Ballast Point Sculpin IPA (North Star)

Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
San Diego, California USA

22oz. Bottle: Aroma of hops, hop juice, pine, tropical fruit, grapefruit, resin, citrus, and tangerine. Poured amber/orange in color with a medium-sized white head that diminished but lasted throughout. Clear. Slightly sparkling. Good lacing. Light to medium sweet, heavily bitter flavor. Tastes of hops, pine, caramel, hop juice, pale malts, and tangerine. Medium body. Sticky, dry texture. Average carbonation. Bitter, hoppy, dry finish. One of the more bitter beers I have had of late.

Pours a golden color with a fairly nice white head. Big peachy and citrusy nose. Super hoppy flavor with more the aforementioned peach and a piney finish. A solid example of an American IPA.

Bomber poured into a very clean snifter, slightly chilled. Slightly tarnished brass color with streams of healthy bubbles and a casual white cap. Very tropical nose, maybe I hould have an umbrella? Mango, passion fruit, and tangello juice dominate the stage as a sweet grain peeks out from behind the curtain. Palate actually begins dry and bitter, like the skin of stone fruit. The teeth continue to drive into the meat and hop flavor resonates. The grain seems to well up from a terra haut of lush malt and adds an incredible balance to what looks like a hop bomb. This beer drips the sweet smells and warmth of a brewery with refreshments at the end of the tour. A round hop lingers in room but doesn’t f%&k with the thermostat. As good as they come. Re-rate, 8-10. The numbers stay the same. I will say that the nose has turned the volume down with a few months in the bottle. No worries, this is still an intense experience. Last time I was obviously overwhelmed by the nose and entry. The palate is very interesting. This IPA finishes with some subtlety. Carbonation finishes smooth and the hops linger like a recessing tide. Very clean, with just the spice elements of the hops lingering. Interesting. This must be a seriously dry hopped beer.

Strong citrus bitter hop nose. Gold amber, with a small head and great lacing. A little syrupy. Tart acidity undertones

Bottle. Pours a yellowish color with a white thin head. Aroma is hitting me before i even get my nose to the glass. Tons of fruit, im getting everything from citrus like grapefruit, oranges to pineapple, peach and mango. Also some pine and caramel malts. This smells wonderful. Flavor is just as nice. Tons of citrus and tropical fruits, followed by a nice pine bitterness and a smooth caramel malt background. The mouth feel is creamy and smooth, with a bit of oily like resin..

Bottle from Bri @ Holiday Wine Cellar.. Pours a light golden color with a fluffy white head...Alot of citrus hops in the nose. This one has a really great smell..The flavor from begining to the end is all hops. That being said it is not as harsh as other IPAs that I’ve had. It has a nice citrus sweetness that is very easy to drink..This one will bring out the hophead in all of us.

Bottle shared by emacgee. Thanks Ethan! Man, this was tasty. Very fresh, tropical fruits, citrus abound the nose. Flavor is nicely balanced between juice and dry bitterness. Very enjoyable IPA.

22oz bottle from Hillcrest Whole Foods (San Diego, CA). Pours a little paler than most San Diego IPA’s, a light golden amber with large carbonation bubbles clinging to the side of the glass. About one finger of white head. The wonderful hoppy aroma is less citrusy than many others in this style but still fruity -- I do get the mango, apricot, and peach in there as the label promises. Tastes hoppy and bitter with pine and grapefruit but the bitterness finds a very pleasant level. There is a definite hint of some fruity sweetness in here as well. Lighter body than most others in this style; good carbonation.