Samuel Adams - Rebel Grapefruit IPA

Had it on draft last weekend and enjoyed more than any of the other beer from their "Rebel" line. Not sure if I'll search it out at stores, but if you are a fan of that pithy, bitter citrusy grapefruit flavor in your IPAs, I think you will enjoy this quite a lot.

 

Since Ballast Point came to Michigan they've been selling their stuff at Meijer (our regional big-box store) for $12.99 and, except for a few interested consumers at my nearby locations, Ballast Point sixers immediately started to collect dust and continue to do so.

 

It's SA so I'll try it, I know Jim Koch isn't liking where they are headed. His IPA's might start getting lost on the shelves here in Cali with all the IPA's to choose.

 

All chimping aside (and as a fan of Sam Adams beers)...

I don't understand the grapefruit fad, since IPA's are distinctively "grapefruity" anyway.
Brew a great IPA and it will have delicious notes of grapefruit naturally.

The rebel series is malt-forward (almost vinegary) and I can't see grapefruit juice sitting well in that kind of beer.

 

Had a chance to try this on draft over the holidays. Too much grapefruit imo. While GF Sculpin is hops with a hint of grapefruit. Rebel Grapefruit is grapefruit juice with a hint of hops.

 

It would appear that 13 bucks is too pricey for Michigan craft beer consumers?

Cheers!

 

If I got to pick a fruit to put into an IPA, it wouldn't be grapefruit. I think I would go with mango.

 

I can only report on what I see around me. It may be a different story in beer savvy places like Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Metro Detroit etc. but, around me, when they put a $12.99 sixer next to variety 12 packs of Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, and Sam Adams at almost the same price point they're not going to move a lot of Ballast Point.

 

Just dont buy Abita grapefruit, it sux that's in layman s terms

 

I've had it. It seemed perfectly fine to me. Not a "wow" beer but Abita doesn't make wow beers. They make decent, reasonably priced beers... except for Jockamo IPA. I wouldn't recommend that to anyone. They should have ditched that beer when they introduced Wrought Iron IPA.

 

It tasted like watered down grapefruit juice carbonated. No hints of beer malts or hops. Drain poured half of it. Wrought iron tasted like it smelled . Made with real swamp water on top a hoppy metal taste almost

 

Either you're exaggerating for effect or your palate is jacked up. Either way, my experience greatly differs on both counts.

 

My pallatte jacked up. We probably agree on most ipas but I'm not happy unless I'm drinking 60 ibus or better.

 

Ah. That explains it.

 

When they first started sending the Sculpin variants to Rhode Island and Mass, people were buying them like crazy. Now I see cases upon cases in every craft beer shop that I go to. And it's 15.99 for a sixer...

 

They probably won't decrease the price, but it would definitely be smarter if they did.

 

Not surprised. At a certain point, the novelty wears off and value becomes an issue for most people.

 

Definitely does. And I really liked the Grapefruit version. The habenero Sculpin was almost impossible to drink. It literally took me an hour to drink a 12 oz of an IPA. I don't even take that long to drink bombers of BA stouts sometimes.

 

Do some people really think there's more grapefruit in this than Grapefruit Sculpin?

I'm just finding that near impossible to believe after having both.