Sculpin India Pale Ale - Ballast Point Brewing Company

pmlondrigan

New York

4.33/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Great honey golden orange color. Puffy dense white head, noticable lacing that slides down the sides of my tulip glass. The aroma is a blend of strong citrusy hops, grapefruit, pinapple and fresh cut grass. Really fresh, real nice. A hop explosion, grapefruit, citrus, tropical fruits and grassy undertones. Simple clean grain flavor. Long lasting lemon citrus bitter finish. Nice mouthfeel, not watery, not thin. And oh so drinkable.
NB. I do believe I personally prefer this to Pliny, that may be however due to how fresh this is.

Serving type: growler

12-23-2010 02:00:25 | More by pmlondrigan

kinged8th

South Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a growler of this from my local shop. Was really impressed with it. Great appearance! Pours a hazy golden color with a nice head that left a decent lace. Mouthfeel of citrus and pine. Excellent hop presence which is what I like. I would like the mouthfeel to be a little more heavy. Overall, believe all the hype behind this beer. Though it is over priced, its well worth it. Too bad its not readily available round here.

Serving type: growler

11-28-2010 01:17:38 | More by kinged8th

beermanbrian

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Fresh growler from Brass Rail.

Golden color with a big creamy soap bubble head. Head sticks to the glass like glue and does not go away. Color is a little lighter than expected but there is nothing wrong with that.

Smell is a blast of citrus and pipe. Slips into grapefruit range, which is my favorite flavor in an IPA. Smell has me looking forward to that first sip.

First taste doesn't disappoint. Citrus up front and then it slips into oily pine. Very good.

This is one of those few beers that's been able to live up expectations lately. This one didn't let me down and has me looking forward to the full growler.

Serving type: growler

11-06-2010 20:15:11 | More by beermanbrian

jeffthecheff

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Half growler purchased fresh from Decicco's. Pours into a tulip glass with a billowing, thick white head of foam atop a hazy, amber-gold color. Great lacing and at least a finger of retention.

Aroma is pungent, citrusy hops. There is so much citrus going on here, it reminds me of a wheat beer brewed with citrus zest. Strong grapefruit aromas are at the forefront, with a bit of mango and tropical fruitiness. There is only a slight herbal hop bite in the back. I usually wouldn't give a perfect aroma score to a hoppy beer without much of an herbal balance, but the strong, complex fruitiness deserves a 5.

The flavor is simple, with a dry, bitter tone dominating the brew. Malt profile adds nothing behind all these hops. Bitterness is very strong, with a somewhat harsh profile. Hops bring some grapefruit peel, grass, and leaves. Not as much fruitiness is represented as the nose does. I think the fruity hop profile could have given this more depth, but it's hard to please the palate after the aroma is so great.

Serving type: growler

10-10-2010 17:57:28 | More by jeffthecheff

Ryan011235

Ohio

4.93/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into a snifter on 9/4/10

Much appreciation to PDXHops for the fresh Sculpin hookup

Bright, with extreme clarity, Sculpin is apricot/amber in color. This is a sharp looking beer. Pours one finger of foam that dissipates after several minutes. A bubbly skim & sporadic, droopy lace are left. Swirling revives some head retention. I some into a tulip; lacing was a touch better.

The aroma is simply phenomenal; it's a veritable fruit cocktail of tropical, hoppy excellence. Tangerine, peach, mango, lemon zest, apricot & hints of grapefruit. The hops are vibrant & juicy. Nips of pine here & there. Not much malt going on, just faint a toasty bread note. The aroma is more assertive than from the bottle I had earlier this year.

Sculpin boasts outrageous hop flavor, moderate bitterness & excellent dryness. Notions of pine underpin the strong citric hops; both of which work wonders together. Notes of tangerine, peach, nectarine, apricot with hints of grapefruit & lemon zest. It's a choice balance of hop flavor & bitterness; something of a controlled explosion. Malts are even less apparent that in the aroma.

The feel is pretty incredible, too. Maybe a touch lighter than medium bodied with fairly ample carbonation, especially when cold. Eschewing vigorousness, the carbonation is lively, accenting the hop flavors. An abundance of tropical tones linger on the finish.

Drinkability is superb. Out of a bottle of undetermined age, this was great. Fresh, from a growler, Sculpin is one of the finest I've tried from the IPA family. Thanks Jeff!

Serving type: growler

09-07-2010 01:27:42 | More by Ryan011235

scottyshades

Florida

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

Growlers of Sculpin for $14 at Green's in Greenville, SC? Yes please

A: Pours a slightly cloudy bright orange color. The head is fluffy, billowy, and retains very very well.

S: In growler form, the nose is a little different than its bottled cousin. The hops are much more aromatic and intense, giving strong notes of pineapple, grapefruit, mango (not as much as the bottled version), lemon, and other citrus fruits. Not really piny or resinous ,which is what I prefer. Malts are subtle, but give enough balance. Truly awesome stuff.

T: Compared to the bottles, this growler tastes amazingly fresh. The hops are bright and flavorful- lots of citrus, tropical fruit, and zest. Bitterness is a little more up front it seems, but definitely manageable. The yeast may be the best part. It adds this unique flavor that is best described as "fresh". Malts balance a little, but this is just a hoppy beer.

MF/D: Carbonation is sometimes a major flaw in IPAs, but this was right on the money. Medium feel to the body. The finish is mango and pineapple juiciness with some bitterness. Alcohol is completely hidden.

Notes- bottle vs growler:
There are minute differences, but I would say that I prefer the growler version due to the freshness of the hops and the aroma. Its really close to call, and either way, its amazing and my personal favorite

Serving type: growler

09-03-2010 17:15:03 | More by scottyshades

PDXHops

South Carolina

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

Growler poured into a Duvel tulip. See-thru glowing golden orange body with impressive retention from the seemingly modest 1-finger head. Loads of crackly lacing.

While points get docked for not looking perfect, make no mistake about it: this is a perfect IPA. I've had it before bottled and was extremely impressed, but I was blown away by the freshly tapped version. Massive fruitiness in the nose- mango, pineapple, peach, grapefruit, melon- with some honey and floral notes as well. The fruitiness carries over into the flavor profile, but is joined by a substantial pine bitterness. Interestingly, a vanilla-like smoothness attempts to join the fun toward the swallow, only to be swatted away by the hop explosion. Malt minds its own business and watches from the sidelines; the only sweetness comes from the fruit. Very juicy and a bit toasty in the finish. Incredibly fresh tasting and delicious, briefly making me wonder where the "6" choice for Taste is. It actually reminds me quite a bit of HOTD Blue Dot, another one of my favorite beers.

Overall impression: Sunavabitch, this beer is good. If it's not the best (D)IPA out there, then it's sure as hell in the discussion.

Serving type: growler

08-31-2010 23:09:43 | More by PDXHops

SiepJones

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a Growler into a snifter

A: Pours a clear gold into the glass. There is a half-inch layer white bubbly head. The bubbles seem very tightly packed into the head.

S: I could smell the citrus hop scent on my pour from the growler. Aroma of sweet citrus fruit: orange, mango, grapefruit, and a little pineapple. Well-balanced aroma as the fruit nor the pine overpower one another.

T: Citrus flavors up front, more specifically grapefruit. Those flavors wash away quickly with the taste of pine hops. The hops finish has a sappiness to it. This is a very well balanced yet complex flavor.

M: The mouth is slick with a slight touch of crispness due to the hops. There is also a slight creaminess to the finish.

D: Really well balanced IPA, the body and flavor of this beer make it an easy drinker that won't completely ruin your taste buds. Enjoy this beer and don't worry too much as the ABV is only 7%.

Serving type: growler

08-20-2010 00:24:15 | More by SiepJones

BeerThursdays

Delaware

4.58/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Short review, because I only got a taste. Growler was filled less than an hour before tasting

A - Poured from a growler into a small taster glass. Was a clear golden color with a small amount of head.

S - Amazing. Citrus all the way. Smells like a fresh cut tangerine. Smelled so good, my friend put his nose right into the beer.

T - Just as good as the smell. Super citrus from the hops. Mango and orange. Not super bitter at all, but the sweet bitterness from this type of IPA. Love this style, just fades so fast, it's hard to come by this good.

M/D. Was served cold, and we only got a taster, so not a lot of time to warm up. As served, it was pretty light and carbonated, but I expect it becomes more full bodied as it warms. Was excellent cold, I would think even better a little warmer.

Love this one. Wish I could get it this fresh more often.

Serving type: growler

08-10-2010 21:17:13 | More by BeerThursdays

Hershdawg

California

4.65/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler into Duvel Tulip

A: Nice white head, good lacing. Golden color. The head becomes a ring around the glass. Overall a great appearance for an AIPA.

S: A huge pile of hops. Lots of late addition hops. Little malt smell.

T: Hops but not extremely bitter. Lots of citrus, and pine flavors from the hop resins. Very nicely balanced.

M: Very light mouthfeel. Less then normal for IPA. Not a bad thing but a little out of style.

D: Very drinkable. Though most probably shouldn't go through more then a bottle.

Great IPA. Highly recommended. Few are this good without being highly bitter.

Serving type: growler

07-18-2010 02:43:11 | More by Hershdawg

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.7/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Picked up a growler at Capone's the other day and figured one more review of this excellent beer would do it no harm.

Sculpin pours a prototypical peachy orange color with very good head retention and lacing (obtained the growler fill on Sunday and opened it on Tuesday). The nose is just typical sculpin perfection and immediately lets you know that you're in the presence of IPA royalty. I get an outrageous and intense aroma profile of dank earth, light tropical fruit flavors, marijuana, black pepper and tobacco. This is just an altogether fine smelling IPA, and is the standard by which all IPA's should be judged. The flavor profile generally replicates the nose, though it's not quite as intense or complex. In any event, this is a West Coast IPA all the way, with the modest sweet malt flavor completely dominated by the lovely hoppy bitterness. The finish in this excellent IPA is dry, long and bitter. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, but there's a mouthwatering quality that one sees all too infrequently. The hoppy bitterness gives way to a crisp, refreshing finish. Drinkabiliy is unparalled... the beer is light and refreshing, with the alcohol barely an afterthought. I'm not sure I can think of another IPA where the alcohol is as well integrated into the flavor profile as it is with this outstanding beer.

Not much more to say really. Clearly, this is one of the best IPA's on the planet and is always an absolute treat to find fresh and on tap. Even poured from a 2 day old growler, this beer is/was just terrific. Yummm!!!

Serving type: growler

06-30-2010 15:39:24 | More by johnmichaelsen

cdizinno

South Carolina

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

Presentation: Poured into a tulip glass from a growler purchased at "GREEN's" at Piney Grove in Columbia, SC.

EDIT: 08-27-10 I had to bump up taste from 4.5 to 5.0. This stuff is incredible and powers up throughout with a nice fruity, piney hop taste.

A: Clear golden amber color. Two+ fingers of white head with moderate, fluffy lacing.

S: Grapefruit, piney hops with mild sweet floral aroma. ALL HOPS BABY!

T&M: Crisp, semi-smooth with pine, citrus hops. Mainly grapefruitish with a mild hoppy, pine bitterness. Semi-dry finish with the typical hop-oily rawness on the tongue. Not too heavy, but mild sandpaper hop roughness. Medium bodied.

Excellent IPA! This stuff is close to the smell of Hopslam and excellent.

Serving type: growler

04-30-2010 23:12:36 | More by cdizinno

ChinHoFive0

California

4.68/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from my new 1/2 gal growler fill from Ballast Point's Scripps Ranch brewery into my trusty Stone IRS tulip glass.

Full house today after their 2010 Beer Cup award & gold medals

A - Bright gold colored, lots of carbonation

S - Smell of pine, citrus, grapefruit, tropical

T - Grapefruit again, nice hoppy bitterness and a crisp, dry-like finish. Almost effervescent, cornicopia of fruits at play. Slight booziness well hidden. Feelin' good right now!

M - Good medium-light body, slight oily feel on lips and tongue.

A damn fine beer. (Piny light) West Side IPA represents at it's best!

Serving type: growler

04-14-2010 04:47:08 | More by ChinHoFive0

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.55/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Fresh filled growler served in a standard pint glass.

Clear golden color with a huge white head that settled to a layer leaving plenty of sticky lacing behind.
Citrus hops in your face!
The taste is full of bitter/sour citrus hop flavors with just enough malt to keep things semi-tame.
Medium bodied with a good carbonation level and feel.
Extremely easy to drink and extremely enjoyable.

Serving type: growler

02-13-2010 17:45:18 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

JBogan

Nevada

4.25/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a growler filled at the brewery (a HUGE thanks to Euel for sharing this). Beer doesn't get much fresher than that.

A clear orange/golden color liquid with a tight white head which stuck around for a long time and left good lacing. A nice but fairly typical looking IPA.

Now for a sniff...and we have a beauty. The aromas coming from the glass make you want to dab some behind your ears and wear out to a fancy restaurant. It's that good. Plenty of citrus fruits and pine, along with some other fruitiness (maybe strawberry and mango) make this an alluring smelling gem.

The tastebuds are greeted with the expected large dose of hop bitterness, but balanced nicely by a little bit of sweet malts. A bit of pepper as well. Only the slightest hint of alcohol present.

Mouthfeel was slick with a medium/thick body. Very smooth and slippery, along with just the right amount of carbonation to give it a lively feel on the tongue.

Anyone who enjoys IPAs owe this one a try. Certainly right up there among the better ones in this style.

Serving type: growler

11-22-2009 15:33:44 | More by JBogan

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.47/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a nice yellowish orange color with good carbonation and a small white head. Nose is pine, grapefruit and other citrus, perhaps ornage, apricot. Taste is huge citrus and pine , sweet and nice bittering. Mouthfeel slight alcohol more citrus, pine and hops. Drinkability is phenom!

Serving type: growler

11-15-2009 15:57:35 | More by barleywinefiend

kkipple

South Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

At last, thanks to our boys at the Charleston Beer Exchange and friend Raverjames, a growler of this sweet, sweet nectar has landed in my fat little hands! I gathered two beer geek friends and we dug in...

A. Dark gold. I thought this would be a bit more amber in color, but nope, it's a dark yellow-gold with a full, fluffy white head that I daresay looks almost Belgian... thick and moussy, and leaves little lacy bits behind. Delectable.

S. Ruby Red Grapefruit. (RRG.) That is all. In fact, so strong and familar was the nose that I grabbed a fresh bottle of Indian Creek Ruby Red Grapefruit juice and poured a glass, we all agreed that the nose was EXACTLY that, plus malt sweetness. By far and away the most intense grapefruit nose I've smelled on any beer. Delicious and pungent; immediate. How Ballast Point does this, I'm really not sure.

T. Well... this is pure grapefruit goodness, folks. Hoppy and spicy with oodles of citrus-fresh flavor. Overflowing with it, in fact. Very clean and pure with distinctive, memorable amounts of citrus hopping. Wet and juicy. Superior IPA from a company that has been impressing the heck out of me lately.

M. Lite, crisp and clean, bittersweet, slightly pithy and (yes, I know it's redundant) grapefruit flavor all up in dat finish.

D. Yes, if you like grapefruit. This is very memorable and the growler went all too quickly.

Is Sculpin really the second-best IPA in existence? I don't know for sure, but I do know I wouldn't mind drinking it on a regular basis to try and find out.

Serving type: growler

06-07-2009 19:49:55 | More by kkipple

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

HeyItsChili

South Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured from a growler into a pint glass. Pours crystal clear gold with a tint of amber and a big, fluffy white head that slumps a bit and sticks around.

S - Smells fantastic. Apricot and grapefruit are potent, sweet, and sugary with and underlying hop bite.

T - Crisp hops tasting like a number of citrus fruits, a fair amount of bitterness, and a nice white pepper spice thrown in there.

M - Extremely light, crisp, and refreshing.

D - Extremely drinkable, the best IPA I've ever had.

Serving type: growler

05-12-2009 22:19:06 | More by HeyItsChili

CharlesRamsey

California

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

What can you say about one of the best? Some might call this a hop bomb, but its balanced so well they would be as wrong as Ariel was for taking those girls. A strong, dry hop presentation with spice, pine notes off of a thin white, low carbonation head. Beers like this make me want to live in the ballast point parking lot.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2013 02:12:22 | More by CharlesRamsey

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into becker. Golden orange, the color of honey, with a thick fluffy white head that fades after a bit but seems to leave lots of lacing. Smells of floral hops with tropical fruit; pineapple and mango are noticeable. Taste is less hoppy than the smell; sweet and clear up front with hops coming in at the end, quite a bitter finish though. A great drinkable IPA though; if the hop flavor had been all throughout, it would have been more of a sipper.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 01:57:13 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

FanofHefe

Illinois

4.24/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz. bottle, best by 9/27/2013, poured into a Duvel tulip. With a reasonably aggressive pour, I get nearly two fingers of dense, off-white head, over a clear, light amber body that has bit of yellow tint. Decent retention a little lacing.

Nice aroma. Starts out mostly citrus, primarily grapefruit, with some light tropical notes following. As it warms, I get a fairly sweet malt aroma as well.

The flavor doesn't stray too far from the aroma. The hop flavors are a bit more on the pine and grapefruit side than the aroma. Only a minor notice of the bready malt, that tends to stay in the background. Very west coast style as far as the up front hop flavors. As it warms, the flavors tend to blend even better.

Medium texture in the mouthfeel and no notice of alcohol. An excellent beer overall. Glad its finally being distributed in my area.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 20:37:28 | More by FanofHefe

Duderino

California

4.06/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Light in color, not much head retention

S- Aroma is strong, with hints of citrus. My expectation was high with inital aroma.

T- Does not match the aroma, was expecting a stronger hop flavor to match. Overall taste is good, clean. Definately gets better when not as cold, hop flavor tends to come out more when drinking in the 50-55 degree range.

M- Smooth mouthfeel, does not linger when drinking. I do prefer big IPA's to stick to the mouth more.

O- A solid beer, overpriced for what it is. Averages about $15 a six pack, would take their Big Eye IPA over this one for about 5 bucks less a sixer.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 04:53:09 | More by Duderino

Shaaarrrp

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This is a very good beer and certainly one of the most drinkable IPA's I've ever come across. No real alcohol taste or hop bite...it doesn't have that devastatingly fresh smell, taste or mouthfeel but it's clearly a well put together IPA with excellent balance that makes it extremely easy to down without regret or hesitation. This would be a great beer for introducing people to IPA's or for those that don't like the bitterness. Definitely worth a try but not amazing.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 00:06:40 | More by Shaaarrrp

FreshHawk

Illinois

4.09/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Nice, light tangerine color with a medium to large, bubbly, airy, foamy, white head. Really nice retention and a nice coating of lace.

S - Citrus and pine are definitely strong. Fair amount of bready malt. Hints of mango and floral notes. Well hopped but I wouldn't call it as aggressively hopped.

T - Similar to the nose. Grapefruit, sweet orange, hints of pine and floral. Solid bready malt flavor in the background throughout. Touches of mango and pineapple but not overly tropical. Nice lingering bitterness.

M - Medium body with average, maybe slightly above average, carbonation. Slightly dry.

D - Very easy to drink IPA. Quite balanced both in regards to amount of maltiness and hops and amount of sweetness and bitterness. Alcohol is not present. Overall, this is quite satisfying.

Notes: Best before 09/23/13. Overall this is a well made IPA. Quite balanced and easy to drink. I wasn't as blown away by it as I hoped given some reviews. It's very solid and well made, but it isn't amazing. Worth a try, particularly at a bar when it is priced similarly to other solid IPAs, but it's a little expensive compared to other IPAs I enjoy as much in bottle format.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 02:25:49 | More by FreshHawk