I’ve had a number of Ballast Point beers in the past, and the Sculpin, in particular, has always stood out to me for it’s fantastic taste. So when I saw the Mango Even Keel Session IPA, I grabbed it without hesitation. Based in San Diego, California, this beer had a long way to go to reach my refrigerator and I hope it was worth the journey.
Up against it, Odell Brewing of Fort Collins, Colorado offers up its Myrcenary Double IPA. They’ve put it so eloquently, I wouldn’t alter a word from the description on the can: “Brewed with a blend of hops containing the highest levels of Myrcene, a component of essential oils in the hop flower, this double IPA prevails with a tropical fruit-like flavor, a pungent floral aroma, and a clean getaway.” Let’s see if our getaway was as clean as they’ve promised.
HopDuel Survey
| Better label | Ballast Point Mango Even Keel Session IPA |
| Better aroma | Odell Brewing Myrcenary Duble IPA |
| Better taste | Ballast Point Mango Even Keel Session IPA |
| Better finish | Odell Brewing Myrcenary Duble IPA |
| Winner | Odell Brewing Myrcenary Duble IPA |
Tell us about it
Two excellent beers from two powerhouse brewers, I couldn’t have asked for a better duel. The Mango flavor from the Even Keel Session IPA was a great addition to the beers body, but wasn’t quite impressive enough to overcome the rich taste of Odell’s Myrcenary Double IPA. At first sip the beer was so rich it almost had a creamy element to it, which quickly gave way to the fruity, floral notes promised in the description.
I’m going to have to try these two against each other another time in the future. If they went up against each other a hundred times, I’d suspect they each come away with fifty victories. Well done.
HopDuel 