Ballast Point Habanero Sculpin
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.
3.4
797 reviews
San Diego, United States
Community reviews
Novel idea, but poor execution. I tried this special release from Ballast a few months ago and it was shockingly bad. Habanero flavor is overpowering and not a good combination with hops in my opinion. Don't get creative, stick with the basic Sculpin which is a wonderful full-bodied IPA.
Bought bottles Drank from glass. The aroma smells like hot peppers. You can immediately smell the spiciness when you open the bottle. I bought this thinking it was an original beer I would enjoy. Original it was, enjoynitni did not. It was just too hot for me to handle. I sat next to my friend as we both were nearly breaking sweats trying to put one of these down. I was only able to drink one.
Aroma of tropical fruits, citrus, caramel and pepper. Golden with a Off-white head. Medium sweet and medium + bitter. Medium body with a average carbonation. Overall thia is not a bad brew, But the chilli is Too over powering for me.
Klein slokje bij Mark. De peper brand je bek ook, cool. Verder ruikt hij lekker hoppig.
Mooie oranje koper kleur met een goede kraag. Ruikt kruidig, mout peper. Smaakt peper, heet, beetje fruitig.
Aroma of chili, spruce, and bitter orange. Taste is fucking chili which fades (somewhat) to some bitterness. I was hoping that this would be the chili beer to solve my chili beer woes, but nope.
Bottle from Beer Republic, 35 cl sample. Almost clear golden color, medium frothy head. Aroma of a bit green pepper, some citrusy hop, bit caramel malt. Quite hot and spicy pepper in taste, soft grassy bitterness. Hot pepper lingering on in the finish, totally dominates the beer. Together with food, it is pretty ok, if you like hot pepper, but standalone it is undrinkable.
12oz bottle 6/24/17 (Jewel-Osco Clearance Rack)-42° in Shaker-Pours light orange with a solid white head. Aroma of hops, citrus, and habanero. Taste of hops and citrus on the front end and then habanero in the middle and back end. This medium bodied brew is well balanced and has a lot of flavor.
As one that really likes the habanero flavor, this tasted more like a hot gimmick that does nothing but add some zing to the finish in a way that basically ruins an otherwise great beer.
Bottle at tasting. Golden pour. Aroma of spice, mild vanilla, malt and tropical fruit. Taste has some malt and vanilla for a second and than the extreme hot chili kicks in and takes over everything. Everlasting afterburn. This is just habanero water, what a bullshit.
Bottle into a tulip. Pours a clear light amber, with a medium white head that lasts. Good lacing. Nose is light malt and hop earthiness. Taste is typical IPA at first, and then the habanero kicks in, lasting through the long finish. Very nice
Bottle from sb. Pours orange with a medium offwhite head. Lots of tropical fruits in the aroma, mango, pineapple, orangezest, chili and honey. Taste is habanero dominated with some tropical fruits in the background. As a chililover its good but not for thoose affraid of heat.
Orange with a nice white head. Aroma is of tropical fruit and just a hint of peppers. Habanero dominates the flavor and melds well with the tropical fruit background. Nice heat which is balanced by sweet malt. I was concerned that hop bitterness would get in the way, but it does not. An excellent use of one of the hotter, but more flavorful peppers.
On tap at Bishops Arms Östersund. It smells like a normal sculpin, maybe with even more wonderful hoppy aroma. Delicious smell. The taste however is just washed away with that insane amount of habernero chilli. I absolutely love spicy food but I’m not sure I want that much sting in my beers. Fascinating for a tiny sample but I could barely finish 100ml. Definitely ruined all the beers to come afterwards. Toned down I’m sure it would be delicious.
12oz bottle. Gold orange with no head. Odd pepper aroma on top of the normal sculpin hops. Flavors are similarly odd mix. Not the best sculpin.
Bottle from Beergium.com - Color: clear golden blond beer with small carbonation and small white foam. Smell: sweet and hoppy nose. Small spicy hint. Taste: medium body with a spicy blast, pepper notes and sweet malt balanced with fresh hops. Quite good. Aftertaste: spicy and wet bitterness. Sweet.
Lightly hazed orange pour. Aroma is bready malt and light pepper. Flavor is semi sweet malt and pepper warmth. Medium bitter and medium heat. Warm and tasty
Quite spicy, just slightly too peppery i think. Certainly a bit of a burn on the back of the throat, but it's overall a nice beer. Ballast pt SD.
Clean golden color with a creamy head of white foam. Has some of the elements of the original Sculpin in the aroma and taste, but are quickly taken over by the habanero. Pepper skin on the aroma with smooth habanero heat in conjunction with the dry pine. Just not a big fan of hot beers.
Poured golden in color with white head. Dry piney hop aroma and taste. It finishes with some heat that really hijacks the flavor in an off way. I like spicy, but I don’t want a full glass of this.
Notes: Sample on draft at Aces & Ales (Tenaya) on its original distribution.
Orange, loose white foam. Smells nicely sweet, with some vegetal aromas and some pine. Taste is some caramel, some pine and citrus, and some nice heat. Not overbearing, but pretty warm.
Totalnie zdominowane przez zieloną paprykę. Pikantne. Nic poza tym. Meh...
Colore ambrato scarico. Aroma di luppoli agrumati poco coinvolgente. Aroma totalmente sbilanciato dal troppo, troppo, troppo piccanti.
Bottle. So this is an IPA with a bite. The heat creeps up on you and gives you a nice warm sensation in the belly.
Oransje med lavt/medium høyt skum. Aroma av sitrus og noe krydder. Smaken er mildt av grapefrukt, sitrus og chili. Varmer litt nedover i halsen denne. Medium konsistens.
355ml bottle. Clear golden brown with one finger white head. Aroma of green peppers, fruity habanero, grapefruit and citrus. Taste is a mixture of habanero heat with characteristic fruitiness and green pepper notes and bitter hoppy flavours of primarily grapefruit and citrus. Medium mouthfeel, medium carbonation and bitter aftertaste with pleassant chili heat.
The aroma is floral, grass, some spruce. Pours a golden copper with off white mostly lasting and excellent lacing. The taste is bitter. The body is medium/light, the texture creamy, the carbonation lively and the finish bitter with a nice bite. Very Good!! Nice heat with the bitter bite and good long finish.
12 oz. no bottling date. Light haze on the orange-gold brew. A thin creamy film above that endures well. Aroma is tropical fruit mix with prominent grapefruit, resiny herb and an earthy-metallic roasted vegetable note. Flavors of caramel, green herb and peach are quickly overtaken by the earthy roasted pepper and a capsaicin burn. The near-medium body has a dry heat and a pleasant medium carbonation.
Tap at the Hair of the Dog, Phrom Phong Ballast Point tap takeover. Poured a clear medium amber with a thin broken white head. The aroma is yeast, citrus fruit, light spice. The flavour is moderate bitter light sweet with a rich tropical fruit, light creamy, chilli spice palate. Medium bodied with average carbonation. Nice and spicy but quite drinkable all the same.
Large sample (2-3oz) at the Temecula Ballast Point outlet. I assume this is the regular ’Sculpin’ with Habanero Chili Peppers added somewhere in the brew. Well it makes the beer very hot and my sample was more than enough thank you. Scored objectively, as I actually thought it interesting, would love to play a prank with it, serving it to a mate without letting him know what it was.