Sculpin India Pale Ale - Ballast Point Brewing Company

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

Rast

Maryland

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

Pours like liquid gold, with the beautiful bullion color to match. The nose is citrus, grapefruit. Mild carbonation allows for maximum hop exposure on tongue. Taste develops slowly, like a Godspeed You! Black Emperor tune. Aftertaste is lingeringly lovely. I'd sip this Sculpin sitting on a dock.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 00:31:13 | More by Rast

zeledonia

Minnesota

4.09/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Best by 25 May 2013. Trying to taste all of the beers of fame, so I traded for this one. Thanks to BeerThirty for the bottle. Tasted 16 March 2013.

Pours a bright medium orange. Almost totally clear, just a thin haze blurring the details. Half finger of whitish head, okay retention, some lacing. Decent enough.

Smell was good on the first hit, powerfully hoppy. Fruity, with bits of grapefruit, peach, and pineapple. But every subsequent sniff comes nowhere near it. It's like the smell blew away within a minute of popping the bottle. On the second pour, I can barely pick up the hops at all. This is half 4.25, and half 3. Weird.

Taste is in the upper tier of IPAs. The fruity hops come through much more in the flavor than they do in most beers. Starts out grainy and slightly sweet, grapefruit rind kicks in astringent and bitter, before it drifts into a chalky bitterness. Aside from the grapefruit punch, a low-level lemon-orange citrus flavor permeates it. Bitterness level is right at the peak, just beyond perfect, and almost on the downslope, but reeled in at the end before it can start to bother me.

Feel is quite good. Medium-light body, kinda airy. Carbonation right where it should be, rising up, then sliding slowly down. Lasting, but cutting off right when I want it to.

I like this beer, but it doesn't wow me. I think the big let-down is that I want a top-notch IPA to blast my nose with hops. This one did, just once. Taste is excellent, though. And both the taste and the feel show restraint, backing off just when I worried they'd start getting worse.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 03:14:57 | More by zeledonia

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.36/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

355ml bottle poured into tulip, cheers IanSpindler for the bottle

A clear golden liquid with just a couple visible bubbles slowly making their way to a finger of foam that hangs around for a few sips leaving a couple partial rings of lace

S pineapple and pine, tangerine, grapefruit, apricot and peaches, big tropical blast with a little mango too, smells pretty nice if you ask me, just a little toffee hiding in there and slightly catty but for some reason I like that in my beer

T some lemon and lime I wasn't smelling, a little more rind opposed to the fresh flesh I was smelling, I get just a hint of booze but its no concern, pretty solid

M a a little bitter snap to it and a little slick after the fact, medium bodied with much more carbonation then what I could see in the glass, piney rind lingers long on the finish

O I could drink myself stupid with this stuff in a hurry with this stuff, I only have a sip left in my glass and I only started typing a few minuets ago. Great example of the West Coast IPA, I'd be drinking this all the time if I could get my dirty hands on it

This beers well deserving of its reputation, it hits all the spots and leaves me craving more. I heard my wife say the other day she wants to go to California, I'm starting to agree with her but I think we may have different reasons for wanting to go.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 17:06:26 | More by wordemupg

rdilauro

Connecticut

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

As soon as I opened this one, the hops came flying across the room in full bold force. I was expecting an IBU number of 150+

Dont care what the actual IBU is, but the bouquet was outstanding and the taste was even far better.

I now have to say, it is now my favorite IPA. This one was as close to perfect as I expect out of an IPA.

The first taste was great, the mouthful was better and the aftertaste even better Beer Heaven as it should be

:Review Update: I realize that in my initial review, I was too excited about this beer that I never really described it.

But I will say, that HOPS did come flying across the room. They were strong and constant hops that helped maintain the bitterness of this beer with the malt. Nicely balanced.
The aftertaste was almost better than the initial tastes!

You dont run across many beers like this one. Anyone who is serious in beer tasting needs to try this one.

03/15/13
Another tasting of Sculpin. This was really the first time since I've read about how some hoppy beers need to be consumed soon. In fact one person, told me specifically that Sculpin needs to be consumed within 3 or 4 months after release.

Well, in the past two years, I have had about 8 Sculpins spaced over time. 3 of them were from a shipment we received in early 2012. The rest of them we took shipment in January of this year. Tonight, I had one from early 2012.. With my eyes closed, there was nothing that took away from this beer! Now the appearance wasn't as great. It had a cloudy haze initially.
Tonite , I used one of my Duvel Tulip glasses that I think showed off more of the cloudiness.
Its been about 10 minutes from the initial pour. Still a bit cloudy, but not as before. The grassy citrus grapefruit nose was present again, perhaps just a tad off from the newer ones, but still for me, deserved the 5.... So, I guess the younger Sculpins should get a 5.5.

The smooth big body matched with its uncanny bitterness still showcases a great beer

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 00:14:56 | More by rdilauro

hopfen

California

4.88/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Picked up a sixer for $13.49, just getting into IPAs and this was the most I have ever paid in my life for a sixer, but man oh man....was it worth it.

12 oz bottle poured into a tulip glass.

A- Bright orange golden amber like a sunset over Malibu in a glass.

S- Wow! What a great aroma of pine, orange, grapefruit, and flowers

T- Amazing, the first sip was pure nirvana. Rich but crisp, hoppy up front but it ever so gently turns into a bouquet of citrus and pine. The bitter hoppy after taste lingers just enough then just disolves away in your mouth like orange cotton candy. Simply a work of palette art.

M- Smooth and no residue lingering at all.

O- The best tasting beer that I have ever had. Its like getting kicked in the mouth with a pair of fuzzy slippers dipped in sweet nectar. Amazingly good and worthy of the price and hype. I am eager to see how it holds up against the other big hitters. Was a step above the Stones I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 03:32:17 | More by hopfen

screamking

Ohio

4.41/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into snifter.

Appearance-pours medium orange with a 1 finger white head, not much lacing but some. 3.75

Aroma-grapefruit and orange dominate the early smell. Followed by a earthy pine that adds a little more depth. Dried apricot is in there as well. 4.25

Taste-The taste follows the aroma exactly. Two grapefruits battling in your mouth, first is sweet the other is bitter. Then comes the outdoors, pine and honeysuckle. Lots of orange in there as well. Great even taste. 4.5

Feel-light to medium body, very easy to drink, nice carbonation. 4.5

Overall-Surprised, yes I am. Didn't quite expect this beer to be this good. Very well balanced and drinkable as hell. Surprised that this is a 7% abv beer, yes. I would put this beer up there with the doubles that get all the hype. 4.5

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 02:06:50 | More by screamking

VALIS666

New Hampshire

4.08/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy gold with typical lace. Lots of sweet orange on the nose, very nice. Taste? Well, maybe mine is a tad stale from being on the shelf for a bit, but I’m not seeing where this beer’s legendary status comes from. I get a fair amount of juicy orange, which I like, but it doesn’t have the biggest bite and there’s a funky aftertaste I can’t quite place. A good one for sure, but it wouldn’t make my personal IPA top-10.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 01:35:34 | More by VALIS666

JMScowcroft

Vermont

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

Ballast Point Brewing Company - Sculpin India Pale Ale - 1pt 6fl oz bottle

I had been recommended this brew from a friend, and I am so glad I finally got around to trying it!

Look - Nice bottle artwork. Pours golden copper with a smaller, soapy head. Great lacing. Moderate carbonation. Great looking brew.

Smell - Fruity (apricots, lemons, etc) with smooth hops. Some malt is detectable when the glass is agitated.

Taste - Smooth, zesty fruit, immediately followed by a blast of bitter (not too bitter) hops. Mini throat bomb (bite) at the end as it goes down. This unique flavor is so well done, similar to Lagunitas Sucks idea but different fruits and stronger hops.

Mouthfeel - Rests hoppy and fruity but comfortable, fades gently. Good drinkability but admittedly a bit boozy here. If I had to pick a minor flaw, it would be here.

Overall - Great, full bodied, unique as hell IPA. Intriguing blend, would highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 11:39:59 | More by JMScowcroft

flydudehsv

California

4.85/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Very nice IPA. Aroma mellow citrus fruits, well balanced but not screaming pine like some good IPAs. Slight passion fruit. No head retention, not that pretty. Light amber. Very well balanced with sharp but quickly fading citrus fruit. Beautiful bitterness it finish with a sharp tang at the end. Great mouth feel. Coats your mouth. Overall very nice, not the best IPA in the world anymore but still up there.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 07:13:07 | More by flydudehsv

Hendry

Vermont

4.8/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

I'd like to start out by saying that if you are deciding to buy Ballast Point Sculipn IPA in a $9 bomber or the six pack for $15, do yourself a favor and go for the six pack. All of the subtle tropical delicacies are prominent in this flavorlful/hoppy and satisfying IPA. Truth be told, $9 is a steep price for a bomber, one that raises expectations extremely high,maybe too high, into the price range of the highly coveted Lawson's Ale.

Pleasant citrusy nose, well carbonated and quite drinkable despite a sharp bite at first, but the aftertaste is long lasting and pleasant with some alcohol warmth in there.

For my taste, I agree with the World Class status this fine IPA has earned,and it is most worthy of another purchase. Treat yourself right and go get a six pack of this delicious IPA: it is woth the extra few dollars and above the pack!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 04:08:13 | More by Hendry

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Nice pour - Amber to brown in color with a decent head at pour. Some lacing. Finer carbonation. Aroma is bitter citrus. Beautiful clean and refreshing IPA - flavor shows some floral and citrus but bolder than many with similar hop varieties. Sweet up front with a nice, long bitter after taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 02:02:41 | More by Oakenator

Homebrew35

Connecticut

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

Best by 6/27/13
Pours two fingers worth of a soapy white head.
Clear straw colored body with lots of lacing and some head retention

Awesome floral, fruity and some what dank hoppy smell.
This is one of the best year round IPAs I've had in a while.

Taste is fairly grassy, citrusy and resinous. The grassy aftertaste detracts from this one slightly.

Medium thin bodied, medium carbonation. Fairly dry finish keeps this one quite drinkable and somewhat refresing.

Great beer with the aroma being the best part. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. High drink-ability with a fairly good price tag at $15 a 6 packs makes this even better.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 02:42:49 | More by Homebrew35