Space Sailor IPA
SeaQuake Brewing

Review: 2586
Name: Space Sailor IPA
Brewery: SeaQuake Brewing
Location: Crescent City, CA
Style: IPA
ABV: 6.8%
Canned: 17 March 2026
Date: 06 April 2026
Initial Impression:
This was the third and final IPA from SeaQuake. The first two were excellent, so I came in expecting that streak to hold. All three were fresh, which definitely worked in their favor—but this one took a different turn.
Appearance:
Served at 50°F in a stemless tulip. Pours a hazy, “dirty dishwater” blonde with deep golden highlights. An off-white, frothy, slightly soapy head forms and holds reasonably well, leaving solid lacing. Head retention is good, but the color is a bit off-putting and detracts from the overall presentation.
Aroma:
Hop-forward and complex. Leading with dank, resinous character supported by pine, white honeysuckle, grapefruit, tangerine peel, and light lemon. There’s an herbal edge—bay leaf comes through clearly. The malt is subtle, offering light toast, breadiness, and a touch of sweetness. Some yeast-derived notes present as light phenols—slightly medicinal and grassy—which add complexity to the style.
Flavor:
Aggressively hop-driven. Bright citrus dominates—lime, lemon, and grapefruit pith—layered with floral notes, pine resin, dankness, and hints of mango and papaya on the finish. There’s also a noticeable herbal quality (bay leaf) and a grassy, almost “morning dew” character.
The malt backbone struggles to keep up, offering light toasted bread and grainy sweetness but lacking the structure needed to balance the intensity of the hops. Yeasty phenols (slightly medicinal) carry over from the aroma. The result is a beer that leans sharp and uneven rather than cohesive.
Mouthfeel:
Medium-plus body with an oily, coating texture. Carbonation is on the lower side. Noticeable astringency with a tannic, drying finish that lingers and amplifies the hop intensity.
Overall Impression:
I typically enjoy Mosaic-driven beers, but this one overshoots the mark. The hop load feels more like an assault than an expression—pushing the beer into astringency and throwing off balance. The color doesn’t help, and the phenolic edge adds another layer that doesn’t quite fit.
It’s not without merit—there’s complexity here—but it drinks more like a challenge than something I’d reach for again. I’d easily take one of the other IPAs in their lineup over this.

12 oz can marked 10/31/25 poured into a pint glass.

19.2oz can picked up at the source in Crescent City, CA
Poured into a Crux willi becher

P deep gold verging on copper; light chill haze; hearty 2-3f white head
N light-med nose of sweet grainy malts and zesty hops
T light caramel and grainy malt character; sweet and spicy resinous orange and pine notes; nice
Mf med-full bodied; smooth and satisfying; med carb level; lightly sticky finish
O a pleasant IPA- I dig it

Review date: 07.22.25
Can date: not captured

 

On tap. White head with lace. Slight cloudy golden color. Single hop mosaic version.

Nice west coast ipa. Dank and resiny but a bit of citrus fruit as well. Very floral. Nice bitterness. Solid offering.

draught
IBU: 60
Very creamy, sustaining, off-white head. Medium gold color, with a touch of an orange tint to it. Mellow, citrus peel, malt and a little pine, for the aroma. A good and lasting, mixed citrus peel flavor with medium toasted malt, makes up the taste.

From a 19.2 oz can from the brewery, canned one month ago. An awesome label featuring inspiring art, pours with an excessively thick off-white head with a hazy gold body. Lots of lacing, thick and resilient like sea foam.

Aromas of papaya, peach, pineapple, pear, mango, banana, strawberry and golden delicious apples. a nice balance of tropical and more temperate fruit notes. Hints of a smooth and slightly toasty malt backbone and dank hemp. Smells like a great IPA.

Awesome stuff without any doubt. The pear and papaya are strong here, evenly balanced by bready malt notes and a flash of pineapple tartness. Hints of strawberry on the finish along with herbal hemp notes.

Smooth mouthfeel. Could be lighter and crisper, as a single IPA but it's definitely easily palatable, if a little high-calorie.

Amazing beer. Some of the best in Callifornia. And their rice lager was absolutely phenomenal as well. These guys will be famous someday. Cheers!

Rich golden color with just a hint of haziness. Aroma of pine and grapefruit. The flavor carries a full, hoppiness to start, but does not linger. Overall an enjoyable IPA from the far north coast.