Sculpin IPA - Ballast Point Brewing Company

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

Monkeypaws

Minnesota

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

I've had this several times, on draft, in bottles, in San Diego even, and I frankly don't get the ranking. I never get much smell off of it, and it tastes fine, but nothing special. I expected a blast of hops to the nose and the tasebuds, but it hasn't been there in over 5 tries. It was suggested that Sculpin must be absolutely fresh in order to shine, so I'll keep trying and revise this review if it ever happens.

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2011 18:55:06 | More by Monkeypaws

BDLbrewster

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 3

Pours a goldenrod hued yellowish amber color with a small frothy head that leaves a bunch of sticky lacing.

The nose seems somewhat subdued, there are some light pine, orange pith and mild grapefruit aromas that mix well with sweet undercooked caramel.

The taste doesn't scream west coast to me, pine forward with hints of fresh orange pith and lemon. The backbone is on the weak side and the caramel that is there is overshadowed by the fairly strong pine needle flavors. The alcohol has somewhat of a medicinal bite to it and the finish leaves a lingering bitterness that is not undesirable.

The mouthfeel is light-medium and not overly viscous and the carbonation is pretty much on point.

Overall this is a solid IPA in its own right that sort of walks the line between IPA and DIPA. I can see how some people would swoon over this brew but with so many knock out IPAs coming from the west, this one comes off as run of the mill to me.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2010 03:18:57 | More by BDLbrewster

Bendurgin

Maine

3.25/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks for the bottle Randy! Poured into a tulip. Pours a hazy golden orange with a finger of head.

Muted hops in the aroma. Candied orange in the aroma but not much a hop profile. The taste is a simmilar to the aroma. Candied orange flavors but a bit more of a noticable hop bittering to the finish. Much better.

The body is medium and the carbonation is a bit sharp.

Damn you Ballast Point! Put bottle dates on your beers. This can't be a super fresh bottle! I've had this beer before and I remember liking it a lot more. I'll try it again but I can only blow so much of my money on old beers.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 17:08:48 | More by Bendurgin

FlyingBull

California

3.25/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer on tap at Hamilton's in SD today, and at the brewery tasting room 30 days ago. I've also had it in bottle multiple times over the last 4 months.


A: Transparent light amber body with a 1/2" head (generous pour or I think it would be bigger...). Lots of lacing left on the glass as the small head subsided.

S: Strong pine and citrus nose; dominated by tropical fruitiness to me. That was follwed by strong pine. Lots of grapefruit and astringent notes picked up.

T: Starts with a dominant hop bitterness with grapefruit citrus and pine, followed by a strong pine bitterness, and finishes with a strong, dry astringency dominated by a grapefruit taste.

MF: Medium mouthfeel, good style appropriate carbonation. Again, this beer has a strong biting bitterness and dryness.

O: A really solid IPA that everyone loves. For me, it's not to my taste. I've given it a few tries, and I just can't get myselft to like it. But, I think for those that like strong IPAs, it's a winner. So, drink and enjoy! I won't try and steal you beer. LOL

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2012 02:16:31 | More by FlyingBull

ExtraStout

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -26%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear golden (with orange highlights) with a foamy white head that lasts and coats the sides of the glass throughout. Some active carbonation.

Flavor is sweet and bitter as anticipated. Sweet fruits, like apricot maybe, factor into the maltier-than-expected taste, complimenting the piney hop character. Some astringency and hop spiciness at the end, followed by a touch of tongue parching.

Refreshingly different and drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2011 02:31:59 | More by ExtraStout

juice000

3.33/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Generally not as good as expected as far as taste. Almost a bit bland overall. Prefer IPA's more along the line of Odell IPA. Was really excited to try this one but meh. Not enough citrus tones overall and felt unbalanced. Maybe I got a bad batch. Too bad.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 19:26:42 | More by juice000

jujubeast6000

Texas

3.38/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Reviewed 12/28/2008 (bottle):

Pours a clear golden amber colored body. Big foamy white head, rocky with good lacing. Bubbly. Very piney citrusy aroma, grapefruit. Dry smelling. Watery body, malty taste, some nuttiness. Dry grapefruit aftertaste. Carbonated and drying aftertaste. More hoppy and bitter with only some balancing nutty sweetness. More balanced as it warms up.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2009 23:59:16 | More by jujubeast6000

Shooter1960

Florida

3.43/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bomber into a tulip glass. poured an orange color with about a half inch of white foam. The smell was not noticeable. The beer did not have a particularly notable taste or mouth feel. The beer did leave a lacing on the glass. Overall I was disappointed. Was really looking forward to this since I found the strong hoppy flavor of Big Eye to be an incredibly enjoyable beer. I won't be buying Sculpin again buy will continue to try Balladt Point based on my experience with Big Eye.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 00:37:10 | More by Shooter1960

kemoarps

Washington

3.43/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Much hazier than I expected, and with minimal head. pours almost more like a hefeweizen but with the head of a pilsner. Kind of underwhelming.

The nose is primarily sweet malts, with a little bit of floral hops in there as well.

Taste is well balanced; honey sweet malts with floral hops coming in followed up by a much more bitter citrus hop presence.

Low carbonation, but just enough zip to keep it interesting.

Overall, in a vacuum, this is a decent beer, but it had been hyped up so much that underwhelming is the word that keeps coming to mind. It's true it IS very well balanced and drinkable, but it lacks any wow-factor for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 03:29:26 | More by kemoarps

Augustiner719

Connecticut

3.45/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

poured from a 22oz bomber into a tulip glass:

First off this was a little dissapointing to me as i had been anticipating this being tremendous. I had a flower power prior to this and the flower power outshined this guy.

Pours a crystal clear, amber orange color with a big fluffy head and leaves soapy residue lacing. Tastes a touch flat to me, has a big hop bitterness with a lacking malt backbone, typical west coast style. Really this is a hoppy IPA, but its lacking balance. Mouthfeel is off as its too flat for me, dense bubbles leave the palate battered with the austere hop characteristics. drinkability is high on this as its got a realatively moderate ABV and would be nice on a hot summer day. not the best IPA i have ever had but still worthy by all means. not worth the 9.99 price tag though.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2010 02:47:28 | More by Augustiner719

superdedooperboy

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22-ounce brown glass bottle poured into a tulip glass. Served at approximately 40-45 degrees F.

Pours a beautiful deep golden hue, strikingly clear and with a fat frothy cap of white foam that leisurely settles to a thick crown that holds firmly to the walls of the glass, leaving behind a nice residue of lattice-like lacing.

After such a spectacular start, the nose fails to meet the promise that the looks seem to hold. A bit of pine, a touch of grapefruit, a hint of apricot and mango and the faintest biscuit -- but all of it subdued and boring.

Medium-bodied with a light-to-moderate carbonation, the feel is fine, but the flavors are just as subdued as the olfactory glands suggest. A touch of sweetish, slightly biscuity malt opens up to a palate that, despite touches of mango and papaya and swirls of grapefruit peel and flesh, is largely masked by an overriding harsh hop bitterness that is pervasive and extremely drying, almost puckering in nature. It dominates all, leaving behind a finish that is dryer than dust, leaving behind a lingering hint of bitter grapefruit pith.

For those interested in extreme bitterness or hyper-West Coast-style IPAs, this would likely hit the spot. Sadly, though, all of the greatness I've heard about this IPA is just not there, and that includes descriptions filled with rich fruity characteristics that, at least to this palate, simply do not exist to the extent that others have claimed. Perhaps this is a different beast when fresh, but right now it strikes me as just that -- a beast, and a bitter one at that. If you're looking for extreme bitterness in your brews, then by all means, this is sure to hit the spot. But if you seek nuance or big, bold flavor, look elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 06:36:47 | More by superdedooperboy

gradergator

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served fresh from a bottle into a pint glass. Appearance is nice orange haze with lots of lacing that seems to linger. Smell is fresh fruit but not that strong. Would like more punch. Taste is fresh but again not that aggressive. Mouthfeel is average and overall, with all the hype I am somewhat underwhelmed. There are better IPA's out there. This is good but not great..

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 14:25:21 | More by gradergator

sentomaster

Connecticut

3.48/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap poured into a pint glass.

Bright and clear golden wheat pour with a one finger smooth head.

S- huge whiffs of pine and grapefruit. Grassy, earthy pine and all sorts of pink grapefruit. Hoppy indeed, no sweetness to be found.

T/M- follows the nose pretty darn close. Tons of pine and grapefruitey hops running the gamut from slightly floral and sweet, to earthy and bitter. It opens up and reveals a touch of lemon rind and tropical fruit. Really an IPA lovers IPA. Tough to find any sweetness in here. there's a hint of cracker like malt going on, but that's pushing it. I'm not a hophead so I really need more yin to this yang. It's not crazy bitter, but it really lacks any malt backbone.

O- Nice hopmonster if that's your bag, but that's just not my bag. It needs more balance than this.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2011 04:02:48 | More by sentomaster

Crosling

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -21%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pure west coast hops in the nose. Authentic and just how an IPA should be. Very vibrant. Color is a very light gold, with ample foam. Flavor, however, is a bit of a letdown. Doesn't have a lot of malt depth. The hops arn't as vibrant as I'd like. Needs more bitterness. Still high quality, but just not as hoppy as I'd like.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2008 00:58:33 | More by Crosling

doppelmeup

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -21%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

It was with great anticipation that I opened this bottle of Sculpin IPA.

Lemon yellowy-gold colored, this poured with just a so-so head. It refreshed fairly well as I swirled the glass, but nothing spectacular.

Aromas were nice: lots of citrus-primarily grapefruit and lemon. Also hints of cut grass, pine, apricot.

I was really let down with the taste. Definitely an IPA, but I didn't care for the hop profile. I'm not sure exactly which hop variety it contained that I don't care for, but my guess is Simcoe. The beer had a bitter, caustic quality that I did not care for.

Mouthfeel was okay, but not spectacular. Slightly dry finish. Not overly carbonated.

Overall, I did not care for this beer and was quite disappointed, especially given it's price. I paid about $10 for the bomber, and wish I had spent that money instead on a 6-pack of Two Hearted Ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2010 13:53:44 | More by doppelmeup

thetomG

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sipping on this one as I type... form a bomber (obtained from foppa78 at DLD - thanks bro!) into my Dogfish Head signature glass.

Pours a mostly clear golden color with a nice fluffy white head. Aroma is solid but doesn't really blow me away. I'm picking up a bitter citrus almost slightly lemon flavor. Bubbly carbonation rules the palate at first with a more gentle smoothness on the finish.

Overall I have to say I was a bit disappointed by this. No doubt it is a great representation of the style, but I just didn't love it as much as I was hoping I would.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2010 00:17:15 | More by thetomG

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.5/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Look - golden color, clear, with good carbonation and about two fingers worth of off-white fluffy foam that dissipates slowly.

Smell - lovely hop aroma. A hint of the mango is present as well.

Taste and Mouthfeel - I don't taste much of the "sting", but the hoppy taste is certainly there. There is a bit of a bite toward the end though. Only a little bit of the mango or orange is noticeable. The texture is pretty well balanced, but leans more toward the watery side.

Overall - not a bad brew. Love the hoppiness of it, although it's not terribly perplexing.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 05:04:23 | More by Nerudamann

JohnnyMc

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First beer from Ballast Point.

Pours out a pretty clear, orange with yellow and a 1 finger white head.

Smells of citrus fruits and a slight hint of piney hops.

The taste is pretty standard. There are notes of grapefruit and orange with barely any taste from the malt and a nice dry finish that's pretty bitter. The body is a bit thin and the hops aren't overpowering in the least.

Not a bad beer, but not as hoppy as I was hoping for. Would like to try more from this brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2012 22:01:23 | More by JohnnyMc

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -21%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle poured into a tumbler pint glass. Best by date is 09/07/12, so this should be nice and (relatively) fresh...

A: Pours a lightly cloudy golden amber color with light carbonation. The head is a nicely frothy two finger offwhite head with excellent retention and texture. Leaves a nice ring of lacing, and is a generally beautiful beer.

S: Nicely tropical, with notes of mango, apricot, and passion fruit. A little bit of the malt backbone pops up here, too. Nice smelling, but not quite as boldly aromatic as I was expecting.

T: Much like the nose, strong tropical fruits (mango, grapefruit rind, and apricot) open things up, and stay there throughout the flavor progression. Aside from the citric notes, this is also very piny (and almost peppery) in its hop composition, especially on the finish. The malt backbone is just there - all it does is provide a neutral canvas while giving a nice balance. I like the complexity of the hop character, but this isn't the end all be all I was expecting it to be. It's still a good IPA, though.

M: Very dry and very oily. It's a rather coarse and prickly beer in general; a little more smoothness would be incredibly welcome. While the coarse, well carbonated character gives it nice drinkability, it means it's a little harsh going down.

O: It's a good IPA. It's a very good IPA. But it's NOT the masterpiece I hoped it would be. I feel like it's a little too harsh to truly belong in the elite tier. And given its price here on the East coast, I doubt I'll revisit this again (except on tap).

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 00:56:49 | More by ThisWangsChung

dwilson01

California

3.53/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served poured out of a bomber into a pint glass, lots of initial carbonation in the bottle but poured very smoothly, medium amount of head, dissipates pretty quickly but stays around due to constant release of carbonation.

Didn't appear cloudy at all, looks like it has been filtered , definitely glows when held up to the light, golden coloring.

Smell is not too intense for an IPA, between all the flavors I detect the bitterness of the hops coming through the most. I get no sweet smell, small amount of citrus but mostly the bitter west coast style IPA.

Taste follows the smell, it's all hop bitterness with not too much malt in there although I get a little more of that than in the smell. Very solid flavor though, consistent and stays with you after you throw it back for quite some time.

Pretty thin mouthfeel due to the small amount of malt in this one, I think they probably just threw barley in there with a single kind of hops to maintain a single flavor throughout the tasting which they definitely achieved.

Overall, likeable beer but forgettable. Maybe I got a bad one or something but I think this one may be a little sandbagged in the overall grade it snags on here. I guess that basically I was expecting a bit more than I got in the flavor and feel of the beer. This one was really just the big eye IPA with a greater amount of hops in it so not too exciting.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2010 06:05:22 | More by dwilson01