If there is one thing that I dislike about the majority of the US craft beer industry, it is the obsession with the IPA. If you have read my blog before, then you know this. It isn't that I really dislike the style. It is more that I think it is overblown. I feel that the way people generally go about rating IPAs is: the hoppier the better. Hops are great. Beer wouldn't be beer without them, but as with everything, they can be overdone. That being said, here is one of the best standard IPAs that I have ever tried. It is balanced, pleasant, and wasn't overhyped.
I must admit, I don't know much about Ballast Point. This is the first beer that I have tried from them, but based on this one, it will certainly not be the last. If you like beer, you know what an IPA tastes like (part of the reason why I think people cling to the style), so I will skip over the flavors in the beer and go straight to why I liked it so much: It isn't too big (even though it is 7% ABV). It doesn't try too hard. It is very flavorful, but doesn't leave your mouth dry, and it doesn't leave it coated in hop resin, even though it is jam packed with hops. I know when I want one of the over-hopped, big IPAs and it is when I want a beer that makes me feel like I've been in a fight when I finish it. For most other occasions, I want a beer that would allow me to drink another right after it. Sculpin IPA is one of the only true-to-style American IPAs that allows me to do this. Buy it if you see it.
Glassware: Pint
Synonym Beer: Bell's Two Hearted IPA
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