Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits Big Eye IPA
What the brewers say
“You’ll revel in Big Eye’s bitter, hoppy flavor thanks to the American Columbus and Centennial hops that are used to flavor and dry hop our flagship IPA. We thank our hops every day that the English loved their bitters—or else the IPA style may not have been born.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Moderate earthy hops, touch of floral, light sweetness, very light toasty, touch of caramel. Pine, citrus, and a little bit of fruit. A very fun aroma that is constantly evolving.”
Flavor: “Moderate toasty, light sweetness, earthy hops, moderate pine, touch of floral, aftertaste. Malt depth is nice, with some fun caramel notes playing alongside the hops. Similar to the aroma, but the resinous pine character is more prominent, hiding some of the more fruity characters. That sharp pine character heightens the bitterness, though it doesn’t linger too long, due to the more complex malt character displayed.”
Overall: “Fun earthy/floral hops IPA with a fair bit of malt backbone. I could almost call this an English IPA. An evergreen-heavy IPA that bows (ha!) in deference to the Northwest, whether it’s brewed there or not. Bitterness is firm but appropriate here. The malt depth is also nice. A unique and fun beer that is a nice departure from the more fruity IPAs in vogue. A perfect example of how malt complexity can heighten and balance hops character.”
