Ballast Point Manta Ray Double IPA

Beer Name: Manta Ray
Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Co. (San Diego, CA)
ABV: 8.5%
How sold: Six-packs of 12 oz. bottles; on draft
Where bought: Total Wine & More (Vancouver, WA)
Price: $2.99 for 12 oz. single

Date Purchased: February 11, 2017
Date Opened/Drank: March 5, 2017
IBUs: 70
When brewed? Year-round beer. First released in January 2017.
Ballast Point Date Stamp: MR 4 16365 13:43 (4th batch of Manta Ray, bottled on the 365th day of 2016 at 1:43 PM)

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

Food Pairings: Ballast Point suggests Chinese Salt and Pepper Wings, Bay Blue Cheese, and Dungeness Crab Cakes.

What's on the Website: "This new IPA rises above the rest. We’ve developed many IPA recipes in our R&D program, but right from the tank, our Manta Ray Double IPA was a winner. Aromas of fresh, citrusy tangerine, melon and light pine leap from the beer and linger over a smooth finish. Like its namesake, this brew can sneak up on you – a big beer without a bite." Read more here!

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured clear golden into a pint glass. Frothy white head. Trace lacing left on the glass. 4.25/5

Smell (25%): Amazing. Very tropical. Mostly pine, grapefruit, and citrus. 4.75/5

Taste (40%): Hop-forward tropical citrus and complementing malt. Citrus continues through the aftertaste. Not overly bitter, very dangerous. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium-bodied, come carbonation. Dryness on the tongue but not too bitter. 4.25/5

Overall (20%): An outstanding Double IPA. Manta Ray is another Ballast Point beer that I wanted to try just for being a double IPA, and it delivered big time with kickass citrus flavors. This is a huge improvement from some of last year's releases which I was not nearly as fond of. This beer is well worth its price. I'm happy that Manta Ray has become part of the BP family full-time. 4.5/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.525/5