Prior to the 2010 Philly Beer Week, I’d never heard of Ballast Point Brewing Company. My first exposure to their beers was when I had a Sculpin IPA at Good Dog Bar. It was love at first sip! I had my second at Devil’s Den later that summer, and it was just as good the second time around. On both occasions, the Sculpin IPA was available on draught and I gave it an A+ because it is easily one of the best IPAs that I’ve ever had.

Since it’s now widely available in bottles, I was curious to see how it would compare to what I had on draught. Once again, the Sculpin IPA did not disappoint! Slightly cloudy copper color. A fluffy head that lingers for quite awhile. Strong grapefruit and hop aromas. Well carbonated. The flavors are very crisp and clean. Grapefruit and medium hop bitterness dominate the flavor palate. For a beer with a 7% ABV, the alcohol taste is kept in check, which makes this beer very drinkable, i.e. I can definitely have more than one and not get tired of it. I give the bottled version of Ballast Point’s Sculpin IPA a solid A.