Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA

(Original Rating) The strongest IPA I’ve ever had. Incredibly strong. In all fairness, I have decided to try this beer again as I originally tried it VERY early on in my beer education. I might’ve had a bad bottle, and since this beer is so well received, I will re-rate it. But for the time being, I have to stick to my original rating, flawed as it might be. RERATE: Upon 2nd tasting years later, I found this to be a very excellent beer. Still quite hoppy, but complimented well by sweet flavors and a tasty finish. What a difference time makes.

Pours clear golden amber with a one inch off-white head that lingers for a long time. Strong citrus aroma with pine and mostly orange-pineapple. Pineapple taste as well is dominant with floral notes. Smooth and surprisingly not too bitter except for the finish. Has some roast characters in the finish as well that help balance the hop.

12oz bottle. Pours a see-through, burnt orange body with a small, fizzy, off-white head that dissipates quickly and remains delicately laced. Aroma is pretty straightforward, but plentiful. Lots of woody bitter hops and a plethora of caramel. The caramel malts have a "cooked" character to them in that they aren’t burnt, but it seems like they are on the verge of toasted. Sweet, sugary boozy backing as well. Flavor is initially a big, biscuit malt quickly infused with an almost harsh bitter citrus. Lots of that "cooked" caramel again and even a bit of licorice flavoring. Finishes very woody and dry with a touch of sugary booze warmth. Palate is medium to full and somewhat harsh, although very well balanced. Overall, a really nice DIPA with a great balance of flavors. I think a 4 is rightly deserved.

A bottle tasted at Pikkulintu. Hoppy flowery nose. Pale golden yellow slightly coppery colour. Pale head. Slightly sweet soft taste. Tasty crispy hoppiness. Lacey forming head.

Pours a deep honey amber with a 1/2 finger soapy white head. Decent lacing. Smells of strong floral hops and sweet malt. Dry hopping is pretty obvious here. Flavor is hops up front (duh) with a pleasant malty sweetness. This is more balanced than I had expected. Medium mouthfeel that coats the tongue and finishes sweet with a teeny bitter kick. The high abv% is expertly hidden here. This would be the perfect accompaniment for a nice bloody steak. Awesome.

This beer was surprisingly sweet. It reminded me very much of Dogfish’s Raison D’etre. When I tried it beer for the first time I found myself savoring it so much that it went from ice cold out of the liquor store cooler to room temperature in my hand. Where that can be a killer with some beers this one took on a whole new interesting flavor, resembling the drinking of a really nice liquor neat. If one does not normally like the intense bitterness that IPAs offer, this is definitely worth a try. Not your common IPA by any means, but definitely now one of my favorites.

2006 Bottle - Pours a vibrant orange with a medium, lasting off-white head...aroma is big ass bourbon and candy malt, rich pit fruit...flavour is similar but the hops have disappeared over time, replaces with a sweet, dried fruit pungency...I love this beer fresh, it’s a rich hop/malt bomb...but with almost 3 years in the bottle, it has evolved into something more resembling a cloying American Strong...delicious...

Again I have to say I am not an IPA fan. That being said 90 min has good fruit forward flavor with aromas of malted hops. A little orange or lemon on the finish.