Sculpin IPA - Ballast Point Brewing Company

taylorparsons

Washington

4.95/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

a - golden liquid
s - hop flowers and citrus
t - nice bitters softened with a sweet top of mind
m - excellent exciting wanting more please more
d - please may I find this in Seattle

I was very surprised by this wondererful beer, which is excellent, and one beer is enough. I drank this brew after a pint of pliney the elder and it stood up on its own.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2010 02:15:01 | More by taylorparsons

pearljam118

Pennsylvania

4.95/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - Copper orange with minimal head, slightly cloudy

S - Purely amazing note, not overpowering with hops. Perfect

T - Sweet honey, a great balance of piney hops and fruitiness

M - Medium bodied with med/high carbonation. Great feel

Overall - This is my new favorite IPA hands down. Just fantasic, get a bottle as soon as you can.

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2012 01:25:37 | More by pearljam118

AlesaandLandon

4.95/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

What can't be said about this delicious treat of San Diego. Drinking this beauty from the brewery is bliss, and having it in a bottle is near perfect - even room temperature.

Drinking Sculpin from tap, as it poured in the glass, you can see the a slight thickness over the glass and your first thought is steak and potatoes. The minimal head appeared wholly and light. The smell is a perfect balance of wheat and hops and makes me think of a beefy meal that satisfies all of the taste buds...not to light and not too heavy.

The only thing I can say is when drinking it from a bottle, there is a little more carbonation which is not noticeable when drinking from tap. Otherwise, I don't care how I get to drink Sculpin...just that I get to drink it. A

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 20:02:56 | More by AlesaandLandon

rudylaw

Illinois

4.97/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thank Christ I can drink again after a week on meds. Let's break this cold streak with a cold one... and what a cold one! One of my white whales finally come ashore.

A nice golden pour with a big white head. Looks the look.

Tons of citrus hops. Picking up lemon and peachy notes, a little honey perhaps.

Man is this crisp and refreshing! Mother of shit... this only gets better as you venture along. Mango, peach, orange, grapefruit, floral notes. It's all here.

It's a tad light bodied, but that makes it all the more drinkable. This is amazing stuff and more than lives up to any hype. I only wish there wasn't a 2 bottle limit where I purchased this because I should have a fridge full of this at all times. Bully Ballast Point! Bully!

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2009 23:21:25 | More by rudylaw

Freethyhops

Alabama

4.97/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22oz bottle poured into a pint. the guy at the store guaranteed this to be less than a month old.

A- pours a yellowish orange color. quite light colored for an IPA but very similar in color to the ever so popular Pliny. a vigorous pour produced an extreme amount of head with heavy lacing. I don't expect much malt to come in play but the hops look to be in full force.

S- sharp citric acidic hoppiness. a barrage of tropical fruits. orange, lemon, and grapefruit. it is not extremely complex but it's so strong and inviting. it's really exactly what I want from an IPA and honestly probably as good as it gets.

T- perfect mix of bitter citrus and sweetness with a little bit of breadiness coming in from the light malt proflie. very well balanced and smooth all the way through. no taste is overbearing and I can taste that they loaded all the hops they could into the 7% malt profile.

M- very full bodied for an IPA. carbonation is at a pleasant and well integrated level. a bit of stickiness from all the hops, too. again, nothing but flawless in this category.

D- I'd like to see somebody try to take a glass of Sculpin away from me. If I hadn't just dropped $80 dollars on KBS, I would have cleared the Sculpin from shelves of this store. I haven't even had it before but reviews on this site have said it's exceptional and I can not disagree in the least. Pick up as much as you can drink in the near future whenever you see this beer on the shelves

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2010 05:52:36 | More by Freethyhops

Tomdee74

Connecticut

4.97/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

okay this definitely gets an A+ in my book.. i've had this a few times but i'm finally going to review it.. All i have to say is... Are you kidding me??? i've had pliny, had so many good ipas and double ipas.... all i can is.... this is only a single ipa.... so i think this is the best ipa there is! truly phenomenal beer and of rating this as a single ipa, then it is way up there!!

A - Poured into a smutty big beer series tulip glass to see 2 and 1/2 inches of a great head and superb lacing... i gotta give it up to ballast point here...

S - This is what blows you away.. there is no way you smell this and think it's a single ipa.. get this fresh and smell it and you have to smile and shake your head it will astound you! a great trait this beer posesses!!

T - whoa again!! blows you away! how is this not a double IPA??? i see signs around here that flaunt stone ipa and claim it's the best ipa in america... this comes to mind immediately as the only brewery able to make that claim.. and i'm a huge smuttynose fan but i gotta give credit where it's due... and like i said i've had this several times... i've had many great ipas i just think when we talk about regular ipas this one has to come in way at the top...

M - perfect carbonation.. perfect body!! what more can i say???

D - low abv's make this one insane... and it's insane to make this the first beer of the night and try to switch up to something else unless your gonna do like a PTE it's brutal.. nothing really comes close to this... ughhh i hate that i gotta give it up like this but i do... i think this is the best single IPA I've ever had!

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2010 21:26:50 | More by Tomdee74

welldigger888

South Carolina

4.97/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from growler in to an imp. pint glass, Huge 2 finger rocky snow white head that laced all the way down. Slight hazed golden orange hue.
Tropical fruit grapefruit mango and the like.
Like drinking a grapefruit cream soda with mango and light golden biscuit.
Creamy dreamy!
Pour some more, send us more! These folk hit on an outstanding reciepe!

Serving type: growler

02-07-2011 04:31:21 | More by welldigger888

Rymar9

North Carolina

4.97/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

What a beer! The smell is second to none..the perfect combination of hops brings out mango and peach followed by bitter pine hops with a clean crisp finish. A perfectly balanced American IPA ..A gold medal winning beer for a reason..definitely one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 01:57:31 | More by Rymar9

BeerFiend2002

Pennsylvania

4.98/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Really excited to try this one...been looking for it for months. Thanks to my buddy for bringing me a bottle back from Capone's. Was served in my Yuengling pint glass.

Poured it way too passively... got about a half finger of foamy eggshell-colored head. Poured a beautiful golden-amber color. Very inviting.

Nose is delicious. Smells of floral hops, pine, orange, pineapple, mango, grapefruit, etc...just a big bowl of tropical fruit. Even better nose than the Founder's Breakfast Stout and the Southern Tier Choklat, and thats saying a lot.

Taste is bitter and piney up front and a strong rush of mango and grapefruit assault the palate. The hops are dialed up here folks. You can almost feel them literally scrubbing your palate. It leaves a nice, lingering bitterness on the back end. Finishes crisp and dry. It makes you just want to take another sip.

Medium-bodied that has an actually pretty light mouthfeel. The drinkability for this is very high.

Overall, this beer pretty much lived up to the hype. It is well-balanced, flavorful, finely crafted IPA. Another shining example of a top-notch west coast IPA. I would love to find this on tap. This is definitely an A beer and should be sought out actively by any hophead out there who has not had the pleasure of enjoying this one. By far the best single IPA I've had.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 20:14:52 | More by BeerFiend2002

jtd1969

North Carolina

4.98/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: golden color with a hint of orange. Nice carbonation with thick lacing.

S: grapefruit,citrus, slight pine

T: mango, grapefruit, tropical fruit with a deep hop finish and over tones. Smooth hoppy finish Delicious!

M: Medium body, medium carbonation. Smooth with hoppy finish

O: This the standard in which IPAs should rate against. This is such a delicious beer. One of my favorites!

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 20:35:22 | More by jtd1969

jimilayne

New York

4.98/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

What's not to like, here? Beautiful orange golden body with a nice head. Hints of peach and citrus hit the nose and a tinge of lemon on the tongue gives it a beautiful balance. Goes down smoothly and leaves a nice typical IPA aftertaste with more fruity flavors.

Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 11:38:08 | More by jimilayne

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

4.98/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Tried this on tap at the brewery, then shipped a bomber back to Toronto to review.

Pours reddish amber with perfect clarity and the odd meandering carbonation bubble. The off-white head lasts a while and leaves patches of foam all over the glass. Thick, pithy grapefruit and pine fill the nose, almost completely overshadowing a docile bready malt character. The taste is deceptively sweet upfront with marmalade and floral notes building into a huge, citrusy bitterness. Waves of white grapefruit rind and pine sap fill and destroy my pallete. Malt flavors are pretty much awol, adding just some biscuityness with warnth. Coating bitterness numbs my mouth and makes for a sublime mouthfeel. Bitter lasts for an hour in the finish.

This is an excellent super hoppy IPA. Gigantically complex, simultaneously brash and nuanced. One of the best I've ever tried. Outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 21:27:13 | More by CAMRAhardliner

Qwest_35

Florida

4.99/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is some of the freshest Sculpin I have been able to get a hold of yet, so I thought I would do a full review since it is one of my all time fave's. Bottle date enjoy by 7-28-13. This beer pours a nice golden amber with a finger of head. The first thing that really stands out is the aroma of fresh tropical fruits and citrus with a small hint of alcohol. The taste is outstanding, piney, citrus hop bite with a hint of malt. Outstanding job by Ballast Point on their flagship brew, deserves all the hype it gets! A staple in my fridge as long as they keep churning it out!

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 23:56:30 | More by Qwest_35

PhxHorn

Arizona

5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Dammmmn, what a beer this is. It's not as intense as some IPAs, or even the Dorado DIPA made by Ballast Point. This is a light, subtle, fruity, exquisite IPA that you should make every effort to taste. Appearance is a rich orange color with fluffy white foam. Smell is an intense peach and apricot flavor. The taste, as I mentioned, is not as intense as say a Stone or Dorado, but is unique among the IPAs I've tasted. Peach, apricot, lemon, grapefruit, plus the bitterness you'd expect. Really incredible mix of flavors which hint more than overwhelm. Carbonation is just right. I don't know what more I can say, except that this is a very special beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2008 06:11:49 | More by PhxHorn

mikesgroove

South Carolina

5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

So this one goes out to Joey. He had been bitchin at me to try this forever and ranting and raving about how it was the best IPA under the sun. Finally, it was in bottles and I could take him up on this. Yesterday afternoon seemed like as good a time as any to try it out, so went over to Dad's for a little while and popped this open while I was there.

Appearance - Now then, this is what an IPA is supposed to look like. The pour was a deep orange amber, and absolutely crystal clear. There was a radiance about it that was outstanding. Tons of carbonation rippling up toward the surface, just enhancing what already looked absolutely stunning to begin with. A huge three-inch head of white foam formed on the top and ohh so gradually settled down into a nice one finger high pillow that settled down over the top of the glass and never did leave. The side glass lace was the absolute stickiest I had ever seen, and I swear the outside of the glass was getting sticky from it. Really just the perfect looking IPA.

Smell - The aroma was the most pungent, ripping citrus hops you could imagine. Just absolutely the freshest grapefruit smell. It was really tremendous to be honest. Such a strong fresh, bitter aroma that I could have been in the middle of a hop field. Just the slightest bit of sugar on the back end sweetening it up, but otherwise this was just a hop driven monster of an IPA.

Taste - The flavor followed right where the aroma left of. It started out with just this dripping fresh hop taste. Really extremely sharp, crisp, and just unbelievably fresh, this was the flavor I had been looking for in the style forever. It was just tremendous, with the floral taste being almost bigger then the beer itself. Hands down, the best hop taste I have ever come across. So crisp and refreshing with a huge taste, I was in heaven with this one. As it warmed some slight bready characters came out, but nothing was toppling the huge hop taste. In fact, it made a nice transformation over to a pine resin like flavor as it warmed, and got even stickier. The finish was huge, dry, and bitter, perfect.

Mouthfeel - Very nice light bodied IPA, with a huge amount of carbonation coming off of it. Lots of bubbles rippling through it over and over, really just perfect here as well, crisp and clean, not too thin and pungently strong.

Drinkability - This is the IPA for me at least. I put down the bottle and was scrounging around the house looking for more. It was just that good. I could have easily had a couple more, would not have been a problem. One of the best ever.

Overall this was probably my favorite west coast IPA I have ever had. I had to score it perfectly, only because I could not find any fault in it. When I think west coast IPA, I think of exactly this beer now. If you love hops, you simply cannot be happy without this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2008 00:41:08 | More by mikesgroove

Mauerhan

California

5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

i without any regret or any sort of second guessing give this beer a five out of five.

the color is beautiful. a rich golden amber color. thick white head that leaves some of the best lacing i have ever seen. as i look into my taster i am filled with a sense of excitement, and hell i haven't even smelled it yet. speaking of smell. JEEZ. awesome. hops with subtle hints of citrus and apricots.

first sip is amazing. it forces a huge smile onto my face. im pretty sure i could just walk in on my girlfriend with three other dudes and this beer could still make me happy.

i get subtle hoppy bitterness that fades into an incredible smoothness. my taste buds are hit by the sweetness. god this beer is amazing.

mouthfeel is great. the perfect amount of carbonation. smooth follow through and a great aftertaste. the burp flavor is great. you get a chance to try this i dont care what you have to do. you try it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2008 05:16:48 | More by Mauerhan

torchednoodle

California

5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

You can keep all your IR stouts. This beer has to get top marks. I've held off on reviewing it even though I've been drinking it steadily since its release a couple of weeks ago. Every time I put this stuff in my mouth it reminds me why I started getting into beer in the first place.

Pours a beautiful clear orange with outstanding lacing. The smell is grapefruit and pine. The taste is citrus, piney, and an aftertaste hint of bready goodness. Big hops indeed, but not obnoxiously so (if there is such a thing!)

This stuff is nectar to my palate! Drinkability is outstanding. I made three visits over the first three days to secure enough of this beer to last me through the NFL season, telling myself it's ok to spend this much money if this is all I'm gonna get to drink of this beer until the next release a year from now. And it is worth it. This is the beer I would take with me if I was stranded on an island.

I've had this on tap, on cask, and in bottle, and of course it's the same beer from the same batch. But the bottle always stands out to me, maybe because it feels like such a triumph to be able to drink such a quality world class brew in the comfort of my own home.

*edit 2/27/09* I've had three different batches of this beer, and I have enough currently to enjoy one every once in a while. I have to say, I drank one again tonight and this beer is STILL the benchmark by which I judge all other beers. It's not the crazy hoppiest beer you'll find, but it had enough bright and citrus hops and malt to satisfy me like crazy. Ballast Point is the SHIT.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2008 04:40:09 | More by torchednoodle

MiScusi

California

5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

9/22/09
Just opened a bottled that was bottled about 6 days ago. Bumping smell from 4.5-->5. I don't know that there is an IPA that smells better than Sculpin. The mouthfeel is right on the mark in terms of dryness, it's not slick and gooey and hard to drink. And the color is exception as a clear orange. Appearance bumped from 4.5 to 5, and mouthfeel bumped from 4.5 to 5. Yep, I gotta give this all 5's because it is THE best IPA being made in the US right now, as far as my experiences have shown.

___
Bottle just purchased from the 3rd release. Bottle would be less than a week old.

A- Perfectly clear orange. White frothy head builds up leaves nice lacing. Soapy film remains on top of the beer the entire time.

S- citrus fruit hoppiness, mostly orange to me. That's the smell I get when it's in the tulip. However, in my nonic pint I get less citrus and more greenery. Smell is dare I say reminiscent of Pliny the Elder. Only reason I only rate it "good" is because at times I have to search for the smell, it's not as pungent as I think a great IPA should be.

T- There's a lot of citrus type fruitiness and this beer is more similar to Pliny than ANY IPA i've ever had. A medium bitterness lingers on the tongue afterward but it's a pleasant citrusy one.

M- It's full, slick, without being syrupy. It's definitely not watery though (not that I would have too much problem with that). Maybe one of the most full/buttery feeling 7% IPA's I've ever tasted.

D- this beer is in the upper echelon of IPA's I've had. Is it at the top? Probably not, but on any given day it could be. It's just a real solid tasty IPA that nobody who actually likes IPA's could ever feel disappointed with. There's nothing earth shattering to this beer, it's what a good IPA should be.

It didn't occur to me while I was drinking it on tap at the brewery, but now that I sit down with a bottle it just dawned on me how similar in taste (and somewhat in smell) this is to Pliny the Elder. I am definitely going to do a side by side of those two beers to figure out if my memory of a beer I drink semi-regularly is accurate with what I'm tasting in Sculpin right now.

___
12-3-08
Second bottle consumed at home. Yeah this beer is definitely a big winner. Bumping Smell from 4-->4.5 and the same for mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2008 01:57:06 | More by MiScusi

seanpachefddfa

Maryland

5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

appearance- poured an amber orange with 1/2 inch thick white head. great lacing around the glass

smell- tons of citrus and pine hops sweet caramel malts. very floral.

taste- wow a huge citrus hop bite with some other fruit notes also like apricot and pineapple.

mouthfeel- medium body with good carbonation

drinkability- drinks way to easy for a 7% beer. this is a first class west coast ipa.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2009 04:55:49 | More by seanpachefddfa

raverjames

Virginia

5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I have had this beer in a bottle, but the growler was the real treat. This is a wonderful brew in the bottle, but on tap it is just about the best IPA out there.
When you first pour it, all you smell is ruby red grapefruit. The aroma is so intense, I just can't get enough. It has a half inch head that dissipates slowly as you drink. When you take a sip, you get a load of simcoe and amarillo hops in your mouth. The citrus taste is just amazing. This is all assisted by the fact that Ballast Point went for one of the cleanest malt bases I have ever experienced. Honestly, I just drank most of a growler by myself. I can't get enough of this beer. It gets my vote as best IPA available. It tops Pliny in every way. Good job, Ballast Point.

Serving type: growler

05-13-2009 07:20:11 | More by raverjames

deadguykelly

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On tap at capones in norristown

A: Great color, golden amber.

S: The nose is amazing. All the fruit you can handle. Really the nose of a double. Grapefuit, pineapple, hints of orange and other citrus

T: This may be the perfect beer. Not to high on alcohol, but extremely high on taste. Well balanced and full of everything I want out of an IPA.

M: Goes down smooth and doesnt linger more than neccesary. Sticks around just as much as needed. Not to sticky or syrupy at all. Great carbonation and overall feel.

D: If I had more access to this beer It would be my new standby. Was only able to grab one case this season and dont feel bad drinking it as we all know what happens to that glorious hop flavor when it sits around! extremely drinkable. Maybe to a flaw. No alcohol lingering on the tongue. Only 7% which seems low to us all now, but still not quite session beer material.

Overall, this is hands down my new favourite IPA. Would put this in a pespi challange with any brew out there. Hope everyone gets a chance to try this brew. Im sure it will be more readily available next season. My hats off to the people at ballast point! Cheers

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2009 21:56:40 | More by deadguykelly

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On tap at the Home Brew Mart facility where my cousin is the brewer! Primo Colby told me that it is being made in a bi-monthly rotation with Dorado because of the plethora of hops that are involved in each beer. He also told me that he could tell me all of the hops varieties that went into Sculpin, but he would have to kill me afterwards. Ancient Colby secret, eh? His wife and I agreed that my need-to-know was not that great.

I had some of this last summer while visiting Cuz Colby and it was an epiphanic moment! Right after I came to, he laid the bad news on me that it was being (temporarily) discontinued due to the hops shortage. Once his wife and my brother got my fingers freed from his neck, he reassured me that it would be back. Oakle doakle!

A finger of bone-white head with decent retention. Nose was uniquely fruity - mango, apricot, peach, orange zest. Seven or eight different hops varieties, depending on the batch, four kinds of malt and a Cali yeast strain combine to create the Tropical IPA flavor that trips my trigger each and every time. Coarse filtration to remove the dry-hopping solids resulted in a deep golden-yellow color with NE-quality clarity. BTW, Cuz Colby was forthcoming with some info and asked that his assistance be recognized. Mouthfeel was medium with a uniquely tart/fruity flavor that reminded me of popping an entire roll of Tropical Friut Life Savers (papaya, mango, apricot, peach) in my mouth. The finish was dry, orangish, yummy. Try some today!

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2009 22:27:48 | More by woodychandler

oxnard111

California

5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On cask at Verdugo bar last night. The dude at Verdugo said all the places that got casks yesterday had a different type of hops. Ours had amarillo hops which he said made it a little dryer.

I'm not gonna be able to do a proper review, but let me just say this beer was stupidly delicious. Off the charts. Best brew I have tasted yet. Granted I am still a semi-newbie, but still, everybody there was drooling over this brew.

Appearance was awesome. Just what to expect out of the cask. Cloudy with a super thick sticky head. Smell was hoppy with citrus and floral. Taste was amazing, every drink was a pleasure. Mouthfeel was perfect, a little chewy. Drinkability was superb. I had 5 of them and every penny was well spent. I felt great this morning too, no headache at all.

I drove 1.5 hours for this and it was well worth it. Thanks Verdugo!

Serving type: cask

08-14-2009 17:03:48 | More by oxnard111

thedindaniel

California

5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - Very light orange to darker yellow color, but transparent.

S - Piny but fruity for sure, like grapefruits for me.

T - Not overwhelming like some of the other hop bombs that exist out there but definitely not balanced, which I like. Almost not malt flavors at all.

M - Finishes very crisp and clean.

D - EASY to drink a lot of, which is deceiving with its 7% abv.

Once again this is not a balanced IPA so purists might hate on it a little. If you're a fan of West Coast IPA's get it for sure. It's my favorite IPA and I managed to even rank it the highest at a blind IPA tasting night, speaks for itself.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2009 19:29:26 | More by thedindaniel

cbutova

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The elusive Sculpin has been caught. I would have saved this for #100 but it's an IPA and I wanted to drink it as fresh as possible. Grabbed this one at Table and Vine in W. Springfield today, they had 3 cases, I snagged the last two on the shelf (maybe more in the back). Pours a very golden color with a hint of orange, has a very bubbly two finger head that retains very well for an IPA, the carbonation on the pour is extreme, pour it carefully. Thick lacing is left on my pint glass as I drink this bad boy. Smell here is probably the best beer smell I have ever put my hands on. So much great things going on, a huge fruity aspect to the beer (mangos, peach, apricot, lemon), the sweeter fruits perfectly balanced by floral and piney hops, greatness. Taste is a bit different than the smell, less of a fruit characteristic but still enough to be very noticeable, a huge aggressive hop blast comes onto the tongue but backs off as you swallow to allow a very good sweet fruity taste to come through with an eventual delicious hop after taste. A very complex smelling and tasting beer. Mouthfeel is very well carbonated, medium bodied and a bit oily, maybe a TINY bit of alcohol warming but no alcohol taste = a very well balanced mouthfeel, I hate to give all 5s but its starting to look that way. Drinkability is great, the taste is enough for me to drink this all day long, its not filling, the price ($10) was worth it any day of the week, no bad flavors to ruin this one over time, and I would buy this one again over and over and over.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2009 04:06:11 | More by cbutova