Can you get drunk on Ballast Point Habanero Sculpin? It might be hard to do. For the longest time, I certainly couldn’t because I wasn’t able to find the bloody stuff in the first place. Ballast Point beers have been in Georgia for a few years now, though some remain elusive. It wasn’t until a few months ago that I was able to find Grapefruit Sculpin, and that at Stout’s Growlers here in Canton. Once again, Stout’s came through and was here as well that I got my first taste of Habanero Sculpin.

To be sure, they warned me this one was a fiery brew indeed. Some people didn’t seem to like it. Bring it on, said I, I love spicy food and drink. I have a pet peeve about beers that use special seasonings (like hot peppers), then don’t deliver on the advertised ingredient. If you’re making a beer with habaneros, I want the spicy burn and flavor of the peppers.

Ballast Point says of their Habanero Sculpin on their website:

Our Sculpin IPA with Habanero Pepper began as a crazy experiment that’s taken on a life of its own. While its bright fruit notes and hoppy bite has made the original one of our favorites, this version takes that balance of flavors to the next level with the citrusy, floral heat of habaneros. Sculpin are known to sting, but this one’s got a kick.

Ballast Point Habanero Sculpin has an alcohol content of 7% by volume with 70 IBUs. I paid $10.75 for a 32-ounce growler at Stout’s.

Ballast Point Habanero Sculpin pours to a bright orange color with a massive rocky head formation and a simply wonderful nose of passion fruity hops and green vegetal peppers. Taking a sip, the beer has some caramel malt up front, but you won’t have time to appreciate it. The spicy green peppers come at you fast and furious with vegetal flavor and spicy heat. Tropical fruity hops make a valiant effort to appear in the finish, but they’re overwhelmed by the hot spicy pepper flavor, and in the finish the peppery heat lingers long on the tongue and especially the back of the throat, drying the beer perfectly.

Hops are a plant seasoning, why can’t habaneros be? They certainly work well here to my taste, adding not only fiery heat but also lots of flavor too. I’d never think of matching Habanero Sculpin with spicy food-that would be overkill-but it might serve to pair with poultry or fish to liven things up a bit. As it was, I sipped gently on my growler over the course of the evening, and will confess it took me a bit longer than normal to finish.

You might be able to get drunk on Ballast Point Habanero Sculpin Ale. But it would be really hard to do, and in truth, you should always drink responsibly anyway.

Update December 18 2016: Enjoyed a draft glass of Habanero Sculpin after catching a Pats win at Taco Mac. $7 for an 11-ounce glass for spicy perfection.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 

 

 

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