Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin Freshness

You are reading the date code correctly. Ballast Point recommends 120 days for their hoppy beers.

I think what you’re tasting is fall off. Still within their guidelines, but would be much better under 60 days.

 

I remember the first time I had that beer. Blew my mind. I could only get 2 bottles because it was so popular that was the limit. Then the next time I got a whole six pack. Still blew my mind. Of course then it was a few weeks old. Every time since I've not been able to find it less than a couple months old. I'll buy only a single and it's just not quite the same. It's still great, but we get too much Ballast Point here (I guess the Constellation ownership probably has a lot to do with that) and it often sits too long.

 

We just got Ballast Point last year. Recently the distributor dropped beer on my favorite store was from the original release last year. I love Grapefruit Sculpin, but I rarely buy it, because I almost never find it fresh.

 

I really like GFS - it's still rated fairly highly by me, but I have found that it fades fast - with any IPA, for me, ideal is less than a month old - for some I'll go 2 months, but as has been said, I never buy see GFS fresh enough for me anymore, and it doesn't have the same character after a month or two...

 

This thread made take a gander at their Instagram page.. and bam!!

 

Haven’t seen this yet...good find. Like how they inject Hawaii into the NEIPA vs West coast haze debate lol.

 

If I can find Aloha Sculpin fresh I will certainly buy it. Based upon my bad luck with freshness of Grapefruit Sculpin I am not counting on this happening.

Cheers!

 

Always a solid beer when fresh.

 

I suspect a new release like this will be your best chance to find something fresh from BP. Finding recent product is a similar challenge around here but I was able to find fresh Unfiltered Sculpin when it was first released. Good luck.

 

Hopefully it's fresh on initial release!

After that, all bets are off...

 

Yes, hopefully.

Unfortunately that is indeed the case. I am of the opinion that the high prices for Sculpin (15 bucks a 6-pack at my local beer retailers) exacerbates the situation on freshness since I strongly suspect that consumers just 'walk on by' and purchase something more economical (e.g., Two Hearted, Union Jack, etc.). The Sculpin is left to collect dust and the retailer will not order 'fresh' product until they sell off their existing (old) inventory.

Non-cheers to Sculpin prices!!