Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

It's been a bit since I've posted, but not because I haven't been drinking some great beers! I've been kind of busy with a few other projects, but that's really no excuse. The Phillies making the playoffs - and winning the NLDS! - has given me nothing but good reasons to head out almost daily and I was going to write about some of the different types of beers I've been trying. But I can't stop thinking about the Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, so I'm going to have to go with that one.

I've written about the Ballast Point Big Eye IPA before (you can read it here), and Sculpin is - as I like to think of it - the big brother to the Big Eye. (They have another, bigger brother - the Dorado, but that's a review for another day. I'll just say if you see it, get it!)

I had the Sculpin the other night while watching the Phils take the NLDS (can you tell I'm excited about that?). I've had it before, and honestly, I could drink it everyday.

The smell of this beer can only be described as amazing. I want to jump in the bottle and live in there - that's how good it smells. It's all piney and citrusy and tropical-fruity. I would dab it on my wrists and wear it as perfume. (I think you get that I love the smell.)

Okay, so at some point you're going to want to stop smelling it and start tasting it, instead. And you won't be disappointed. This is a bitter beer (which, as we know, means nothing but goodness to me!). You can taste the citrus fruits right away - not surprising given the smell. It's all apricots, grapefruit, mango. But there's also just a enough of a malt taste (ever-so-slight) so you're not completely overwhelmed by the citrus. This is truly a phenomenal beer - and that might not even be a strong enough recommendation.

I just realized I didn't write about the color. Not that it's not beautiful - it is. A nice amber color out of the bottle. But for me the smell and taste is really what sets this apart from other IPAs.

Oh, and one last note - the ABV is only 7%! I know, I know. 7% is higher than a lot of other beers. But believe me, the taste on this will have you thinking it's much higher. I'm just thankful it's not, because I can definitely enjoy more than one (or at least the 22 oz. bottle I got served the other night) without worrying about the next morning.