Ballast Point Pepper Beer Duel - On Cask

This brewery does hot pepper beers on a regular basis. this week it is San Diego Beer Week, so there are all sorts of special beers flowing from the different breweries in town. This brewery is having different cask duels each day of the week. Here is the flyer.

So the Wednesday duel has me intrigued and I may carve out some time to swing by and try it. Indra Kunindra Stout, which regularly is a curry stout with Ceyenne, but now includes Ghost Chiles versus the Abandon Ship Smoked Lager with Yellow Scorpion Peppers.


Which one will be hotter?
Which one will taste better?

Guess I will have to find out.

Ballast Point Big Eye IPA, or Sculpin are possibly my favorite beers. Almost anything they do is a winner. Would be very interested to see how they handle pepper beer.


But... I don't feel like traveling 500 miles to do it. I'll have to catch them next time.

Right on! They make Habanero Sculpin on a regular basis. Some others they regularly make are:
Serrano Yellow Tail Pale Ale
Black Marlin Chipotle Porter
Tongue Buckler with Chipotle and Cocoa Nibs
Abandon Ship smoked Lager with Jalapenos

Still trying to convince them to make Scotch Bonnet Sculpin.

Talking to one of the brewers a while back they suggested experimenting with growlers or pints. Get a growler of beer (1/2 gallon), add your pepper, usually dried, and let it sit for a while warming up to room temperature or so. Then refrigerate and enjoy later. You can do some twisted stuff to your beer, and palette, with it. Can be really awesome if you get the mix right.

I did a White IPA, took 5 gallons and added 2 yellow scorpion peppers to the keg for a friend's Halloween party. We called it Curse of the Scorpion. Good heat.

God, I love and miss Ballast Point! Been gone for a year and miss my favorite brews. At least have Stone and Green Flash here, which would be my third/fourth picks from home. Was a sucker for Sculpin/Dorado/Big Eye growler fills. Hit up Sour Wench now and then. Looks like a good line up man. I remember they did they a Wahoo w/ Thais and Lime awhile back too. Wasn't really into the wheat thing though. Have fun.

Had the wife take me on brewery tour yesterday afternoon. At 34 weeks pregnant she was a trooper.

First stop, Ballast Point. Had the dueling cask with the peppers. They were good but not overpowering. Could definitely tell we were on the top end of the barrel. both beers were good and had equal levels of heat. the Indra Kunindra Stout won on flavor. The bhut added a nice twist to the curry flavor of the beer.



Next stop Green Flash Brewing. Had the 9th Anniversary Green Bullet Double IPA. 10% ABV. Very clean and tasty, brewed with New Zealand Green Bullet Hops. Also had a Hamiltons (local brew pud) 6th Anniversary IPA collaboration. It was ok but no where close to the green bullet. Hop Head Red 22oz was on sell for 50% off so I grabbed 6. $18 including tax and tip. Awesome deal.

Then we went to Alesmith Brewing. Had the Bourbon Barrel Aged Nut Brown Ale with Vanilla Bean on Cask. Tremendously smooth and had great flavor. At this point I am 3/4 drunk.

We ended the night at a local restaurant called Sessions Public house. Had a Societe Apprentice IPA. Societe brewing is new in town but I am told the head brewer came from Russian River.

Awesome beer tour but feeling the effects today. So many different brews did a number on my head, not too bad though.

boutros said:

God, I love and miss Ballast Point! Been gone for a year and miss my favorite brews. At least have Stone and Green Flash here, which would be my third/fourth picks from home. Was a sucker for Sculpin/Dorado/Big Eye growler fills. Hit up Sour Wench now and then. Looks like a good line up man. I remember they did they a Wahoo w/ Thais and Lime awhile back too. Wasn't really into the wheat thing though. Have fun.

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Yes, they had the Thai Chile Ginger Lime Wahoo Wheat on tap. I have had this before. Interesting combination but I am not much for wheat beer.

Do the San Marcos area tour too. If you like craft beer, San Diego is blowing up.

hey kalimazoop, where in SD you live? if you like craft beers, my buddy owns a sausage/beer bar of India st called "the reagle beagle" his Wife works at green flash, so he has lots of local brewed beers and the sausages are made locally too!. if you are down we could meet up.

Spongey Im in OB. I have heard of the Reagle Beagle but have never been there. I will send you a PM.