American IPA, 7.0% ABV
I tend to reference Scuplin a lot on here, it seems, so since I tend to always have some around I figured I would write up a formal review for it.
Appearance: Golden oak color, slight haze, visible steady carbonation that contributes to a head that is initially 3 fingers thick and recedes, leaving scattered lacing around glass edges.
Smell: Citrus from grapefruit is immediately apparent, as is a more tropical note, possibly mango. You can also smell the hops, but overall the whole scent is light and refreshing. I could get an air freshener of this and my room would smell clean and enticing.
Taste: Like with the smell, the taste is fresh -- pineapple, grapefruit, mango, with a bit of pine. No overwhelming sweetness, which I like. The malts are very understated and really allow the clean fruits and hops to be the stars here.
Mouthfeel: Average lightness, with a nice boost from the carbonation.
Overall: I don't tend to give a lot of exposition when I'm picking out flavors/smells (mostly because I'm concentrating really hard on what I'm tasting/smelling!) but for me, in IPAs, though a lot of them have similar flavors thanks to commonly used hop and yeast strains, the flavor profiles can be completely different. Sculpin is unique in that the flavors are bright and strong, and they come through assertively; however, this never feels like a heavy or overpowering beer when you drink it. For a hophead, it could easily be light enough to drink during the afternoon (unlike the Maharaja, which is definitely an evening get-your-buzz-on beer.) The balance of the flavors is really exceptional, and I personally appreciate that the malts are underpowered, as I am not a huge fan of sweetness in my IPAs. As I've mentioned before, this is currently sharing the top spot on my list of favorite IPAs (with the other obvious choice, Pliny the Elder.)
Bonus: try the Habanero Sculpin if you ever see it on tap!
5/5
I tend to reference Scuplin a lot on here, it seems, so since I tend to always have some around I figured I would write up a formal review for it.
Appearance: Golden oak color, slight haze, visible steady carbonation that contributes to a head that is initially 3 fingers thick and recedes, leaving scattered lacing around glass edges.
Smell: Citrus from grapefruit is immediately apparent, as is a more tropical note, possibly mango. You can also smell the hops, but overall the whole scent is light and refreshing. I could get an air freshener of this and my room would smell clean and enticing.
Taste: Like with the smell, the taste is fresh -- pineapple, grapefruit, mango, with a bit of pine. No overwhelming sweetness, which I like. The malts are very understated and really allow the clean fruits and hops to be the stars here.
Mouthfeel: Average lightness, with a nice boost from the carbonation.
Overall: I don't tend to give a lot of exposition when I'm picking out flavors/smells (mostly because I'm concentrating really hard on what I'm tasting/smelling!) but for me, in IPAs, though a lot of them have similar flavors thanks to commonly used hop and yeast strains, the flavor profiles can be completely different. Sculpin is unique in that the flavors are bright and strong, and they come through assertively; however, this never feels like a heavy or overpowering beer when you drink it. For a hophead, it could easily be light enough to drink during the afternoon (unlike the Maharaja, which is definitely an evening get-your-buzz-on beer.) The balance of the flavors is really exceptional, and I personally appreciate that the malts are underpowered, as I am not a huge fan of sweetness in my IPAs. As I've mentioned before, this is currently sharing the top spot on my list of favorite IPAs (with the other obvious choice, Pliny the Elder.)
Bonus: try the Habanero Sculpin if you ever see it on tap!
5/5
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