Dogfish Head Squall IPA

Brewed by Dogfish Head Brewery
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Milton, Delaware USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   update pic

Great start, malt back, and high alcohol finish. Great beers to go with a great pizza.

Even better than the regular Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA. Finishing and carbonating in the bottle makes for one hell of a brew.

Are you kidding? Are you kidding? Floral scent, gorgeous hoppy front, supersmooth and wide middle, and just a little bit bitter on the back end. This is like the most amazing girlfriend you never had. (And let’s face it: a bitter back end is far better in a beer than on a girlfriend.)

The only reason I docked the Squall IPA a couple of points is that if I actually found the perfect beer, my quest in beer would be over. I’m not quite ready to call it quits yet. However.....this is one of the very best beers I have ever tasted in my entire life! I’ve been waiting to taste the Squall for over a year. I finally found a couple of bottles at Wegmans in Collegeville, PA. Even though my bank account didn’t suddenly show a few more commas or zeros, I hit it rich! This beer is the one that beer lovers, especially hop heads, should seek out and taste. The Squall pours a dark golden color with a subtle, but rich and lacing white head. The nose is extremely inviting, with a rich malty note, with earth, bread, grass, lemon and of course, hops. The balance of this beer should be celebrated! There is quite a bit of hops, spiciness and citrus flavors, but a whole lot of malt and punch. The finish features a bit of oak-aged whiskey flavor, along with a huge orange and grapefruit flavor. This is about as perfect a beer as one could imagine. Thanks to Dogfish for creating such a masterpiece!

UPDATED: MAR 26, 2011 Sampled from a 750 ml brown bottle this beer poured a yellow-golden colro with a large soapy yellow-white head that lingered and produced great lacing. The aroma was an absolutely wonderful mix of pineapple, fruit cocktail, grapefruit and sugar. The flavor was sweet, tangy and mildly bitter wtih intense notes of pineapple, pear, chrery, grapefruit and sugar with undertones of floral hops and caramel. The finish was long with intense sweet hops. The body is thick and full and the alcohol is very well hidden. Damn close to perfect.

750ml bottle obtained at McKinnon’s in Salem, NH. Pours a red-amber crystal-clear body with a good inch or so of off-white head. Grassy citrussy grapefruit with a good bit of mint and just enough caramel, toffee, and a hint of chocolate malt to balance. Hops definitely dominate toward the beginning, with citrus (grapefruit and lemon), pith, grass, and mint, and a bit of sweet caramel, toffee, chocolate, and coffee, but just enough to balance the beer - definitely very hop-forward, more so than 90-minute IPA. On the fuller side of medium-bodied with moderate to low carbonation, no doubt due to the bottle conditioning. The flavors and moderate mouthfeel make this a much easier drinker than expected. Absolutely stellar in every regard, I fully intend on picking up more should I come across it!

Slightly cloudy yellow citrusy amber. Small white head. Numerous bubbles. Citrus hop aroma. Flavor is immediately satisfying with malty orange sweetness and horehound. Carbonation holds a head around the rim. The finish bites the toungue, quick, nice and lively. Tastes as good in Dripping Springs as it does in Delaware.

Bottle. 25.4 oz. Split with Vinny. Pours a deep, deep hazy honey amber with a thick, white, outrageously lacy head. Tons of chunky white sediment collected around the base of the Tremens glass. Aroma of grapefruit, honey, caramel, lavader, licorice, sour lemon, grass, and lovely, smooth hops. Fuller bodied with a sticky, tangy, slightly bitter palate. Finishes with an amazing hoppy bite. Conceals the alcohol lethally well; not a single hint of burn in this brew. Another home run from Dogfish Head. This brewery is unreal. COME ON!

Big thanks to jgasparine for this tasty brew! 750 ml bottle. Served in my DFH snifter, the beer pours an orange/amber color with about an inch and a half off-white head. Head retention is excellent, and there’s a lot of lacing left on the glass, too. Aroma is citrusy (tropical fruit, grapefruit) and pine hops, along with a bit of caramel malt. Nice, inviting aroma. To me, the taste is the same as the aroma, it’s all tropical fruit, citrus and pine hops, and caramel malt. Great balance between the fruity, malty and hoppy flavors, this is a very tasty beer! Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it’s slick and creamy with good carbonation. Drinkability is pretty good, it’s smooth and very enjoyable to drink. I think it’s a great overall brew. If you find some of this, make sure you pick a bottle or two up!

This is a very very fruity IPA, but is still quite excellent. Goes down smooth, has the alcohol but not in the body, really quite tasty stuff. Actually worth the price.