Ballast Point Brewing Company Grapefruit Sculpin

**Aroma:** “Super piney and resinous with a very light caramel sweetness. A basic tension between candy-like citrus and floral notes set against green, dank, and white-wine aromas.” **Flavor:** “Very bright with aggressive piney hops flavors, moderate malt, a slight garlic flavor, and grapefruit and pine notes. Dialed-in bitterness hits the mark. Lots of hoppy goodness with lemon candy, green, and floral notes. Delicious. Juicy hops notes with hints of tangerine, lemon candy, green and floral notes, plus balancing pine and dankness.” **Overall:** “Lovely resinous character well-balanced by the malt sweetness. Drinks like the stronger side of IPA, bordering on double IPA. A well-crafted blend of malt, hops, and alcohol—exactly what an IPA should be. Complex hops character with an exciting blend of classic and contemporary hops character. A full-bodied, full-flavored IPA with tons of nuance with each sip. This is extremely well executed—a great beer.”

**Aroma:** “Hops, hops, hops! Tons of floral, fruity, myrcene backed up with honeysuckle sweetness. This is what I want in an IPA—candy-like hops aroma of orange juice, lemon, apricot, pineapple and a subtle dank note with a light biscuity malt sweetness.” **Flavor:** “A stellar blend of malt sweetness and fruit-forward hops (tangerines, pineapple, kiwi, grapefruit). Bitterness is spot on, providing an excellent contrast and cleansing the palate without diminishing the hops candy character. Lots of orange, lemon zest, pineapple, clementine, pine. Finishes dry and bitter, yet somewhat balanced and restrained.” **Overall:** “This is a fantastic IPA that finds a way to stand out in an over-crowded category, showcasing extremely complex fruity hops character and a restrained bitterness that helps keep it drinkable and more enjoyable with each sip. This beer represents the most exciting potential of the future of IPAs.”

__Aroma:__ “Pine and lemon lead the way with orange and a touch of light toasted malt in tow along with some marigold notes, slightly sticky malt (caramel), light mint, and basil. Clean and hoppy in all of the ways a West Coast IPA should be.” __Flavor:__ “Pine and lemon are front and center. Orange citrus notes with just a touch of toasted malt support. Significant, but not overwhelming, bitterness with enough malt backbone to make this beer really drinkable. A bit of pine. The keynote is that clean bitterness that offers a long aftertaste, partnered with the pine and some citrus. Well after the swallow, I’m still savoring.” __Overall:__ “Refreshing and enjoyable. The hops came through as bright and sweet but not heavy. The inviting bitterness added complexity. Very tasty and smooth. A celebration of exactly what a West Coast IPA should be.”