Sculpin IPA - Ballast Point Brewing Company

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.49/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Finally, at long last, I got the chance to enjoy a sculpin. actually, I enjoyed three of them! the setting was the strip house steak joint in the planet Hollywood casino in las vegas, Nevada. I sat down with my hockey teammates, who all ordered a fancy cabernet, but I asked to glance at the beer list, and there it was, sculpin ipa. it poured a beautiful cloudy grassy pale golden color, with an inch or so of off white head that lasts forever, leaves excellent lacing, and is easily reinvigorated with a swirl the wine glass I asked the server to bring me. the nose on it is long and hoppy, but not in that dank oily sweet fruity way that some of these are, but more subtle, not more simple, but more in focus, more sure of its identity. there are notes of fresh pineapple and spruce, but this is neither bitter nor sweet. its got an impressive degree of malt balance, as well as a yeast character that reminds me of some of the European ipa offerings. the flavor is standalone. its got a gorgeous hop bouquet, with some floral notes in there too, but I cannot quite place any of the specific varietals. less citrus and more pine than I expected, and a forever finish that's both refreshing and filling to a degree. the alcohol is impossible to pick out. feel is also lovely, with effervescently bright carbonation that tickles the tongue without being invasive, and a medium body that doesn't stand in the way of the flavor. this was the absolutely perfect complement to a 20 ounce bone in ribeye, dry aged, rare. I had three of these with my steak, and would have had more if they weren't 12 bucks a go. what a glorious ipa this is, distinct from the crowd, and worth every word of the hype. really sensational brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 19:15:58 | More by StonedTrippin

Dduquette

Maryland

4.3/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a Sam Adams beer glass with an amber color and a light head that faded quickly. Smell of grapefruit and strong bitter taste on the front end. Floral hops linger in the mouth. Sweet malt back that nicely rounds out the hops. Very nice carbonation and just a bit of a creamy mouthfeel. Overall, not as good as I expected but it is an excellent IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 22:50:34 | More by Dduquette

wes123

Pennsylvania

4.69/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Very clear media amber color, light head that fades quickly, some sticky lacing. Stong smell of grapefruit and and pine. Strong bitter taste on the front end. A very complex hope flavor with floral elements, grapefruit and pine. Floral hops linger in the mouth. Sweet malt back that nicely rounds out the hops. Very nice carbonation and just a bit of a creamy mouthfeel. Overall, this is an excellent IPA. One of the best.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2013 01:40:40 | More by wes123

Zbyler

Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Drank this on 4/17 with an enjoy by date of 4/22 so it was at the end of its freshness

A- amber, golden color with short amount of white head. Decent lacing

S- piney floral hops, light bready aroma, citrus fruits (grapefruit, orange)

T- Resinous floral hops up front that give way to a strong caramel malt backbone. Grapefruit rind, spices and pine flavors on the mid palate. Strong bitterness and peppery notes on the finish.

M- Thick, oily, resinous moderately carbonated.

O- Good beer but not great as the ratings suggest. Maybe it was because it was close to the end of the enjoy by period. Solid offering from Ballast Point but I need to try a fresher one in order to properly determine whether I would purchase it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 02:08:29 | More by Zbyler

AmitC

Indiana

4.61/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter. Enjoy by date of 06/29/13.

Color is pale golden. About two finger thick off white head with excellent retention. Very nice lacing. Some bubbles seen rising up. Clear and transparent.

Aroma is of raw mango pulp and grapefruit. Citrus, grassy, herbal and spicy aromas dominate. The malt content is the dominating factor. Strength is strong. Bitterness is very well forecast here.

Taste is just the same as nose. A bit more accentuated. Raw dry hops burst upfront. Bitter and full of lupulin acids. A solid middle of caramel malts but still pretty much dominated by hops. Nice and easy on palate. Finish is deeply bitter. Hops linger on the palate for a good amount of time. Grapefruit and grassy hops. Slightly spicy and herbal. Sap.

Mouth feel is medium bodied. Moderate on carbonation. Oily touch. Somewhat resiny and piney. Nice bitterness and warmth.

A very solid IPA out and out. This is a winner from the word go.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 01:47:22 | More by AmitC

Beelzebeer

Newfoundland (Canada)

4.84/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

330ml bottle, BB June 15th/13

A - Golden brown, with good amount of head. Nice lacing.

S - Bitter, malt, typical West coast AIPA

T - Perfect! There's a really nice rounding at the end that I've never tasted in the other brews. The IBU really mellows out quite nicely.

M - Perfect. Something to lightly chew on.

O - Near perfect. Keep up the good work.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 01:02:00 | More by Beelzebeer

Jonada

New Jersey

3.81/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle. Enjoy by 7/7/13. Served in a Russian River pint glass

Appearance: Pours a golden, light amber color with 1 finger of a soapy eggshell colored head. Quite a bit of fine sediment floating in the glass.

Smell: Pine, fresh cut grass, grapefruit, peach, hint of caramel malt.

Taste: Grapefruit, citrus, pine, floral, biscuity malt. Bitterness is medium, but not overpowering.

Mouthfeel: Lighter side of medium bodied, medium carbonation. Slight lingering bitterness, but it's pretty mild

Overall: Pretty good. Not mindblowingly awesome, but pretty good. I'd get it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 23:59:23 | More by Jonada

Stevedore

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Chilled 12oz bottle, enjoy by 4/22/2013, poured into a Bell's snifter and quaffed today 4/14/2013. So this beer wasn't drank fresh- at worst this is a placeholder review for when I do get a fresher bottle. Thanks to mgm54 for providing this one as an extra.

Aroma: Dang, smells full of tropical fruit and citrus. Pineapple and grapefruit up the wazoo, a little bit of pine. There is some honeyed biscuit in the nose, but its mostly the hoppiness. Very strong, sticky nose that whets my appetite easily. (5)

Colour: Hazy dark copper body that reminds me of unfiltered apple juice, with a nice 1cm white head that dissipates fairly quickly into a decent sized collar that leaves patches of lacing here and there as I drink the beer. Very appetizing appearance. (4)

Flavour: Pretty good! Starts off with pineapples and grapefruit flavour with very faint hints of pine, transitioning to a bready toffee sweetness and finishes off with citrus and pine bitterness- a smooth, thirst-quenching finish. For an IPA, it has quite a bit of a bitter finish, but I like the underlying sweetness of the malt that helps to balance it out. I think if it were fresher, it would merit a 5 as the initial hop flavours would be stronger to help balance off the bitterness. But we shall see about this the next time I get some of this brew. (4)

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied brew with very good carbonation. The aftertaste is very bitter but smooth and pleasantly combined with an underlying sweetness, such that it's not mouthpuckering. A pretty resinous brew that coats the tongue and leaves it stinging with the bitterness. No heat at all, even when it gets warmed up. (4)

Overall: It's a very good, even excellent IPA. I'll come back to re-review this beer the next time I have a fresher bottle and see if the flavour is affected at all. But as it stands, this beer that's close enough to its expiration date is still a very good one. I think the hop flavours could bear a bit more of strength in comparison to the hop bitterness even though the underlying malt backbone is solid. (4)

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 23:57:35 | More by Stevedore

riversider76

New York

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

I don't believe I've ever given a perfect score, but this beer is amazing. It pours a golden orange with a thin white head. Excellent retention and lace. Aroma is of fruits,spice,grassy hops. Body is solid, and nicely carbonated. Taste is an explosion of fruity hops. Crisp and smooth with a great finish. I'm at a loss for words. I gave this beer a perfect score, because for me there is nothing that could be done to improve it. Go out and find this beer if at all possiable. EXCELLENT!

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 18:31:48 | More by riversider76

retry4z

California

4.03/5  rDev -9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served cool from a bottle into a Dimpled Mug Glass.

Poured form a slight heigh to create a bigger head, but the head quickly rose and spilled over. The retention is average, but the head is beautiful, with nice lacing. The color is light copper, and the beer is not too clear, with some fogginess.

smell strongly of flavorful hops, grapefruit, and pine.

Not overwhelmingly bitter at 70 IBU (I think human detection limit), tastes fresh and hoppy. Some citrus, hint of sweetness, and pine flavor.

Feels fresh and crisp, with medium consistency that's pretty easy to drink except for the hoppiness. 7% abv barely detectable, and a medium to high carbonation.

Overall, one of the better IPA's, well balanced, but a tad too bitter.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 03:38:28 | More by retry4z

gr0g

New Jersey

4.55/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear, pale amber color. Two finger head with good retention. Sparse, but nice and intricate lace curtains adorn the glass. Pungent, fruity, floral aroma. Even though this bottle is only 4 weeks old, if the info on https://sites.google.com/site/freshbeeronly/u-s-breweries is still up to date, it doesn't seem as aromatic as previous bottles I've had. Still, there's a lot to enjoy here. Well integrated tropical fruit, citrus rind, and sap.

Wonderfully bitter from start to finish. Moderately dry with a steady malt undercurrent that never overshadows the hop notes. Bitter citrus rind is prominent. Very quaffable for a bold IPA. Texture is oily and sudsy, with just a bit of a prickliness from the carbonation shortly after the pour.

More than the sum of its parts, Sculpin lives up to its billing as an elite IPA. For lack of a better term, it's more "drinkable" than other 7%-8% IPAs, though also more expensive.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 00:24:41 | More by gr0g

MisSigsFan

California

4.48/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours a golden amber color with a thin, white head that dissipates quickly and leaves good lacing. Smell is mostly citrusy and bits of pine. This is probably one of the more citrus centered West Coast IPAs I've had. Taste is very citrusy with light pine notes and other fruits as well. Just a bit of sweetness at the end. Just the right amount. Also probably one of the least bitter WC IPAs as well. Mouth is extremely smooth, crisp, and light, with about average carbonation. What I'd expect from an IPA. Overall, a great IPA, one of the best. I still prefer Stone IPA though. I don't think I'll drink one better for quite some time.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 01:42:10 | More by MisSigsFan

cradke

Texas

4.4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Great finger thick, dense, fine head. Foggy. Golden orange with yellow and grape hues

Smell: Pine! Sweet with a very approachable hop profile. Not overly hoppy but right in line with a traditional IPA.

Taste: Ever green hop profile. Not quite as perky as the bottle I had that was more fresh but still, very enjoyable. A great amount of hop profile, it's not a IIPA caliber of hop, but that's not what it's supposed to be. Acidity and malt is there in good balance,.

Mouthfeel: Spot on. Light but not without feel. Good carbonation. Very Enjoyable

Overall: Very enjoyable! A really nice hop profile. I prefer pine hop profiles to grapfruit and this is right there. Great mouthfeel, and very little alcohol. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 00:28:13 | More by cradke

JamesQuaff

California

4.75/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Tried a bottled Sculpin for the first time a few weeks ago, and it was very good, but didn't exactly blow me away. I think it may have been sitting on the shelf for a minute. Last night I was fortunate enough to get in on a freshly-tapped keg of Sculpin at Taylor's Restaurant, and felt it worthy of a re-review.

Served in a tall snifter.

Pours a deep orange-amber with a 3 finger white head that left so much clinging lace it looked like a psychedelic doily stuck to the inside of the glass. Slightly hazy. Gorgeous IPA.

Huge aromas of peaches and mangoes, floral hops, some bready malt. A nose unlike any IPA I've ever come across. I just sat and inhaled my first glass for several minutes before tasting, the aromas were so juicy and delicious.

The taste was a counterpoint to the fruity nose - it has a spicy, peppery quality, and the perfect amount of hop bitterness to balance out the sweetness of the malts. The hop flavors are so nuanced and delicate for such a highly hopped beer. Big and awesome. Pure deliciousness.

Body was medium, the carbonation had a velvety feel, a little bit of mouth-coating action on the finish.

Overall I'd have to say that now that I've tried it on tap, Sculpin is the finest standard American IPA I've ever had. Complex and multifaceted, huge flavors, but so delicately and masterfully balanced. I'm going back for more before they kill that keg...

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2013 22:49:06 | More by JamesQuaff

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.56/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: It has a nice hazy golden/orange color to it. It has a nice off-white head that dies down moderately and leaves nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of citrus, pineapple, mango, grapefruit, piney resin and some sweet bready/caramelly malts.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a nice tropical taste (citrus, pineapple, grapefruit), a nice piney bitterness and a sweet bready/caramelly malt balance.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium carbonation with a very nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with great flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 20:37:06 | More by SebD

arfenhouse

California

4.49/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Re-reviewing canned release. 6 day old can.

A: Clear copper with white head. Retention is above average. Decent Lacing.

S: Pine, juicy pineapple, caramel sweetness, and bitter grapefruit. Peach in the background.

T: Grapefruit, pineapple, and a some peach. The fruity bitterness is easy to handle. A small bit of sweet bread/honey sweetness. Aftertaste is bitter grapefruit.

M: Medium-full mouthfeel with medium carbonation. On the dry side.

O: Very tasty. Very fruity and overall fresh tasting. Not overly bitter, meets the standards of a high quality IPA.

The canned version differed mainly in the mouthfeel. Feels fuller bodied with a little less carbonation than the bottled versions.

Serving type: can

04-03-2013 06:54:27 | More by arfenhouse

gcamparone

Rhode Island

3.91/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a tulip. Purchased in North Attleboro, MA

A- Pours a slightly hazy light orange body with a frothy white head that reduces to an uneven layer of foam. Leaves spiderweb lacing.

S- Heavy alpine, almost like a christmas tree, lemon peel, resin. Smells pretty malt forward with caramel, light roasted malt, bread, biscuits, and a certain hop zing characteristic of the heavier bodied IPAs.

T- Starts off kind of soapy and citrusy. The follow through is pine and sweet caramel malt, and the finish is astringent and bitter without much accompanying flavor. The aftertaste is roasty.

M- Medium body, medium carbonation.

I was mildly impressed with this beer at most, especially since it has such a big hype surrounding it. The label says that it has tropical fruit character, and I did not get one fruity note in the aroma or taste (citrus maybe, but where was the mango, apricot and peach?) Maybe this one was past it's prime, the drink by date was this month. I'll have to try another one and re-review if I like it better.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 02:03:27 | More by gcamparone

BlackBearForge

Florida

4.46/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Sculpin sits crystal clear in the glass, a light golden amber hue with a big rocky white head of foam leaving really nice lacing as you drink. Nice looking beer.

The aroma is of hops and more hops, citrusy bright and floral with a strong resin quality too.

The flavor is bursting with hops splashed across the canvas of pale malt. Floral hop flavors merge with the scent while grapefruit, orange and other citrus surge forward with a nice lingering resin in the background. As hoppy as this beer is it is not overly bitter (perhaps that's just an opinion, I have been drinking IPAs for a long time, lol). The hops do however build through to a nice lingering bitterness on the back of the palate with just enough malt to see it through.

The mouthfeel is medium, very smooth and carbonated to exactly the right point to add a little creaminess without getting in the way of the bursting hop flavors.

I've heard lots of great things about this beer and now I know. They weren't kidding, if you love IPAs and hops you will love the fresh hoppy goodness that is Sculpin!

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 22:19:57 | More by BlackBearForge

jjboesen

Maryland

4.84/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A recent lunch at Rustico in Arlington, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC, provided an opportunity to enjoy this Ballast Point stalwart on cask. Poured into the requisite snifter, this beauty boasts a semi-translucent body of amber that shimmers seductively beneath a sheer veneer of spongy froth.

Upon the initial nose, the eager quaffer receives a massive miasma of spruce, a veritable liquid Christmas tree in a glass. Oh Tannenbaum? A patient quaffer can whiff out a few bits of peach and mango. Meanwhile, down in the palate, there is a peppery blast of citrus accompanied by some short shots of malt followed by a very weak burst of hapless hoppiness as the final taste fades into history. The mouthfeel is chewy with a well defined balance of hop and malt.

So we have another addition to the West Coast “Must Haves.” Those of us in the Capitol Region may not ever get access to the renowned Pliny, but we damn well can have a Sculpin and that’s good enough for me.

Serving type: cask

03-26-2013 00:04:48 | More by jjboesen

tomakeanend

California

4.58/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Excellent brew from down San Diego way. Ballast Point's Sculpin IPA is a very light kind of American IPA, with the hops balanced well with lots of fruit and citrus. The finished product is very drinkable and smooth, with a broad, albeit, indecipherable pallet. Pricey, but excellent.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 03:42:37 | More by tomakeanend

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.04/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

22oz bomber, can't find a bottled on date

A - looks like I think an IPA should. Cloudy apricot type color. Pour produces about 2 inches of head, dissipates to an 1/8 of an inch of white white foam.

S - orange peel, grapefruit, a little bit of booze, some light malt somewhere in there.

T - bitter citrus bomb. Lots of pithy orange and grapefruit. Nice and clean, simple but satisfying flavor profile. No biting bitterness. Easy drinking.

M - light, fine carbonation. Light feel.

O - a super easy drinking and enjoyable IPA. This is one that you could get you in trouble as it is super easy drinking and hides the ABV. Very enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 02:01:55 | More by Beerandboards

mwilbur

Minnesota

4.85/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from 12oz bottle into pint glass.
A: Pours a pale golden yellow with moderate carbonation producing a thin white head that quickly dissipates.
S: Fresh citrus (orange, grapefruit, and lemon) hops. Very refreshing and aromatic.
T: Follows aroma perfectly and actually offers a bit more intensity. Excellently balanced, especially for style.
M: Light body and extemely smooth for style. Nicely refreshing with a dry and mildly bitter finish. Light and yet lingers nicely on the palate...excellent for style.
D: A truly superb IPA. Seek it out! Wonderfully refreshing and sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 01:27:53 | More by mwilbur

WolfsbaneBloom

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy bright yellow orange with a fluffy two fingers of off-white foam.

Smell: A tropical fruit medley of pineapple, mango, papaya, and grapefruit. A little yeasty. Quite pungent but nice.

Taste: This is a bitter one. Sharp tangerine and grapefruit with abrasive, resiny pine bitterness. Rather harsh and not all that easy to drink, to be honest.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied but sticky. Once it hits your tongue, it coats it with a thick and lingering bitterness that you just want to scrape off. Very dry finish.

Overall, I was disappointed with this one. It started off promising with a great appearance and a bold fruity/yeasty aroma but the flavor was so overly harsh and unbalanced. After reading other rave reviews I wondered if I had an old bottle but there's an "enjoy by" date right on the label that read 07/13/13 so I have to assume this is relatively fresh. The lively hop aroma certainly attested to that. Its unfortunate the flavor didn't live up to the smell. I really wanted to love this and while its by no means a bad beer, it is unbalanced and excessively bitter in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 16:58:41 | More by WolfsbaneBloom

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz undated bottle into glass.

Slightly hazy lemon yellow pour. Two finger snow white head. Decent lacing.

Bitter pine, slight grapefruit, a touch of orange zest. Slightly grassy.

Bitter pine, slightly malty. I'm going to assume this isn't super fresh. A touch of citrus.

Light body, decent carbonation, lingering bitterness in the finish.

I'm going to be forgiving because regardless of how old, it's still not a bad beer. I'll re-review when I get a fresh bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 22:43:05 | More by korguy123

GuzzLah

Illinois

4/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A - pours a clear gold with a white head and some lace. Bubbly.

S - prominent pine and onions with mild orange and pineapple. Faint malt. Aroma started strong and faded quite a bit after a few sips.

T - smooth. Orange and pineapple upfront with an easy piney finish. Slightly buttery.

M - medium body and medium carbonation. Slightly oily texture. Citrus tang. Smooth bitterness with a short sustain.

O - I thought it was pretty good, but I'm not as thrilled about it as most people seem to be. The onion aroma is not my favorite thing to smell in a beer, but I don't consider it to be offensive. The flavor is pleasant, but not outstanding. This beer reminds be of Lagunitas Sucks which I think is a slightly more enjoyable beer than this.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 22:39:01 | More by GuzzLah