Ballast Point Dorado Double IPA

Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
San Diego, California USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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UPDATED: JUN 18, 2009 Sampled at the brewery on 11/30/06: Pours a clear copper amber with a nicely-lacing frothy white head. Huge, fresh grapefruity hoppy aroma has a lot of sweet caramel malty balance. Body starts sweet, fresh and hoppy with big bittering grapefruit and sticky caramel and hop resiny finish. Crisp, enjoyable and slightly warming. A nice double IPA.

Fresh bottle sampled on 6/18/09: Has lots of fresh resiny grapefruity hops throghout the aroma and body. Great resiny bittersweetness balances the rich sweet light crystal maltiness. This is dangerously drinkable and refreshing.

Bomber poured a clear gold with a small lingering amber head. Aromas of pine, light citrus and hints of carmel and earthiness. Palate was medium bodied and slightly dry. Flavors of carmel, pine and a hint of earthiness with a smooth lightly bitter finish.

Bomber. Thanks dirty_martini! Pours a hazy amber with a lacy off-white head. Nice big grapefruit aroma with mango and pine. Medium body and carbonation. A little caramel and fruit in the taste, but you have to dig through a wave of hops to find it. Resinous finish. Tasty. but not my favorite DIPA.

UPDATED: MAY 25, 2008 Definitely a strong double. As an updated rating, I’m sad to see this limited release ale off the shelves now. However, its replacement with Sculpin IPA is justified. Strong green aroma with hops and grapefruit citrus. I didn’t think this one was balanced all that well. Overly sweet malt base with a finish of fresh cut hay and strong warming alcohol. Very tasty, but just too syrupy of a palate. More carbonation and less caramelization could make for a crisper finish. Good, but I don’t think it compares with the likes of other great west coast IPAs, such as Pliny the Elder.

UPDATED: OCT 29, 2008 Prefer on draft - mostly because its too damn expensive in bottle. A hop monster - more in aroma than flavor. The high alchol content makes this one pretty syrupy, lacey, and very sweet. Pretty smooth for being nearly 10%, flavors of citrus, oranges, mango, GREEN APPLE!!!. I def enjoyed this beer. nice having ballast point down the street! make this again.

22 oz bottle. Very pale, slightly hazy golden/orange brew with a creamy white head. Intense simcoe hop aroma. A bit of light tangerine and grapefruit aroma behind the piny notes on the front. As it warms, some soft spiciness begins to show up. Malts are bright and lean with a bit of light wheatiness as well. Hoppy flavour, simcoe pine, a bit of juicy mango, citrus and fresh cut pineapple. There is also a touch of soft resinousness. Bitterness is fairly light, but the hops are sweet and flavourful. A bit of soapiness as the beer starts to warm up. When fresh, I bet this was incredible. It’s starting to fade, but it’s still an excellent IIPA.

Bottle via realale420. Pours bright golden orange color with a medium sized, dense, off white head. Aroma is wonderful, floral hops, citrus, pine, mango. Flavor is caramel, biscuits, pine, mango, grapefruit. Palate is full bodied, medium carbonation, bitter finish. This was a real treat! Very solid brew!!

Bottle and served in my GI IPA Tulip: Pours a Pacific Ocean bright copper sunset topped by a wonderful layer of foam and left a fair amount a tearful lacing on the glassware.

The nose detected of pungent use of resin hops with the piney, clove, mango and grapefruity esters. Also some herbal vapors, caramel and biscuity malts dancing about the rim of the glass.

The taste is right where you expect it with a heavy-handed dose of leafy and fresh hop bitterness in tune with an citric overdrive. The malt are there but strictly a second fiddle player. The finish is clove and pepper imbued with a smack down of mind numbing alcohol snap. The overall mouth feel is medium-bodied, sharp and biting, astringent and metallic with the alcohol warming noted above.

This is one solid brew that sticks to a plan and executes it very well. If you like your big hoppy beers with a notable citric character, than this is your nirvana.

UPDATED: JUN 24, 2008 Bottle. Amber colour with a fizzy white head. Lovely aroma of caramel, and a lot of hops. Nice hoppy flavour with notes of caramel, melon and citrus. Ends up sweet and bitter, I love it.

Love the wave of citrus hop that hits your nose on the better DIPA’s like this one does,some grininess with caramel backing, ,head seemed to disappear a little to quickly, more of a balanced flavor then most,tangy citrus hop and caramel,toffeeish malt, settling into a hoppy bitterness,a little lighter body then others and I do prefer the heavier ones, but one of the most tastey balanced DIPA’s I’ve had