Brewed by: Ballast Point Brewing Company
Brewery Location: San Diego, CA
Style: American IPA
ABV: 7.00%
I’ll be completely honest here: I had never even heard a whisper of the Ballast Point Brewing Company when I first noticed this beer on the shelf at my local distributor. And I spent this past summer just outside of San Diego…shame on me. After picking up a six-pack on a relative whim, I must say that I am pretty disappointed…that I didn’t get to try this beer over the summer. Big Eye, you are one hell of a good American IPA.
Upon pouring, a very rich, copper color was revealed. There was a fairly large head, and some seriously sticky lacing that hung around until my glass was empty.
Upon first smelling the Big Eye, I was immediately greeted by piney hops, and a smell of bitterness. While these smells served as the overtones for this beer, there were some serious citrus flavors going on in the background: pineapple, orange, and lemon…? There was also a bit of malt that was able to shine through as well, leaving me pretty excited to taste what I imagined to be a pretty well balanced brew.
The taste followed suit with the smell beautifully, immediately punching through with that to-be-expected hoppy bitterness. After the initial shock of the hops, the citrus makes an appearance as the main contender, complemented by an almost floral sweetness. The sweetness was almost a bit too much for me, but after a few more tastes, I concluded that the hoppy bitterness and sweetness balanced each other out very well.
Let’s be straight here: I need to stop purchasing beer from random brewing companies. I end up with a beer like the Big Eye, which I thoroughly enjoy, and then make it a personal mission to try as many of their different styles as possible. Oh wait, that’s not a bad thing? Well in that case, give the Ballast Point Big Eye a try!
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