Reviewed by: Cory Smith
First, I feel the need to apologize for the background of my picture above. Not very creative, but the best I can do in my apartment at the moment (it’s raining outside).
Second, I’m glad we started this blog because it gives me more of a reason to drink in the middle of the day. Usually I’d feel like a drunk for drinking alone, but I consider this research, and that’s a win.
Third, I honestly have no reason as to why I chose to pick up this IPA. I was at the local liquor store and was building my own six pack when I came across Sculpin and thought it looked interesting enough to try. The bottle caught my eye for some reason, probably because I think it’s random and kind of ugly, but when you’re coming up with logos and advertising you need to get a way for customers to stop; and stop I did. I’ve had beer from Ballast Point before and have never been disappointed, so why not keep it up? So without further rambling, here’s what I think:
Appearance: Sculpin pours a brilliant copper orange — the exact color I want my IPA’s to be. It tells me that they’ve used sweeter malts in order to balance out the bitterness of the hops, and not darker malts that contribute to bitterness. It is a clear beer, though not crystal or “brilliantly” clear. It pours with a decent amount of slightly off white head that has dissipated quite a bit since I’ve started this review.
Aroma: While it smells hoppy, Sculpin is not a blast of hops to the nose like some IPA’s and double IPA’s can be. I get notes of pine and resin, and also grapefruit. This thing is a tropical fruit bomb! Tons of citrus and pineapple. The bottle doesn’t give details as to what is inside the beer, but I’m willing to bet some american hops like Centennial, Cascade, or Amarillo. Those happen to be my favorite kinds, so I’m excited to give it my first taste.
Mouth Feel: Sculpin has a flavor that lingers. The roof of my mouth, the insides of my cheeks, and my tongue is tingling from the bitter hops. The carbonation is medium to low, not sure if I poured too aggressively (though I don’t think I did) or if they didn’t want to make the hops too bitter, but I would like a little more carbonation in the glass.
Taste: As I said above, Sculpin is a bitter IPA. I know, I know, “But Cory, all IPA’s are supposed to be bitter!” I don’t agree with that. There is a way to make beer that has strong hop flavor and minimal hop bitterness. This is almost the opposite of that. Yes I get grapefruit flavors, yes I get some sweetness from the malt, but the overwhelming taste is a resiny bitterness that sits on the tongue and doesn’t leave. It’s not a BAD flavor, don’t get me wrong, but it differs from say Founder’s All Day IPA in hop profile.
The more I drink it, the more my tongue gets coated in the bitterness and I am able to taste the sweetness and subtleties of the malt/hop profiles. Sculpin is definitely a beer that get better with every sip.
Final Thoughts: As much as it sounded like I didn’t like it, Sculpin is a very solid IPA. Ballast Point did a great job of throwing a malty, sweet counter-punch to the bitter, grapefruit blast of all-american hops. It is very drinkable and would be perfect on a hot day while grilling some chicken on the patio.
Giving this a grade I would go 4/5 or a B+ (yes, I’m going off of the 92% for an A- scale, but we’ll save that for another discussion). I enjoy drinking Sculpin and diving into the layers of it’s complexity. I would order it from any bar and be happy with my choice. The only thing stopping me from rating this beer higher is personal preference for a perfect IPA. I love hops as much as the next guy, but I am more of a fan when the brewer can give you a hop punch without a great deal of bitterness.
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