Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA

one of my favorite beers from one of my favorite breweries. sweet tone, nice alcohol content, piney citrusy hops, wonderful aftertaste, and not too heavy ya cant have another. is that simcoe i’m tasting? mmmmmm. i heart DFH. best version i ever had was at the old blind tiger alehouse in nyc about 5 years ago that was on tap, and before it exited the tap it ran through a batch of fresh hops, essentially dry hopping it one last time, seconds before it hits the glass. i think someone at DFH invented it... not sure if they still use it at their brewery???

I love the stylistic bottle, at 12 ounces, in a four pack, for $9.00 in Florida. At 9% ABV this Imperial IPA hides it well with the hops and malt. It has a light brown look in a snifter, and has a finely bubbled head. After the pour I took a sniff, which was heavily malted with sweetness, and had a tad bit of hop aroma. The alcohol was very well hidden. The mouth-feel is slightly viscous, and has just the right amount of carbonation. The alcohol warms your innards, and the flavor of the alcohol dissipates quickly. The beer comes off on the tongue sweetly, and progresses into a spicy hop. It is all finished with a nice grassy bit of sweetness. Very awesome beer.

(12 oz blt) Pours a rich, hazy amber; minimal off-white head which quickly disappears. Aroma is toffee/caramel and candied pineapple. Robust malty sweetness w/ citrus peel tang. Aftertaste is fruity sweet (dried apricots?). Tastes like hopped wort. Not a BAD beer, but IPA is a misnomer. The aroma and flavor do not meet my expectations of an IPA, but I will pretend it’s something else and enjoy it.

(Bottle at Pikkulintu, Helsinki, on 2009-01-20) Deep amber. Clear. Small white quickly disappearing head. Strong hoppy aroma with some toffee notes. Very strong bodied and oily palate, warmth from alcohol, somewhat dry and contains little carbonation. Malts, sweetness, lots of hops, bitterness, toffee and hint of fruitiness in taste. Malty and bitter aftertaste. Quite balanced beer.

Draft @ Capone’s Dec ’08: Poured an amber orange color with not much head. The aroma was pine, citrus, and flowers. The flavor was hops, flowers, oranges, and pine. Overall, this beer fresh and smooth. An excellent IPA.

12oz bottle. Pours an off-white head with an amber body. Smells of pine and apricots. Juicy like a peach with a nice bitterness.

A: A clear orange amber with off white head. Tiny little bubbles. S: No lack of aroma. Pungeant sweet smelling hops with orange blossom and malt. T: It keeps getting better. Beautiful balance of sweet and bitter. Citrusy hops, malt and apricots come to mind. MF: Light syrupy feel with light carbonation. D: I just love the balance of this beer. The flavor coats your mouth and fades off perfectly. Because of the sweetness (and alchohol content). I couldn’t drink more than one a night but what a treat.

Pours a golden amber into my La Fin du Monde glass with a thin white head, intense lacing, and a mild, but constant stream of bubbles... Good Glass... Aroma is not nearly as pungent as you would expect, with up front sweet maltiness characterized by a bit of toffee and dark fruits along with a nice nose of citrus hops... Taste is mildly alcoholy, with a creaminess that is unmistakably east coast imperial ipa maltiness... The earthy hops are interesting but dont do as much as the big citrusy hops usually do to balance the malts... There is a certain complexity here that is not always prevalent in IIPAs, each sip is a bit different... Notes of toffee, chocolate, fruits, pine, and citrus...Medium to Full bodied with a less lingering finish than expected...