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Sculpin - Habanero
Ballast Point Brewing Company
- From:
- Ballast Point Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- American IPA
- ABV:
- 7%
- Score:
- 85
- Avg:
- 3.76 | pDev: 15.96%
- Reviews:
- 547
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Oct 20, 2021
- Added:
- Feb 26, 2011
- Wants:
- 200
- Gots:
- 803
Our Sculpin IPA with Habanero Pepper began as a crazy experiment that’s taken on a life of its own. While its bright fruit notes and hoppy bite has made the original one of our favorites, this version takes that balance of flavors to the next level with the citrusy, floral heat of habaneros. Sculpin are known to sting, but this one’s got a kick.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by logicalparadox:
Reviewed by logicalparadox from New York
4.55/5 rDev +21%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.55/5 rDev +21%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Wow. The sculpin is a truly great IPA. Throw in some habanero and what do you get? A truly great chile beer!
Pours a pristine amber with a beautiful off white 3 finger head that leaves rings of lacing around the glass.
Nose is full of fruit; citrus, predominately grapefruit, orange and... Ugli fruit (now renamed unique fruit). Also some tree sap and resinous pine in the background--not too heavy. A faint heat and bits of chile are there if you know to look for them.
Bam! The palate is assaulted, but not a full frontal assault of bitter hops; more like an indirect flanking maneuver of citrusy and piney hops, then bringing up the habanero for the master stroke. The heat is no joke. Not too much, but as you drink it builds a definite sting. The lips and throat are left with a glorious burn, the tongue and palate get a long finish from the hops and the fruity chile notes, and the soul feels complete. You just want... More!
Mouth feel is not too sticky, but full and firm. The bitter hops are gripping but the malts are quite unctuous.
Apr 18, 2015Pours a pristine amber with a beautiful off white 3 finger head that leaves rings of lacing around the glass.
Nose is full of fruit; citrus, predominately grapefruit, orange and... Ugli fruit (now renamed unique fruit). Also some tree sap and resinous pine in the background--not too heavy. A faint heat and bits of chile are there if you know to look for them.
Bam! The palate is assaulted, but not a full frontal assault of bitter hops; more like an indirect flanking maneuver of citrusy and piney hops, then bringing up the habanero for the master stroke. The heat is no joke. Not too much, but as you drink it builds a definite sting. The lips and throat are left with a glorious burn, the tongue and palate get a long finish from the hops and the fruity chile notes, and the soul feels complete. You just want... More!
Mouth feel is not too sticky, but full and firm. The bitter hops are gripping but the malts are quite unctuous.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota
4.33/5 rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
4.33/5 rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Notes from 3/26/2016 first tasting.
12 oz bottle into a 16 oz pint glass.
L: Pours a light orange yellow caramel with a 1/2" white head, good carbonation with some random lacing.
S: Regular Sculpin IPA (essentially grapefruit, citrus, mango) with a musty, musky hot pepper aroma. A light pepper heat sensation under my eyes.
T: Grapefruit, pineapple, peach, mango, pine. Sweet hops then habanero pepper. Lots of pepper. Not too musky nor too hot on the palate (unless one is not accustomed to habanero heat levels) but more so on the back of the tongue and throat. An enjoyable sensation. Fruit flavors remain valid throughout the heat.
F: Just like traditional Sculpin IPA but with Scoville scale heat that enhances the malts and simultaneously allows the bittersweet citrus and pine to pass by long, moderately bitter hot lingering finish. Pepper heat and pine slowly fade.
O: This is one of my personal favorite IPAs and Pepper Beers. Some bottles have more pepper than others and are hotter. I like that. In this case inherent hop flavors blend with the habanero for a refreshingly delicious and exciting IPA. It is very excellent in it's style.
Oct 20, 202112 oz bottle into a 16 oz pint glass.
L: Pours a light orange yellow caramel with a 1/2" white head, good carbonation with some random lacing.
S: Regular Sculpin IPA (essentially grapefruit, citrus, mango) with a musty, musky hot pepper aroma. A light pepper heat sensation under my eyes.
T: Grapefruit, pineapple, peach, mango, pine. Sweet hops then habanero pepper. Lots of pepper. Not too musky nor too hot on the palate (unless one is not accustomed to habanero heat levels) but more so on the back of the tongue and throat. An enjoyable sensation. Fruit flavors remain valid throughout the heat.
F: Just like traditional Sculpin IPA but with Scoville scale heat that enhances the malts and simultaneously allows the bittersweet citrus and pine to pass by long, moderately bitter hot lingering finish. Pepper heat and pine slowly fade.
O: This is one of my personal favorite IPAs and Pepper Beers. Some bottles have more pepper than others and are hotter. I like that. In this case inherent hop flavors blend with the habanero for a refreshingly delicious and exciting IPA. It is very excellent in it's style.
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway
2.88/5 rDev -23.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.75
2.88/5 rDev -23.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.75
355 ml bottle, from the Norwegian importer. ABV is 7.0%. Deep golden colour, slightly hazy. Moderate white head. Aroma of fruity American hops, hints of dust. Can hardly detect the habaneros. Hoppy flavour, some fruit and pine, immediately followed by a vehement habanero burn in the finish and aftertaste. Way too hot. Unbalanced, to a degree bordering on the ridiculous.
Dec 14, 2020Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida
3.43/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
3.43/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
Reviewed from notes. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Cycle Brewing goblet.
A: Hazy gold with a fairly low amount of visible carbonation. Forms a thin white head that fades to a ring of foam.
S: Grapefruit and spicy peppers almost in balance. Some tropical fruit, mangoes, and a light cracker malt body. Not as big of an aroma as I expected, but pretty decent.
T: Spicy peppers and citrus fruit. Some tropical fruits again. Can’t taste much of the malts here – just a touch of sweetness. Then the burn from the hot peppers takes over – quite spicy, to the point of tingling gums and a fire in the belly. A nice chili flavor develops though - it tastes like you’re biting a pepper (though not into a whole habanero, of course). The spice grows and lasts for quite awhile after the swallow, masking any of the fruity hop bitterness that I typically enjoy from Sculpin.
M: A medium body, average carbonation sensation. Who knows about the alcohol flavors that might be lurking under the pepper burn…but it doesn’t seem overly alcoholic.
O: Look – it’s a good (very good) beer that has had a huge amount of spicy peppers added. If that strikes you as something you’d like, I think this is really good. I’m having difficulty finding fault in the beer, other than it’s too spicy for me. And I like spicy food, hot sauce, etc., but I don't look for it in my beer very often. But true faults are few in this beer if you can get around the sheer undrinkability factor - other than you can’t taste around it to find the Sculpin characteristics at all. I will say that the more I drink through the beer in the glass, the less "burny" the beer seems. Maybe my taste buds are seared off.
Aug 04, 2019A: Hazy gold with a fairly low amount of visible carbonation. Forms a thin white head that fades to a ring of foam.
S: Grapefruit and spicy peppers almost in balance. Some tropical fruit, mangoes, and a light cracker malt body. Not as big of an aroma as I expected, but pretty decent.
T: Spicy peppers and citrus fruit. Some tropical fruits again. Can’t taste much of the malts here – just a touch of sweetness. Then the burn from the hot peppers takes over – quite spicy, to the point of tingling gums and a fire in the belly. A nice chili flavor develops though - it tastes like you’re biting a pepper (though not into a whole habanero, of course). The spice grows and lasts for quite awhile after the swallow, masking any of the fruity hop bitterness that I typically enjoy from Sculpin.
M: A medium body, average carbonation sensation. Who knows about the alcohol flavors that might be lurking under the pepper burn…but it doesn’t seem overly alcoholic.
O: Look – it’s a good (very good) beer that has had a huge amount of spicy peppers added. If that strikes you as something you’d like, I think this is really good. I’m having difficulty finding fault in the beer, other than it’s too spicy for me. And I like spicy food, hot sauce, etc., but I don't look for it in my beer very often. But true faults are few in this beer if you can get around the sheer undrinkability factor - other than you can’t taste around it to find the Sculpin characteristics at all. I will say that the more I drink through the beer in the glass, the less "burny" the beer seems. Maybe my taste buds are seared off.
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
1.09/5 rDev -71%
look: 1 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 1
1.09/5 rDev -71%
look: 1 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 1
Unknown vintage; drank 7/3/14 @ World of Beer Evanston.
Clear dandelion hue.
Off-white head; decent lace.
Mild mango nose.
Thin mouthfeel.
Um, nope. From the moment this touched my lips, an unpleasant burn set on my tongue, lips & esophagus.
Endurable but thoroughly unenjoyable. Got through 3-4 sips & rejected it like a baby bird touched by humans.
Apr 01, 2019Clear dandelion hue.
Off-white head; decent lace.
Mild mango nose.
Thin mouthfeel.
Um, nope. From the moment this touched my lips, an unpleasant burn set on my tongue, lips & esophagus.
Endurable but thoroughly unenjoyable. Got through 3-4 sips & rejected it like a baby bird touched by humans.
Sculpin - Habanero from Ballast Point Brewing Company
Beer rating:
85 out of
100 with
2653 ratings
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