Ballast Point Unfiltered Sculpin IPA

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

Ballast Point Date Stamp: SC 1553U 17094 (1553rd batch of Unfiltered Sculpin, made on the 94th day of 2017)
Date Purchased: April 14, 2017
Date Opened/Drank: April 16, 2017
IBUs: 68
When brewed? Limited-time release for 2017.

Food Pairings: Ballast Point suggests Mandarin Orange and Asian Chicken Salad, Proscuiutto-Wrapped Scallops, and Salmon glazed with Brown Sugar and Mustard.

What's on the Website: "Our trophy beer, extra-hopped and unfiltered. Our Unfiltered Sculpin IPA packs extra hops into every sip, enhancing the classic Sculpin notes of fresh apricot, peach, mango and lemon with a slight haze and less bitterness. Freshness is key to every beer, but especially true for this extra-hopped IPA—store cold and drink soon." Read more here!

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

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured hazy golden-orange into a pint glass. White head, trace lacing on the glass. 4.5/5

Smell (25%): Extremely inviting. Very tropical, mostly passion fruit, citrus, and stone fruit. 5/5

Taste (40%): Tropical passion fruit, stone fruit, and citrus from start to finish. No octane. Ridiculously dangerous and refreshing. Not much bitterness here. One could easily drink multiple beers and have the alcohol sneak up fast. No doubt this is a beer that has won many awards and should win many more in the future. 5/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium-bodied, good carbonation. Extremely easy to drink, not much of a dry tongue. 4.75/5

Overall (20%): A world-class IPA. I've grown more fond of Ballast Point Sculpin since I first reviewed it about two years ago. Back then, I apparently got a more malty and less tropical experience, but subsequent Sculpin beers were much more tropical and enjoyable, making me think the one I reviewed was an anomaly. Unfiltered Sculpin has taken Sculpin to a new level. Extra hops mean a more tropical and citrus hop, less bitter experience, with refreshing, easy-drinking bliss. Yes, Grapefruit Sculpin is still magical to me, but Ballast Point still shows why the Sculpin recipe (now through Unfiltered Sculpin) has won so many awards. Well worth the price. Very high recommendation. 5/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.95/5