Mike Duggan #09 IPA
Duggan's Brewery

Mike Duggan #09 IPAMike Duggan #09 IPA
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From:
Duggan's Brewery
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
6.2%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.7 | pDev: 8.92%
Reviews:
36
Ratings:
41
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 06, 2012
Added:
Apr 04, 2009
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
Now being brewed by Cool Brewing.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3255/69354
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3 by cfalovo97 from Canada (ON)

Nov 06, 2012
 
Rated: 3.25 by kelvarnsen from Canada (ON)

Jul 03, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by batmanbach from Canada (ON)

May 07, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by Wordslinger from Canada (ON)

May 05, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by dipso123 from Oregon

Mar 28, 2012
Photo of kjyost
Reviewed by kjyost from Canada (MB)

2.95/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Bottle #1 received through trade. Thanks TheSevenDuffs. Figured I should try this in a bottle after a mediocre shot at the cask challenge.

A: A very nasty start. Pours flat. Turn the bottle upside down. Still flat. WTF? What can I say that is good? Crystal clear amber-red. (EDIT: Was a 2, a later bottle had decent head and retention).

S: A musky earth atop a bit of crystal sweetness. No real substantial hop profile outside the earthiness.

T: This is new to me. An IPA without a significant bitterness. If this is an English IPA. A sweet crystal malt profile and a bit of bready yeast play into the taste. (EDIT: Was a 2, the later bottle had better bitterness and hop flavours, though still muted to my liking)

M: Thin and watery. No carbonation can't help. (EDIT: Was 1.5, but much better in the second bottle with carbonation. Bright in the mouth).

D: I have one more bottle. May it not be flat or I will never seek out a Duggan again as long as I can remember. (EDIT: was a 2 - much more drinkable though not exactly what I was looking for in an IPA)
Feb 26, 2011
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Reviewed by mrnobody from Canada (ON)

3.63/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
275 ml bottle poured into a Wellington Brewery pint glass.

A: Pours a clear dark amber with two fingers of off-white head, some of which hangs around for the duration.

S: Smells of a little citrus hops, some malt, inviting but not overpowering.

T: This certainly has a lot more going on than Tankhouse, much hoppier but I'm still not sure it qualifies as an IPA.

M: Medium body with average carbonation.

D: I'd rate the drinkability fairly high.
Feb 14, 2011
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Reviewed by uno99 from Canada (ON)

4.01/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Had this at the brewery a couple times, but the need for a 6 pack of something to bring to a UFC PayPerView party meant I wanted something smooth, easy to drink but still enough substance to quench my beer snob palate.

Served at 50 Degrees. No date on bottle.

A: Cool looking, small (275ml) minimalist design bottle, Poured into a stella tulip. Very deep copper-brown color. Huge head, which sticks to the glass like glue and lasts for the entire experience.

S: biscuit malts upfront. Pine and nettle hops. quite sweet and inviting.

T: Sweet malts upfront. A little honey and caramel center, then a good rush of hops peruses the sweetness down your throat. Sweetness does linger in the finish, but enough hop presence remains to balance things.

M: Quite a solid brew. Medium to heavy bodied. Coats the palate well.

D: Looking forward to sessioning this one whilst the gladiators of our time square off in the octagon.
Feb 05, 2011
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Reviewed by paxkey from Canada (ON)

3.95/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
no freshness date on label.

pours out mahogany with a small white head that fades quickly. little lacing.

aroma: I get cherrywood. like cherries and wood.
not a big smell off this so far. gonna let it warm a bit from fridge.

tastes bitter. grapefruit. tea like. nice stuff.
lots of fruit flavors exploding in mouth after swallow.

the alcohol is well hidden behind hops. some sweet maltiness on finish as well. above average mouthfeel. a little smooth a little creamy a little sharp.

I could session this or savour it. very pleased.
Jan 31, 2011
Photo of ludachris
Reviewed by ludachris from Canada (ON)

3.34/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Three fingers of frothy beige head rest on top of a perfectly clear ruby amber body, coating the glass with puffy lace as it takes its time dissipating. The colour is unlike anything I've seen before in the style. What a great looking IPA!

I like my American version of this bitter style to be robust, tropical, and oozing with hops, and unfortunately, this meets none of my expectations. Delicate would be a nice way of putting it. This one's very malt forward with biscuit, caramel, and bready malts edging out the slight floral and earthy hop character. Some reassuring grapefruit and lemon peel can also be pulled out, but based on the nose, I don't expect much from this one.

Thankfully floral and grassy hops are more assertive in the taste, pinching the sides of the tongue before they roll to the back of the palate. Sweet and toasty bready malts come in smooth and creamy and do well at trying to equal the hop presence. The finish is more astringent and earthy with a good lingering quality.

Creamy and smooth but a tad light for its higher ABV. Dry in the finish with a refreshing quality to it. Not what I'm looking for in an IPA and that's why the drinkability is average at best.

I like supporting local breweries and because of that, I'd be more than happy to try Duggan's other offerings, but this one again? Probably not. A decent beer in general, but far from a good American IPA. As a side note, despite this not being my favorite beer, I wish he would package it in a standard bottle size.
Jan 26, 2011
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Reviewed by zachariaIPA from Canada (ON)

3.88/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Peter Frampton, Massey Hall. That's when I first had this beer.

A great local beer, although it's more of an APA than IPA, right?

Pours a very clean dark amber from the bottle with a slightly off-white head that just does not want to dissipate in my glass, leaving a thick story-telling web of lace down the side.

A maltier IPA than most..but balanced with floral notes, sweet fruit, caramel, and hops. It reminds me of an APA like Anchor Steam, a hoppy Tankhouse..but not with a west-coast IPA hop-profile that maybe I was expecting. In any case, I could drink this all day long out of those tiny little bottles, or on tap with some hot wings and curry poutine. Fuck yeah.
Nov 16, 2010
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Reviewed by duckdown from Canada (ON)

3.88/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
275ml bottles, from Cool Brewery in Etobicoke.

Very nice stuff! After hearing about this for a long time, I have finally gotten to try it.

Pours with a cream colored head that dissipates rather fast. The beer itself is a nice deep amber color. Smells familiar immediately, a nice balance of hops, citrus and flowers (from the hops), and malt and something sweet. Tastes the same: sweet like caramel, some bitterness from the hops, and background malt smoothes it all out. Little carbonation but there are some bubbles floating around.

Pretty thin mouthfeel I guess, but overall its a great balance of flavor and drinkability, something I would definitely buy again. Now if only it could make its way to the average LCBO or Beer Store...
Oct 28, 2010
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Reviewed by TerryW from Canada (ON)

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A good looking beer, clear chestnut brown under a moderate head that settles to a heavy film and leaves some very nice lace.

Nose full of carmel malts and grapefruit from hops. Very fruity and pleasant. That carries on through to the taste. Initial mouthfeel gives a bitter bite and then a mouthful of sweet malt. Distinct grapefruit rind flavour from the hops. Finishes with lingering bitterness and a hint of spice.

A decent brew, easy to drink, lots of interesting flavours happening.
Sep 22, 2010
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Reviewed by papat444 from Canada (QC)

3.44/5  rDev -7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Thanks to bobsy for this one. Enjoyed on Sept. 14, 2010.

Poured from a slender 275ml. bottle.

Appearance: An easy 3 finger head that just won't quit with amazing retention and spider web-like lines crisscrossing in the glass. The body is a dark amber bordering on brown with a very hazy aspect.

Smell: Biscuity and piney with a bit of fruit.

Taste: Very malt forward with the bitterness coming more in the aftertaste. Some caramel going on here and a touch of sweetness though it leans more towards dryness. Seems more like an English IPA to me which knocks some points off otherwise it's pretty decent.

Mouthfeel: It is honestly a bit weak and watery. Though it isn't uncomfortable, it's not as strong as an IPA should be.

Drinkability: A smaller size and an unobtrusive ABV make it not bad but it's not something i would readily get again.

Overall: An average IPA. Nothing memorable stands out for me except the appearance. It's good but you can find a better IPA.
Sep 17, 2010
Photo of StephenRich
Reviewed by StephenRich from Canada (ON)

4.13/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Toronto's Newest Craft Brewery is being run by one of Toronto's original Brew Masters. Mike Duggan was previously the Brew Master at the Mill Street Brewery when they were first building their business. Mike has since moved and opened his own BrewPub in downtown Toronto, Duggan's Brewery at Victoria just south of Richmond. The #9 IPA has just made its way into LCBOs, and is getting acclaims at every beer festival it goes to.

Honestly, I was pretty hesitant to enjoy this beer at first, but I'm not really sure why. I had no good reason, and I enjoy some of the beers that Mike created over at Mill Street. So my concern was completely unfounded. There was only one way to right this wrong, so I grabbed a 6 pack of #9′s and tossed them in the fridge. They come in oddly thin 275ml bottles with very clean and simple branding which I quite like. I would have preferred more beer, even just the standard 341 or 355ml, but the 6 pack is less expensive also, so no one is getting jipped. The skinny bottle is also really pretty, it grew on me more and more as I looked at it. But hows the beer? Thats the important question.

This is a real IPA, one with flavor, complexity, and depth. It has been brewed with 9 different malts, and comes in at 6.2% ABV. Mike's goal here is a West Coast style IPA with vibrant and bright piney flavors on a hop focused citrus bouquet. The key here will be the balance between rich hops and soothing malts. Not everyone can pinpoint this, I do have faith in Duggan though.

I opened the #9 cool around 8C (45F) and poured it into a stemmed beer glass. The pour was very smooth and creamy building a frothy and mildly dense khaki colored foam right from the start. Gently, a richly amber brown beer rumbled with foam until a deeply glowing beer was produced. The head stood just over an inch with a creamy consistency trapped in a pillowy eggshell froth. The beer shone from the center with rich mahogany browns emanating out to golden brick, dark copper and bright spots of ruby. Into the sun especially you can see the richness of this beer - it is transparent but very deep, already proving the vast malt complexity.

The nose was perfect from the first sniff, and got me hooked. I think I spent a few minutes smelling this beer before even tasting it. Rich malty caramel and toffee blended so perfectly with smooth floral hops and zesty citrus flavors with a back end of pine, earth, hay fields and freshness. The more I think about it, the more this beer impressed me. Genuinely creamy malt sensations glide into your senses showing rich gooey sweetness, but also an earthy and complex round of leather and brown sugar. The hops sat right next to all the 9 malts and brought excellent balance creating a crisp and refreshing sensation.

Eventually I would have to try this beer, and by now I was very excited to. Exactly like the nose, this beer is sublimely balanced on your palate with huge waves of flavor. Could it be that Ontario has really produced a West Coast IPA that can compete with the, well, guys from the West Coast!? First the malts glide with with a wide structure showing your lips, tongue, cheeks and throat exactly what they were meant to - smoothly lush, and richly deep malts with the classic toffee and dark caramel flavor that is perfect in a big IPA.

Juicy rich malt flavors show complexity again with hints of dried fruit, charred savory flavors, and barley fresh feelings. They big key though is that right when the malts begin to overpower, the hops burst in with a lemon zest, fresh pine, grapefruit and earthy bitterness that proved to quench, refresh, and balance the #9 IPA perfectly. Ya, perfectly.

I'm left with a clean and bittersweet mouthfeel that is smooth and gently carbonated in a masterful design. This was very well done Mike, thank you! I'm going for the #9 next with some Indian or Thai food, something real spicy that I can only have on rare occasions. This IPA is going to match the sweet and robust flavors perfectly, and sooth and clean the spicy with ease.
Aug 20, 2010
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Reviewed by JohnnyBarman from Canada (ON)

4.03/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle picked up on a random T.O. excursion.

Poured into a nonic glass. A deep copper brew, some light carbonation. A terrific head for a bottled ale - a good half inch, lots of patchy lacing, excellent retention.

Nose is malty and fruity, with only a touch of spices and hops. Not really an IPA nose, more of a standard American pale ale. Still terrific though.

Not nearly as hoppy as I'd expected, but they are certainly there in the back. Spicy and peppery to the finish, the hops seem more East coast to me - rich and earthy. However, the malt character is this brew's defining attribute - caramel, cream, vanilla and red berries introduce the brew well. Hops feel a bit washed out for an IPA.

Slightly creamy, carbonation is a light sting. Medium bodied.

Definitely reminds me of Tankhouse, another exceptional Toronto brew. Not nearly hoppy enough for an IPA, it's damned close - and damned good. Exceptional value - probably the best 6 pack you can get for under 10 bucks ($9.95 at the Lower Jarvis LCBO). A pleasure to drink - another winner from Mike Duggan!
Aug 19, 2010
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Reviewed by kwjd from Canada (ON)

3.81/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I've had this on cask and tap previously, but I finally decided to review this from a bottle. Pours an amber-copper colour with thick white head. Good head retention. Smells strongly of citrus hops and lots of sweet caramel malt. This tastes hoppier and bitter than it does on tap for some reason, which is good because I think on tap it can be more of a pale ale (similar to Mill Street Tankhouse). This is awesomely drinkable, and with the small bottles it doesn't take much effort to finish off a 6 pack.
Jul 20, 2010
Photo of TheSevenDuffs
Reviewed by TheSevenDuffs from Canada (ON)

3.58/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
On cask @ Volo

A - Dark amber, almost brown colour with a half finger of very thick creamy white head.

S - Mild nose. Slight bitter hops and some sweetness from the malts.

T - A nice sweet citrus hop profile with a sweet malt backbone.

M - Medium body, silky, smooth. A Guinness-like mouthfeel which is odd for a IPA but very good. My first cask beer so the mouthfeel caught me a bit off guard. I liked it thought!

D- An excellent IPA.
Jul 17, 2010
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Reviewed by eat from Canada (QC)

3.88/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Free bottle from bobsy poured into my new Duvel tulip...also courtesy of bobsy. Generous dude! Thanks Rob! I totally owe you.

Hazy cover of off-white head over a clear dark-copper body. Decent lacing.

Smells a bit floral with sweet citrus, caramel, bready malt and a little roast. Maybe the slightest amount of diacetyl, though it's not unpleasant. Doesn't smell at all like an IPA but would smell pretty great for a pale ale. I'm only picking up a hint of the kind of hopping that defines the nose of an IPA.

I've had this stuff a couple times and every time I'm immediately struck by how similar it is to Mill Street's Tankhouse Ale, which happens to be another brew by Mr. Duggan. I love Tankhouse but don't consider it to be an IPA and this stuff is really not all that different. I would say that it is hoppier than Tankhouse but still doesn't present enough hops to really fall under the heading of IPA. The beer is quite well-balanced, with earthy, peppery and slightly citrusy hops atop a caramely, bready malt base. The finish presents a touch of grapefruit rind. As a beer, there's nothing wrong here but I'd prefer the hops to be turned up quite a bit (especially some more citrus) if it's going to be called an IPA.

Decent medium body with light-moderate carbonation. Pretty good feel actually.

If I'm going to drink this stuff, I'd rather think of it as an American-style pale ale; of which it would be a damn good one. When I feel like drinking an IPA, #9 is sure to let me down. The hops just aren't there. Funny, if this was sold as Duggan's Pale Ale it would probably be one of my very favorite pale ales. Great beer; not really an IPA.
Jul 17, 2010
Photo of salvo
Reviewed by salvo from Indiana

3.73/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Rich mahogany brown with hints of red. Light bubbles keep the half-inch head afloat for a while. Lacing is sticky and leaves pronounced notches marking each sip from the glass.

Smell is all pine: Christmas-fresh pine, balsam, spruce, sharp yet subtle. Malt adds sugarplum. Wondering how the draft compares to bottle.

Strong, bitter IPA that mellows to hop tartness. Hops are fresh pine sharp with little citrus except at the very end when the citrus begins to shine through just before the taste dissipates and I take another sip, renewing the pine. The mouth-feel is a little thin but appropriate. Nicely biting and bitter.

Thanks to @ herrorara and @ cratez for recommending Chancey Smith's in London, Ontario.
Jul 11, 2010
Mike Duggan #09 IPA from Duggan's Brewery
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 41 ratings