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Sculpin
Ballast Point Brewing Company
- From:
- Ballast Point Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- American IPA
Ranked #11 - ABV:
- 7%
- Score:
- 97
Ranked #583 - Avg:
- 4.38 | pDev: 9.82%
- Reviews:
- 2,629
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Wednesday at 08:37 AM
- Added:
- Apr 02, 2006
- Wants:
- 1,596
- Gots:
- 6,200
Originally named Northstar IPA. Debuted in 2005.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by superspak:
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina
4.33/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.33/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 8/22/2016. Pours slightly hazy medium orange/amber color with a 2 finger dense and rocky off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Dense soapy lacing clings around the glass. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big grapefruit, tangerine, apricot, peach, pineapple, mango, lemon zest, orange peel, citrus rind, pine, light caramel, toasted biscuit, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of bright citrus/tropical/pine hops and moderate bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big grapefruit, tangerine, apricot, peach, pineapple, mango, lemon zest, orange peel, citrus rind, pine, light caramel, toasted biscuit, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Good amount of pine/citrus rind/grassy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, apricot, peach, pineapple, mango, lemon/orange rind, pine, toasted biscuit, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of bright citrus/tropical/pine hops and moderate bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and minimal lingering hop astringency after the finish. Moderate dryness from bitterness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, sticky/resinous, and lightly creamy/grainy balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Minimal warming alcohol for 7%. Overall this is an incredible IPA. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of bright citrus/tropical/pine hops and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink despite very resinous bitterness. A highly enjoyable offering.
Oct 16, 2016More User Ratings:
Reviewed by whitro17 from Florida
4.34/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.34/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look - clear golden with a bubbly white head
Smell - piney, citrusy, lemon rind, grapefruit
Taste - piney, lemon rind, mango, grapefruit, apricot
Feel - med body, moderate carbo, bitterness on the finish
Overall - At 7% and 70 IBU's this is a hoppy bouquet of tropical fruity flavors with a firm bitterness. A Championship brew that has won many awards throughout the years and for good reason. Just a well-crafted brew and still great after all these years. Pairs well with We Are the Champions by Queen.
Mar 06, 2024Smell - piney, citrusy, lemon rind, grapefruit
Taste - piney, lemon rind, mango, grapefruit, apricot
Feel - med body, moderate carbo, bitterness on the finish
Overall - At 7% and 70 IBU's this is a hoppy bouquet of tropical fruity flavors with a firm bitterness. A Championship brew that has won many awards throughout the years and for good reason. Just a well-crafted brew and still great after all these years. Pairs well with We Are the Champions by Queen.
Rated by jbolger from Connecticut
4.29/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.29/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Classic West Coast IPA. Prefer the Grapefruit version. Would be a favorite if they distributed in CT.
Dec 30, 2023Reviewed by Danmooney40 from Virginia
4.42/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.42/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
One of the first IPAs I ever drank many years back. What I now know as a WCIPA . It started me down the path in the right way. I haven't been able to find it on the East Coast in recent years.
From can poured into a 10 oz pub glass, showed a 2 finger head that lingered. A dark golden colored .
Still as good as I remembered.
Oct 14, 2023From can poured into a 10 oz pub glass, showed a 2 finger head that lingered. A dark golden colored .
Still as good as I remembered.
Reviewed by nwalke16 from Michigan
4.84/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.84/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
I haven't reviewed this beer yet on here, but the last time I had Sculpin IPA was seven months ago and it's still as great as I remembered. This is what I am looking for in a West Coast style IPA and it is the best one. It is hoppy, yet the most nicely well balanced flavor that I crave for when trying an IPA. I highly recommend buying this one if you can't get it at Ballast Brewery.
Sep 20, 2023Reviewed by Burrocreek from Arizona
4.42/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.42/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
This beer, and Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, are the best two widely distributed old school IPAs in America. This one leans bitter and the other leans sweet. Both are exceptional and difficult to surpass. Cheers!
Sep 06, 2023Reviewed by eWell
4.57/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.57/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
It’s my favorite among American IPAs. Has slightly sour taste but comes across as very fruity. Unfortunately, this beer (and the grapefruit version, which is perhaps the even more gifted sibling) is hardly ever available around where I live.
Aug 23, 2023
Sculpin from Ballast Point Brewing Company
Beer rating:
97 out of
100 with
14659 ratings
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