Dogfish Head ApriHop

Brewed by Dogfish Head Brewery
Style: Fruit Beer
Milton, Delaware USA

Re-rate after many, many samplings of ApriHop. This has easily become one of my favorite fridge beers. this is an excellent mid-strength drinker, with "just enough" alcohol warmth, nicely balanced against this nice complementary apricot flavor. I’m usually reluctant to answer the question, "what’s your favorite beer," I now sometimes answer with this beer. My original comment: <<I’m not usually a fan of fruity beers, but this is a stand-out. The apricot flavor is a good complement. Floral. Low in carbonation. Unique.>>

I love this beer. Better on tap than in the bottle. The apricots are more pronounced in the tap version. The apricots produce a nice balance with the high level of hops as well as create a nice body and mouthfeel.

Dogfish Head calls this "a serious IPA" made with apricots and I think they’re right. In this case the apricots are an adjunct not a principal ingredient. It pours a bronzy amber, slightly hazy, with a persistant off-white, creamy head. Foam and lace linger on the glass as it recedes. I couldn’t detect any apricot in the aroma, which had notes of alcohol, fruit esters, cedar, grapefruit, herbs, slight yeast, and hops. No apricot in the taste either but it tasted wonderful. Light fruitiness, hefty, toasty malt, and a really tasty wallop of the whole leaf Amarillo and Warrior hops. Nicely bittered. Clean, refreshing fruity/hoppy/citrusy aftertaste. Nice mouthfeel for the style. If it was up to me I’d characterize this as an IPA with apricot instead of a fruit ale. I know, "you say tomato...." Excellent brew.

As a lot of people have said starts off sweet ends hoppy. Really a good summer beer. dark goldenn color the fruitiness is perfect not too much enough for you to notcie it before you remember drinking beer. COOL!

Great aroma, very good warm weather beer

I love this beer! A great summertime beer indeed. It’s terribly refreshing and a perfect balance of heavy and light, sweet and bitter. The aroma is sweet apricot and candy. Flavor is authentic IPA beer + apricots. Not watered down at all, and it doesn’t taste artificial. Good job yet again Dogfish Head!

Bottle, 2004 bottling. (3/13/04) After a couple near misses with fruit beers lately, I promised myself to stay away from these things. Next thing I know, I snag a 4-pack out of the hand of the clerk as she's stocking the shelves and run to the cashier, ready to try again. Burnt orange to perfect copper in color. Absolutely clear, glowing, and lovely. Smallish white head (Duvel glass) that fades very quickly. (50F) The aroma is confusing and complex at first, my mind is telling me C-hops, but my instinct is arguing...I decide to wait it out until 60 F and try again. At 58 F I can't wait anymore and dive in. Smells like a Northwest IPA...floral hops - also note a pungent yeastiness emerging as it warms, as with a Belgian strong ale (like Duvel). Some alcohol is present in the nose. Pine, cabbage, reduced OJ, mustard grain...I am tempted to wonder if the beer is infected. I convince myself to have no fear and press on. Flavors are evergreen, bell pepper, orange citrus; velvety smooth front and across middle. The flavor of the beginning vanishes mid-way through and is replaced by an assault of aprihop. The use of apricots is apparent, but it is in no way jammy or artificial. The hops that I initially pegged as three-C's are Amarillo according to the website, so that makes sense and explains the citrusy notes. This beer is aptly named. No alcohol in the flavor, despite the 7% ABV. Not at all sweet or cloying. Very nice diversion for a fruit beer: the fruit only adds to an already tasty concoction, rather than defining the flavor. As the beer continues to warm (now 65-68 F), a bit of sourness comes to the forefront along with aromas and flavors of (I think) must and barnyard that are a wonderful surprise. My only complaint is a touch too much astringency, especially on the finish...a problem I'll happily deal with three more times.

This beer shines very well. It is a great fruit beer. It is also a very tastey IPA. Pours hazy red/amber with a thin tan head. Very pretty. Strong aroma of barley and apricot, butterscotch, roast and fruit syrup. Thick mouthfeel. Raisin, dried apricot and peach. Molases. Grapefruit hops are incorporated nicely and not overwhelming. Coffee, raspberry tart. Whiskey malts, pepper and clove are blended into the flavours. Crusty pie dough. I’m sure it would go tremendously well with cheese. Clean, lightly burnt lime-like bitter finish. Amazing. As a fruit beer goes, this is hard to beat.