven-figure risk we just assumed.

STYLE: American IPA

ABV: 7%

LOOK: The fizz rises quickly, leaving a thin but firm cantaloupe jello. Can’t get a head to last more than a few seconds, first because I’m drinking it (more on that later) and almost just as importantly because it won’t hold.

NOSE: Apricot, mangoes, buttered popcorn. A pleasant hybrid of Magic Hat #9 and 21st Amendment Brew Free or Die IPA. The fruit, it’s more real, less processed. The butter, it’s nicer, more subtle.

MOUTH: Straight to pine. Maybe some clean pebbles too? The weight is nice, but there’s really only one thing to remember: Make sure you get a good head because it absolutely changes the beer for the better — a real mellower. Soft foam and strong bite, it’s like hoppy espresso. Quite good if you can get it, rather meh if you can’t.

Beeradvocate Rating: 98

Hayward Abbey Rating: 77

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 03:53:22 | More by viverlee

ELS

Florida

3.13/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I'm not a hop head so maybe I'm missing the boat with this beer but I found it to be very average. The past month I've been drinking nothing but IPAs and this one is far down on my list. The aroma has some nice floral and piney notes and the appearance is above average but I found the taste unbalanced with little malt to balance the bitterness of the hops. The citrus flavors that others have mentioned were lacking and mouthfeel was thin. Maybe my expectations were too high but I just don't see the appeal. I'm glad I didn't buy the six pack.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 03:10:17 | More by ELS

evanlarkin

District of Columbia

3.15/5  rDev -28.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance:
Lots of foamy white head, almost 3 fingers of it. The beer itself is more of a golden yellow honey color. It has some slight haze to it, but that might be from the low temperature.

Smell:
Piney and lemony. What we have here is a bottle of Pinesol, no doubt. Some apricot also comes in, which is a pretty nice little change from the usual grapefruit flavors we've been seeing lately.

Taste:
Wow, WAY drier than what I was expecting from the smell. On top of that, it's extremely piney. The bottle mentions several fruits, but if they're in there, they can't stand up to the crazy amount of pine in this thing. There's a good amount of bitterness sticking around too.

Mouthfeel:
A light body that really sticks to you. There's something kind of syrupy about it actually.

Overall:
Solid, but not as well balanced as I'd like. Definitely has a high drinkability, and it might be a good introductory IPA due to it's light body and non-overwhelming bitterness. Would I have another? Maybe. Would I buy another bomber? Probably not.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2011 19:06:27 | More by evanlarkin

Prospero

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -28.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Interesting beer. Thought I should try this as I like more balanced IPAs that have the malt backbone to support the hops.

The pour looked great, clear amber/copper color with white head and smelt strongly of malts, maybe a hint of piney hops in the nose, but mostly the caramel & breadiness of the malts broke through. Slight hint of grapefruit in the nose, but not as much as I would have liked.

Taste wise it wasn't at all what I was expecting, strong malt-forward beer here that had a strong caramel and breadiness/yeast like flavor with the grapefruit noticeable, but not dominate. For an IPA I was baffled as to how the hops had fallen to the back in this beer.

Mouthfeel is great, it's a very drinkable beer that's very smooth, almost no bitterness to this beer, probably due to the lack of dominant hops. Light carbonation.

All-in-all a good solid beer, but not at all what I expected in a balanced IPA. Most of the time I think IPAs as overly hopped up and never would have figured there'd be an IPA that was overly malted up.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 17:33:59 | More by Prospero

fcbrew

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -28.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25

Bought a six pack at BevMo in LaJolla, CA (high volume store) from a refrigerated case February 1, 2013. It was kept chilled until opened the same day.

Poured into a pint glass- a hazy yellow-orange. The head was thin and dissipated quickly. There was no hint of hop aroma no citrus, no grapefruit- actually no detectable aroma at all. The taste was bitter with little or no maltiness. The mouthfeel was thin. There was an unpleasant bitter aftertaste. Poorly balanced. Not a particularly good IPA. I was expecting an excellent IPA based upon previous reviews. This is not at all similar to Pliny the Elder as has been suggested by other reviewers.

I had bought a six pack of Ballast Point Sculpin IPA last year and it was not very good then but, I hesitated to write a critical review because I felt that it might have been a bad sample. However, having bought it again and again having a negative impression, I decided to write this review. Very disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 02:14:13 | More by fcbrew

bierguru

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A -
almost a clear straw color with high carbonation
head is pretty good stays well then laces fairly thick

S -
hop and citrus

T -
hop and finishes with a strong citrus dry bite

M -
mild feel with a drying to it

D -
its okay had better however better then most

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 19:47:40 | More by bierguru

alalvarez75

New York

3.2/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Bright Clear orange with a sediment in the bottle. I did not pour the end into the glass. Nice lacing.

S- Pine nut and citrus.

T- Dry and muted nice pine hoppiness. Not a hop bomb at all.

M- Very carbonated. Medium to a bit on the thinner side.

O- I've had on a fresh draft which I believe was better than the bottle I picked up. I do not rate this on the higher end of IPAs you can get, and will not be stocking the fridge with this for my next get together. But I would most likely have one if I saw it on my bar's draft list.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 06:16:43 | More by alalvarez75

armock

New York

3.23/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On-tap at the main brewery's tasting room.

A - Poured a golden color with a white head that leaves lacing behind

S - Well it smell like cat piss I hate when IPAs smell like this

T - It tastes better than it smells with citrus grapefruit hop flavors

M - This beer has a medium body with medium carbonation to it

O - I don't get the hype thats with this beer yes it does taste good but I feel like I can't breath before taking a sip because of the smell to each his own I guess

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2011 00:03:06 | More by armock