Big Sur - Double IPA
BarrelHouse Brewing Company

Big Sur - Double IPABig Sur - Double IPA
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From:
BarrelHouse Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
Ranked #986
ABV:
9.3%
Score:
92
Ranked #5,180
Avg:
4.18 | pDev: 8.37%
Ratings:
81 | reviews: 26
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 11, 2026
Added:
Jun 07, 2016
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  21
Big Sur, a masterpiece of colossal redwoods, treacherous cliffs, and dangerous surf breaks. With nearly 70 miles of rugged coastline and frigid sharky waters, adventure here isn’t for the faint of heart. Introducing BIG SUR Double IPA, brewed big to stand up to life’s most rewarding adventures.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Pivopijak:
Photo of Pivopijak
Reviewed by Pivopijak from Washington

4.16/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
draught
IBU: 95
Low amount of sustaining off-white, creamy white head. Medium gold, with a touch of an orange/amber tint to it, for the look. Slightly sweet, medium toast, caramelized malt, spiced and mellow grapefruit peel aroma. Balanced, easy grapefruit peel, with plenty of medium toast, caramelized malt, for the taste.
May 09, 2023
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.25 by MEnoMoney from California

May 11, 2026
Photo of doulos31
Reviewed by doulos31 from Delaware

3.79/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
On tap. Nice beautiful orange color, clear, decent head and outstanding lacing. Aroma is grapefruit. Big west coast IPA with lots of grapefruit flavors and big resinous hops. Moderate to high bitterness. Enjoyable.
May 17, 2025
Photo of AlvinBunk
Reviewed by AlvinBunk from California

3.48/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
I bit too yellow for a DIPA; was expecting it to be more gold or orange colored. The head doesn't last very long.
Strong aromas, but not too pleasant.
Slight pine notes, strong bitterness.
Feels very thick.
Overall just above average.
Apr 04, 2025
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

4.19/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
19.2 oz can from Mendoza's Market in Mendocino.

This is an easy drinking, relatively mellow DIPA with low bitterness and lively but soft carbonation.
Jun 26, 2024
Photo of sjrider
Reviewed by sjrider from California

4.24/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On tap at the source in SLO. Clear golden straw color with short white head leaving scattered lacing. Looks, smells and tastes like a proper WCDIPA. Plenty of citrus and pine with a nice bite. Recommended by an acquaintance who proclaimed it 'liquid perfection'. I say he wasn't wrong. Abv well hidden.
Jun 03, 2024
Photo of gefinley
Rated by gefinley from California

3.88/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12 oz can, no date marking.
Jul 15, 2023
 
Rated: 4.09 by PaleAleWalt from New York

May 24, 2023
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Big Sur from Barrelhouse Brewing. 12 fl oz can from @2beerdogs in NBW BIF 17. Reviewed 01/05/23 (Review 3088). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated can. Stored at 34 degrees at home. Served at 48.0 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 51.9 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.25
First pour – Pale Straw (SRM 2), clear.
Body – Pale Gold (SRM 4), hazy. Under direct light, same. When rear lite, translucent.
Head: Average (Maximum 3.0 cm, aggressive center pour), floral white, high density, average retention, reducing to a broken saw-toothed 0.8 – 1.6 cm crown and a thin complete cap.
Lacing – Decent. A wide band of tiny to small bubbles with multiple misshapen stalactites, beginning to devolve into torn curtains.
Aroma – 4.25 – Grapefruit exocarp and mesocarp, actually smells kind of dry. No malt, no yeast. No ethanol (8.7 % ABV as marked on the label) aroma.
Flavor – 4.25 – Dry and grapefruit rind – no malt, no yeast. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Slight gastric warming.
Palate – 4 – Medium; dry; lively but soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4 (After deducting 0.25 point for undated personal container) Very pleasing easy drinker – one I’d keep on hand if available here.
May 01, 2023
Photo of NeilSilber1
Reviewed by NeilSilber1 from California

4.53/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours golden yellow fizzy with fading white cap in 13oz tulip on draught at Finney’s. Toasted malts and vanilla on the nose with perfect balanced hoppy hop forward hops laced with pineapple and citrus make this an absolute amazing local DIPA at a respectable 9.6% ABV. Cheers my to my craft DIPA fans, you won’t be disappointed.
Apr 08, 2023
Photo of SenorBeaver
Reviewed by SenorBeaver from California

4.48/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
This is a great double -9.3 ABV are you kidding me? Out of the can it is not syrupy but easy to drink... too easy to drink, especially when cold. The flavor is standard IPA; I prefer a more piney flavor.

It is worth drinking. Of course, I'm a SLOCAL so I favor our beers.
Mar 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.47 by Dsimenson from California

Sep 20, 2022
Photo of MaltsOfGlory
Reviewed by MaltsOfGlory from Oregon

3.8/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.75
12oz can, no canning date

Pours a finger of dense white head into my can-style glass. Retention is quite good, only losing a small amount of head after a couple minutes. Initial lacing looks wonderful. Body is golden yellow, decent clarity, with an army of bubbles coming up. Looks very nice so far.

Nose is citrus rind, some alcohol, slight malty sweetness, faintest mango; astringent citrus dominates. Smells like an uneventful double IPA. It’s likely dated at this point, I’ve had it for a month, but it was probably canned a good amount before then, gotta date your cans!

Flavor certainly has more to it. Citrus is still a little high at times, but not nearly as piercing or sharp as on the nose. You definitely get some of that mango, some dankness comes out with time as well. The malt sweetness is tasteful and balances things well. Not outstanding, but pretty decent.

Carbonation is about medium, maybe medium-low. Either way, this is very lively, the hops are surely doing some work there too. Body drinks pretty light for a double, but again, very alive. Bitterness is palatable, but assertive in the finish. Sweetness is also tasteful, only coming in with a touch of sweetness; overly sweet is the fastest way to cancel a IIPA for me. No trace of alcohol, without using any flare or gimmicks, impressive. Stellar mouthfeel.

Due to the wonderful mouthfeel, the drinkability is actually quite good.

Appearance turned out killer. The lacing was thick all the way down, and the head very resilient.

Overall I’m not sure I can grade this much higher than the flavor, as that does hold it back a little bit. But big shout out to the mouthfeel and the rest of the supporting cast.
Feb 23, 2022
 
Rated: 3.5 by TallGuyCM from California

Jan 17, 2022
Photo of Stevedore
Reviewed by Stevedore from Oregon

3.56/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Fairly forgettable. Big caramel. Bit of lime and grapefruit. But malt forward, not enough hop bite. Medium body. Good carbonation. Zest and caramel, biscuit. Mild bitterness, a bit watery even.
Jan 02, 2022
Photo of RyanK252
Reviewed by RyanK252 from California

4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at BarrelHouse Brewing

A: Pours golden amber with a frothy off white head that settles to a thin layer and leaves a little nice lacing.

S: Ripe tropical and stone fruit, bright citrus, spicy grassy herbal notes, a little pine, biscuity bready malt, and caramel sweetness.

T: Citrus, orange lemon, and grapefruit, spicy resinous pine, tropical and stone fruit, passion fruit, pineapple, mango, peach, apricot, pear, and melon, grassy slightly dank herbal notes, biscuity bready malt, and caramel sweetness.

M: A bit on the fuller side of medium body, moderate carbonation.

O: It's been a little while I last had a sip of this, glad to do a full shakedown from the source. Really solid DIPA with nice depth of flavor.
Nov 27, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by hockeypuck from Maine

Aug 21, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by mpenske from California

Jun 03, 2021
 
Rated: 4.29 by AWA from California

Apr 22, 2021
Photo of HazyinLove
Rated by HazyinLove from California

3.29/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Nooooooottttt sooooo baaaadd. A bit of an abv buzz to this guy. Would love to sip at an outdoor concert. Piney, west coast style.
Apr 10, 2021