Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

Beer Name: Sculpin IPA
Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Co. (San Diego, CA)
ABV: 7.0%
How sold: Six-packs (12 oz. bottles or 12 oz. cans); 22-oz. bottles, or on draft
Where bought: Belmont Station (Portland, OR)
Price: $2.90 for 12 oz. single

Ballast Point Date Stamp: SC 736 15040 (736th batch of Sculpin, made on the 40th day of 2015)
Date Purchased: April 11, 2015
Date Opened/Drank: April 21, 2015
IBUs: 70
When brewed? Year round beer. First released in March 2005 as Northstar IPA.

Where distributed: Ballast Point distributes to several states. They also ship online within California.

Food Pairings: Ballast Point suggests Coconut Basmati Rice, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Tropical Bread Pudding. I'd even add some salsa and chips to the list as an appetizer.

Awards: As of April 2015, Ballast Point Sculpin has earned 13 awards (first in 2006).

What's on the Website: "A trophy beer that's a testament to our homebrew roots. Our Sculpin IPA is a great example of what got us into brewing in the first place. After years of experimenting, we knew hopping an ale at five separate stages would produce something special. The result ended up being this gold-medal winning IPA, whose inspired use of hops creates hints of apricot, peach, mango, and lemon flavors, but still packs a bit of a sting, just like a Sculpin fish."

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured slightly cloudy golden-orange into a pint glass. Some carbonation and virtually no head after a minute or so. 4.25/5

Smell (25%): Sweet-malty and floral upfront, with undertones of citrus. Everything stays balanced. 4.5/5

Taste (40%): Sweet-malty and floral at the outset, with a controlled citrus-bitterness on the back end. A lemony presence stands out. I get more of the mango and apricot when having this beer with some chips and salsa. There is the slightest hint of alcohol, just to remind you it's a 7% beer. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium-malty body, yet easy to drink. Goes down very smooth. Light carbonation on the tongue. 4.5/5

Overall (20%): An excellent IPA. I appreciate this beer more for its balance and excellent finish than anything else. Belmont Station traditionally has priced their beers a tad more expensive than other places, and I hesitated when seeing this at $2.90 for a single 12 oz. bottle. Still, it is worth getting, and I'd definitely get a 6-pack of this to share with friends. I can't say this is the best Ballast Point beer I've had (Grapefruit Sculpin is the clear winner), but it's still a very solid choice that has rightfully earned numerous awards. 4.5/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.488/5