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Head-to-Head: Ballast Point Big Eye IPA vs. Blue Frog Grog & Grill Big DIPA

Posted January 23rd, 2009 by Nate

This week we’re pitting a local favorite against an out-of-town challenger.  Blue Frog is a brewpub in Fairfield, north of San Francisco.  We’ll see how they’re double IPA fairs against the tried-and-true quality of Ballast Point’s offering after the jump.

Ballast Point Big Eye IPA

Nate: Drinking this beer is like visiting a friend’s house where you know he’s always got some carne asada going and it’s just going to be good times.  It’s predictable and completely welcome.

This IPA has a very fruity nose.  It pours with a nice head.  The flavor is excellently balanced: citrus tones with a nice hop finish that isn’t overpowering.

Chris:Like Nate said, this beer is “good times”. Although this was good, there wasn’t much else that really made this IPA stand out from others. I thought it was complete, refreshing, complementing and delicious but nothing more to make it my go-to IPA.

Blue Frog Grog & Grill Big DIPA

Chris:What a disappointment! I find something on the shelves that i haven’t seen before and I think, “Wow, what a cool looking bottle. And look it’s a double IPA, this should be good.”
Big DIPA wasn’t bad, it poured a burnt orange with a nose of pear, orange, and toasty malt. The taste was also the same as the nose but missing the hop blast that usually comes with an IPA. Overall, a good beer, a tad too sweet, and definitely not an IPA (let alone a double) by my standards.

Nate: So this is what Norcal thinks a double IPA is?  This is why I’m glad I live in San Diego.  This beer has a very weak nose, and mild hoppiness at best. Hop-wise it’s the weakest “IPA” I’ve ever had.  I’d like to drive a Ruination up to Fairfield just to see the look on their faces when they realize that hops are supposed to add flavor to a beer. The one redeeming quality here is that as it warms you get a bit more of the alcohol coming out, almost like a barrel-aged beer, but without as much character.

Conclusion

We may be biased, but hands-down Ballast Point takes the belt here.  Better scent, better flavor, better experience all around.

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