Habanero Sculpin - Ballast Point Brewing Company

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Hunahpu's Day. The nose is mostly straight sculpin, it has the hop explosion with a faint spice to it. Taste is much more spicy, extremely peppery and hot in the finish with the juicy hops up front. Spice is so strong and lingers. Well carbonated smooth light body.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2013 18:32:41 | More by cpetrone84

dar482

New York

4.3/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

The color is clear golden color with a foamy IPA head. Regular Sculpin has a haziness that this does not have.

The aroma has some citrus, big pineapple, IPA dank hops, and a bit of spiciness.

The taste has a citrus pop and light malt, but then a huge round spiciness. Sometimes with spiciness, it hits the tongue and soaks in, this is different. It rolls all over your mouth with the first sip and then it hits the back of the throat. It's very powerful. I wish it had more hoppiness and bitterness to counteract the spiciness.

This is a weird beer. I wish the spiciness was a bit different and toned down. However, if there was a spicy IPA, I couldn't really imagine it being too much better. Definitely try it.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2013 20:40:35 | More by dar482

TheSixthRing

California

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at Capitol Beer and Taproom in Sacramento, CA

Appearance - A clear, pure golden color, served to me in a 12oz nonic style glass with a white, half finger of head. Fair retention, leaving a thin film of microbubbles on the surface. Nice lacing around the glass with good stick.

Smell - Pineapple, pine, citrus and spice from the habanero.

Taste - Follows the nose; sweet, hoppy fruitiness strikes first in the form of pineapple, hints of mango, citrus and pine before giving way to the strong, but manageable habanero burn. Really natural, authentic pepper flavor, however, skips the unsufferable burning sensation of the habanero and goes straight to the afterburn.

Mouthfeel - Light in body with moderate carbonation. Much like it's predecessor, the Habanero Sculpin goes down so impossibly smooth and light that it's near detrimental; I wanna know I'm drinking a beer.

Overall - Nice variation on an already great beer, though truth be told I much prefer the standard version. They nail the habanero flavor, for sure, without the insane scoville level that normally accompanies it. Good, but for the price, this is probably the first and last time I'll have it.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2013 02:30:11 | More by TheSixthRing

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.84/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Hunahpu Day. Served in a taster.

Appearance - Golden amber with a nice head. Lasts as long as my taster does. Sticky lacing. Looks like Sculpin.

Smell - Hoppy and peppery. Grapefruit and pine. Lots of pepper. Whoa.

Taste - Immediately hoppy. Citrus and grapefruit. Then it's all habanero. Really tastes like the pepper, too. Nice pepper character, if you're into that. I didn't love this when I started drinking this, but it really grew on me.

Mouthfeel - Spice builds very quickly, but drops off quickly too. That's its saving grace. Well carbonated and medium light body.

Overall - Sculpin is great. This isn't quite as good, but a very impressive pepper character. I ended up enjoying this more than I thought I would.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2013 16:02:00 | More by Alieniloquium

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Was a little in the fence about trying this one but I was able to purchase a 5oz pour of it and figured that should be plenty. The beer is a nice looking hazy orange color with a thin white head on top. The retention and lacing were both pretty good here. It's a nice looking beer for sure. The smell of the beer is really nice too, the mango-like hops pop out of the subtle pepper aromas this beer has, reminds me of the Habanero Mango wing sause at Buffalo Wild Wings. The taste has a good complexity to it. The initial flavor is the hoppy IPA, that changes into the spicy pepper that is dominant but not overwhelming. The finish left me wanting another sip. The mouthfeel was smooth, nicely carbonated and surprisingly drinkable. Overall it's a hot beer for sure, but there was some really nice aspects of it that I found really interesting. Worth trying if you can tolorate heat.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2013 18:58:41 | More by Knapp85

mactrail

California

2.75/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

This is one of those "I dare you" beers. I suppose people either love it or hate it. Looks nice enough in the glass with a decent foam and the attractive clear orangey amber color.

On first taste this seems to open a raw stripe down the throat. I can't even seem to taste the usual hop overdose, it's just hot with the afterburners blasting down your gullet. I would think there would be some aroma but my nose seems to be anaesthetized. Clearly they went for the maximum capsaicin rather than any flavor subtleties. I always find a gulp of IPA when eating hot food just throws fuel on the fire. So I suppose this is the case study of IBU plus Scoville index equals hellfire.

I"m trying to taste this objectively, but it's really more pain than pleasure. On tap at California Kebab in Pacific Beach.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2013 05:12:46 | More by mactrail

nlmartin

Ohio

4.46/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Drank a couple of these at a Ballast Point tap take over at Moerlien Tap house.

A- The body of the beer was a coppery orange coloration. Thick yellow tinged biege color head. Nice head retention noted.

S- Pretty much like normal sculpin plenty of mango, grapefruit and pine oil with an addition of peppers. The aroma of the habenero really doesnt give a hint of what is to come.

T- Again pretty similar to normal sculpin mango, grapefruit, pineapple traces a bit of pine and bringing up the rear is a prickly pepper heat. Frankly this is the best use of a chili pepper I have ever exeperienced in a beer. The pepper was masterfully handled in the beers over all character. The heat built up gradually as the pint came closer to completion.

M- The body of the beer is medium and well carbonated. Very nice building heat with creep from the chili peppers.

O- I love sculpin for a reliable hit of hops. Very few beers are even in the same category. The addition of habanero creates a nice peppery drying addition to sculpin. Well done!

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2013 18:56:10 | More by nlmartin

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

$6.50 for 10oz, served in a small chalice
Sampled 04FEB13

[A] Served with a half finger of foamy white head. Retention is moderate with the head slowly becoming a soapy film and bubbly collar. The body is the same gorgeous, hazy, glowing orange hue as standard Sculpin. Lacing in complete sheets.

[S] Light tropical notes plus a substantial citrus aroma. Bitter orange and sweeter tangerine. I don't know when this was kegged - or what the process of adding habanero entailed - but the nose here is much less vibrant than the Sculpin I'm used too. Maybe it's me?

[T] The sweet malt base and bitter hop flavors begin the palate - then gracefully crescendo from a smooth, soothing capsicum, to later becoming somewhat aggressive after the swallow. The balance in heat is absolutely spot on. And always manageable.

[M] Semi full body and creamy smooth carbonation with just a touch of coarseness.

[O] I really like the choice in pepper as the habanero only adds a minuscule persuasion to the palate and nearly nothing to the nose. This potent little pepper brings the heat without upsetting the flavors and aromas of the IPA, which I think is a genius synergy.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2013 14:18:43 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.76/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Draft at The Pour House in Westmont, NJ.

Pours a slightly hazy, dark golden orange color with tangerine edges and a 1.5 finger white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring.  Streaks of soapy lacing left behind.

Complex aroma with an interesting balance of ground pepers, earthy hops, tropical fruit and pale malts.  Somewhat chalky with noticeable peppers but they don't interfere too much with the base beer.  Slightly vegetal with pepper, orange peel, grapefruit and pineapple along with graham cracker and biscuity malt.  

Similar to aroma with a bit more pepper than I expected.  Still it doesn't completely overpower the characteristics of the base beer.  Earthy, piney hops followed by sweet pepper and fiery heat that builds, lingering throughout. Some tropical and citrus fruit sweetness but this is a bit muted because of the peppers.  Subtle pale malt backbone with hints of biscuit, bread and cracker.  Pretty complex with a nice heat/pepper addition but some of the best elements of regular sculpin are overshadowed as a result.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2013 22:57:10 | More by corby112

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Slightly hazy, golden-orange pour, with a small cap of foamy white head; moderate retention and lacing. Hoppy in the nose, citrus and tropical fruits, with a definite vegetal hot pepper presence. It wasn't spicy...yet. The taste started out with a good blast of citrusy hops, and just as the biscuity malts were about to make an entrance, the peppers made their presence known and pretty much conquered all else, leaving the distinctive Sculpin hops in the background, though they were never completely gone. This was a damn spicy beer, and I was definitely loving it. Considering that most chili beers can be an awful mess, this one was definitely very drinkable, about medium in body, with a nice level of carbonation. Still, I wouldn't want to drink too much of this--as opposed to a regular IPA. But it was a nice treat.

Serving type: growler

01-26-2013 23:02:18 | More by Rifugium

Gobzilla

California

4.33/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: poured a translucent golden orange in color with yellow highlights and a nice finger of bubbly head that left a little lacing sticking to the glass.

S: you could definitely sniff out the habanero pepper in the aroma with the signature sculpin notes consisting of piney hops, citrus, a little bready malty sweetness and hints of pineapple fruit.

T: had inviting piney hops, lemon zest, grapefruit bitterness, a good bready malt backbone which was well balanced but with a habanero pepper bang that hits the throat quite well and leaves spicy tingles.

M: the brew was medium in body with a good amount of carbonation which had a sweet, piney, hoppy, bready, citrusy, semi bitter and spicy finish that lingered on the back of the throat.

O: Wow... Sculpin is the bomb but the habanero peppers really do some justice if your into spicy elixirs. Glad I got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 07:12:59 | More by Gobzilla

DocJitsu

California

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

Pours a crystal clear, classic golden color with a pure white head. Wet and slick mouthfeel with a burn one would expect from a habanero brew. Plastic and fresh chili pepper flavors get expressed overtly. Fantastically refreshing. Enlivening without being brutal.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2012 01:29:46 | More by DocJitsu

begforme4484

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Found this on tap at Tyler's Taproom in Apex, NC.

This beer looks just like Sculpin sitting in the glass. It's golden with amber hues. The only real difference is that the head on this beer was very minimal, with practically no lacing on the side of the fluted glass.

Smells like Sculpin but with a hint of pepper oil. I didn't really detect heat in the nose, but I did smell the peppers.

The taste was my favorite part of this concoction. Nice bitter pine hops and grapefruit/mango hops upfront. The flavor from the habaneros add a nice sweet bite the the end of the hop character. Anyone who has ever tasted a fresh habanero or perhaps a hotter pepper like a bhut jolokia, naga viper, etc know that the flavors are very sweet and complex. It definitely added a nice complexity to an already fantastic beer. The 'heat' from the capsaicin kicks in after a few good seconds, just like eating a habanero, it sneaks up on you. I was warned by a few people that it was really hot, but I'm used to spicy foods. To me it was a very pleasant warmth that you felt everywhere. Down the gullet, on your tongue, and even on your lips.

Medium to light bodied and a little under carbonated. I think the oil from the peppers helped tone the carbonation down and gave the beer an overall slick mouthfeel.

I personally loved this beer and will get it without hesitation any time I see it on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2012 19:33:34 | More by begforme4484

beer2day

North Carolina

2.98/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at Ridgewood Wine and Beer in Raleigh.

Poured into fluted goblet with no head and no lace. Amber gold color.

Nose hints at the pepper, but get some of the standard Sculpin fruit and pine.

And then the fun begins. This is nothing but pepper, from start to finish. Hits hot, finishes hotter. All pepper with very little else. Really no indication that this is a Sculpin. While that's not all bad, it would be much better to tone the peppers down ... a lot.

Feel has some of the oily resin from the hops, but after the first couple of sips all you "feel" is fire. And I like spice in my food.

Good to try, but one and done.

Serving type: on-tap

10-13-2012 01:05:52 | More by beer2day

mhksuccess

California

3.65/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

it was served on tap in a goblet
appearance look like the sculpin ipa but has an odd smell
not fruity at all
the problem i have with this and i love spicy foods
but this beer has an overwhelming front end of spicy and there is really no back end
so the main taste you get is just a tingle spice in your throat
i think it would be better with less habanero so you can actually taste the beer
but i do give them props for actually experiment
i would much rather just get a regular sculpin as opposed to this

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2012 19:30:55 | More by mhksuccess

UCLABrewN84

California

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap for the 2nd Anniversary event at Tony's Darts Away in Burbank, CA.

Pours a clear orange with a foamy orange-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of citrus zest, herbal hops, and somewhat mild pepper and habanero aromas. Taste is the same with a burning habanero flavor in the throat on the finish. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good treatment for Sculpin and very interesting to try but there is no way I could drink a lot of it.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2012 05:38:11 | More by UCLABrewN84

orangesol

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on cask at Al's of Hampden.

A - Pours clear golden yellow with a nice one finger tall white head leaving light patches of lace down the glass.

S - Smells of citric hops, spicy peppers and some light caramel sweetness. The hops are strong initially but the peppers really take over as it sits in the glass.

T - Starts off with a nice citric hop bite quickly giving way to a light caramel sweetness and plenty of peppery spice. The first half of the glass wasn't too bad but the second half was all habanero spice. The spice sticks around long after the finish, lingering on the pallet for quite awhile.

M - Compared to the regular sculpin this one is all peppers. The spice grabs hold of the pallet and never lets go. A touch of hop bitterness tries to break through but the peppers never really let it come out completely.

O - I have wanted to try this one ever since I heard about it. I love sculpin but the peppers really drown out the best parts of the base beer. Glad I got to try it but I doubt I would get it again.

Serving type: cask

04-13-2012 23:26:46 | More by orangesol

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Cask delivery, served in a nonic. The brew appears a polished color of orange. Quite attractive looking with a finger of yellowish stained froth. The cap holds fairly well and a light swirl revives it. Patches of lace stick to the glassware with each sip.

I am surprised by how bright and hoppy this brew smells without any indication of peppery quality. This brew smells remarkably similar to normal sculpin with all its hoppy aromatics being the star of the nose. It smells fresh and fruity with minor herbal indications mixed with some floral quality and mild alcohol hint.

The taste starts off just like you would expect from sculpin. Herbal and minor hints of piney bitterness blend into rindy and pulp flavors with a more mild and approachable fruit/floral hop quality. Then all of a sudden, mid-palate there is a flavor burst that is as awkward as a turd in a punch bowl. Holy F'n peppers where did that come from. It is herbal, earthy and very pepery with a hint of veggie aspect. At this point the alcohol is noticed and it draws out a warming sensation from the spicy quality of the peopers.

This is a medium bodied brew with a light level of carbonation. Im not gonna lie, I was really hesitant about this one but in the end, ended up enjoying it with no issue finishing my glass. Its not something I could see myself drinking multpile glasses of or frequesntly but it is well done and worth trying. It was balanced perfectly in my opinion. You knew the peppers were there but it didnt destroy the base beer.

Serving type: cask

04-13-2012 19:32:58 | More by stakem

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On the handpull at Al's. Starter.

A: The cask is remarkably clean, resulting in a clear golden amber elixir, transparent and topped off with a white head.

S: Slight smoke paired with peppers. The aroma is cracked black pepper with just a bit of an indication of heat - the ale saves that for the body. The hoppiness inherent in Sculpin has taken a backseat.

T: Clean up front, the hops are here along with lighter biscuits. The hops quickly lose ground, midsip the heat comes through - a big habanero bite with plenty of residual heat. My first instinct is to take another sip to quell the heat but, of course, that only fueled the fire. The habanero sits like a dusting of cayenne pepper, building in intensity. While never overpowering, the heat is enough to evoke some sweat beads. And swallowing does not good - the heat lingers, gradually dissapating. One needs a good 10 to 15 minutes to completely lose the burn.

M: Sculpin is a bold pairing for the habanero, trying to bring hops to balance out the heat. Sculpin doesn't star here, the peppers blocking it out.

Serving type: cask

04-13-2012 18:25:52 | More by akorsak

bvdubn

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this on Firkin at Al’s of Hampden. It pours amber with about a finger worth of head. The aromas are of pepper. I don’t get the citrus and grapefruit from the normal Sculpin. The initial taste is a mellow sweetness but then it finishes with the peppers. As it sits the pepper continues to dominate the taste and the hops and the malts never really come through. I can see why people don’t like this as it is nothing like the traditional Sculpin. I on the other hand lover peppers and I thoroughly enjoyed this beer and I would absolutely drink this again. If you can find a place serving this it is definitely worth a try. I paired it with some pizza and the habaneras in the beer meshed well with the pizza.

Serving type: cask

04-13-2012 02:24:54 | More by bvdubn

BoatsSinkBro

3.38/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Public House, SF Beerweek 2012.
-Color akin to regular sculpin, hazy amber.
-Aroma was akin to regular sculpin, citrus notes, but with a bit of pepper heat. You can smell this was different and was gonna be hot.
-Taste was citrus IPA start and a a little bit of piney hop middle/finish, but the habanero kicks in towards finish and stays.
-The heat sticks with back of tongue and throat almost like oil.
-Every consecutive drink was just hotter and stronger than the citrus/hop flavors.

Here's the thing, I'm betting this beer would be a GREAT food beer (I had it by itself), something to take the edge off the heat (food) and with a renewed gulp of well-loved sculpin + heat flavor in between. But as a beer drunk by itself, unless your taste buds is highly developed, it's just gonna burn with every consecutive drink and that'll be most of what you taste for the whole session.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2012 11:55:27 | More by BoatsSinkBro

jethrodium

California

3.8/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Public House. Pours a clear pale amber with a small tan head that has good retention and leaves a lot of lacing on the glass. The aromas is grapefruit, pineapple, tangerine, a hint of caramel malt, some pepper, and a grassy, vegetal note. The initial taste has a bit of sweetness with pineapple, tangerine, and some orange. The finish is pepper, grassy, and vegetal. The hops and pepper dominate any malt. The finish has a decent bitterness and a lot of pepper heat. Very spicy with the heat lingering for quite a bit. Medium body. Medium carbonation. This is a bit of a novelty, but I found it enjoyable. I certainly wouldn't recommend to someone who doesn't enjoy habaneros, but I'm glad to have been able to try it. Not as good as regular Sculpin, but worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2012 22:13:55 | More by jethrodium

largadeer

California

4.31/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Draft at Publick House. Pretty standard clear amber Sculpin appearance. The head is thin and fleeting, settling to a film.

Big tropical fruit hoppiness on the nose along with equally big habanero. Oily, peppery, completely dominated by hops and peppers with a negligible malt character. Strangely, the habanero and hops work pretty well together.

Peppers are actually more dominant on the palate. It's pretty sticky and oily, with plenty of pineapple and grapefruit behind the burning habanero. As the nose implies, malt is completely overshadowed by the hops and peppers. The body feels light like regular Sculpin, but the peppers replace the drying crispness with an oily heat. The heat lingers throughout the finish, but it isn't too excessive or harsh. Not a subtle beer by any means, but really pretty tasty. Recommended if you like the flavor and heat of habaneros.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2012 06:15:14 | More by largadeer

mithrascruor

California

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at O'Brien's, San Diego.

Pours a clear, light copper color. Has a light, white head with little retention. Mild hoppy aroma, with just a hint of hot pepper. The flavor has some light hops, a bit of malt, and a lot of spicyness! The spicyness builds throughout the taste and lasts into the aftertaste. Smooth and medium-bodied with light carbonation.

A great chile beer! I love how spicy it is, but you lose a lot of the flavor of the Sculpin.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2012 03:17:27 | More by mithrascruor

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

on tap at khyber in philly

Pours a slightly hazed golden color with some orangey hues. Thin white head rests on top, wispy retention and spotty film on the glass.

Interesting combination of scents - beginning with grapefruit and pineapple and then turning into a peppery spice. Almost a grilled habanero scent with hoppy bitterness.

Nice bitterness up front with citrusy pith. Grapefruit, pineapple, and apricot come through for a brief moment before....Boom! Explosive peppery heat begins to creep in and burn the palate. Pretty wild stuff, as this really sneaks up on you and continues to build on the back end. Finishes with peppery heat and spice.

Medium body, decent carbonation, slightly creamy, hot on the tongue. This is a fun one to try, but not something I'd want more than two ounces of.

Serving type: cask

12-02-2011 02:58:15 | More by xnicknj