Dragonfly IPA
Upland Brewing Company

Dr_Gonzo from Kentucky

4/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tall clear pint glass. Appearance is a reddish amber, with a fluffy white head that has a faint brownish hue to it. Good retention and lacing.

Smells really hoppy and fruity. Notes of bread malt, biscuit, grapefruit, orange, tangerine, caramel, pineapple, and papaya.

Tastes just like the aroma, hoppy and fruity. Little perfumey too. Body is medium.

Feb 18, 2021

jwp777 from Oklahoma

3.66/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Decided to try a pint at the brewery in Bloomington.

Pours an almost reddish shade of amber. Head foamy and thick, it doesn’t last long. Lacing is there. It’s pretty but nothing special to look at.

Aroma is strong, mainly hops and floral notes. Some malt is present.

Taste follows the aroma. It’s quite hoppy and piney, but it is well balanced by the malts for my taste. Finish is quick and dry.

Feel - strong carbonation, medium body, maybe just slightly on the bold side of medium.

Overall, a good beer. I probably wouldn’t go out of my way for it but since I happened to be in Indiana today it was well worth trying at the source.

Mar 04, 2020

descobar from Florida

3.94/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

from 16oz can (BB 10/2019) into Spiegelau IPA glass

Look: pours deep golden with a thick 1" off white head that has good retention. it has almost perfect clarity and above average lacing is observed throughout.
Smell: bready malt derived aromas dominate. resiny dank hoppy character, some fruit (but not citrus) and a faint aroma of oxidation is just detectable.
Taste: perfectly balanced, malt sweetness to bitterness! such that the 65 IBUs are just a statistic.
Feel: medium bodied, resiny, oily texture, lively carbonation and pronounced astringency. aftertaste is long and smooth in every way
Overall: this IPA really drinks like an old school Sierra Nevada pale ale variant. the balance is just great without any particular flavors or notes sticking out. to newbies of craft this beer might seem uninteresting... my only wish is that I'd tried it fresher!

Oct 03, 2019

Jrbrown09 from Indiana

2.84/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

I decided to order a pint at Upland brewery. They make some pretty great food and a great price. The environment in festive indoors and out. The Dragonfly beer as less that great and I think good is a stretch for my idea of an IPA. About the only thing i appreciated was the color. The taste left me wanting... a two hearted ale.

Sep 11, 2019

unlikelyspiderperson from California

3.51/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Pours a fairly dark amber with a thing off white head that dissipates down to a nice little rim.
Smells lightly grassy with a heavy caramel sweetness.
Taste has that same grassy/herbal bitterness up front, with a wheat like sweetness along with a sort of overripe fruit note. somewhat watery.
Mouthfeel is nice, if a little thin.
Overall this is a pretty meh IPA. By no means undrinkable but certainly nothing I'll ever seek out again. It's an IPA

Jul 25, 2019

Explorer_Bill from Kentucky

3.43/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12 oz bottle into a standard pint glass. Best by date August 2019. Look. Amber color with an orangish white head that dissipates rather quickly. Thin lacing. The smell is mildly citrus and hoppy. The taste follows the aroma with a little bite at the end. I’d say it’s an average IPA. Not special but not bad either.

I live about 60 miles away from Upland Brewery and try to support our local/regional breweries but I’ve had better from the area.

Jun 18, 2019

Thankin_Hank from Texas

3.38/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3

Nice amber color. No appreciable head. Hops are very soft in the aroma. The taste is a bit weak for the style but matches aroma. A medium mouthfeel that’s easy drinking. Overall I rate this beer average and wouldn’t try it again. On tap at Ron’s Corner Tavern.

Mar 05, 2019

Kavoom from Montana

3.44/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

I'm from MT visiting IN desperately looking for a decent IPA. This is a slightly better than most of the IN versions but still suffers from the too citrusy lighter common theme I seem to get here. I definitely prefer NW IPA'S and MT IPA's in particular. A representative IPA I adore is Tumbleweed from the Lewis and Clark brewery in Helena MT. In general, and reflected by scores, midwesterners need to work on things. This is a bit better than most though from the midwest.

Nov 16, 2018

woodychandler from Pennsylvania

3.56/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I am running through the backlog here at Chez Woody, trying to beat the heat as a heat wave takes over for the next few days. Fortunately, The CANQuest (tm) is strong & I have lots of CANdidates to drink, review & rate for your pleasure.

From the CAN: "Just the right amount of bite". From the brewery's website: "India Pale Ale originated when the British added excessive amounts of hops to help preserve their ales for long journeys to their citizens overseas, including to India. Our Dragonfly India Pale Ale is true to this tradition, featuring seven hop additions to create a powerful hop profile. A solid malt base, however, tempers the bitter American hops, giving Dragonfly a balance not often found in this style. The end product is a well-balanced, malty beer with the crisp taste of hops and an exceptionally floral nose. Dragonfly is our most popular beer, serving as an introduction to craft beer for many and a longstanding favorite for many more."; "ABV: 6.7 YEAST: House strain MALT: Pale Ale, White Wheat, Carapils, Special Roast, Caramel 60L HOPS: Warrior, Columbus, Simcoe, Cascade, Whole Leaf Cascade".

Wow! So many hops & yet, they still show it as low in IBUs. Interesting. It was also interesting on the Crack! when I got foaming coming through the vent, forcing me to CANmence an emergency Glug. An in-glass swirl raised two-plus fingers of foamy, soapy, rocky, tawny head with limited retention in the face of today's heat & humidity. Color was an oh-so-slightly-hazy Amber (SRM = > 7, < 9). Nose had an interesting floral hops quality, undoubtedly from the whole-leaf Cascade & I also smelled the Caramel & CaraPils of the malt coming through. Mouthfeel was on the thin side of medium, light for this style. The taste was mellow, very low in bitterness as indicated on their website. It reminded me of hop tea, which I have had on several occasions, usually with homebrewers. I didn't dislike it, but it also was not scratching my itch. The hops were more prevalent than on the nose & thankfully, the caramel malt was not as assertive as on the nose. It just lacked Ooomph! in terms of its bitterness, especially since that is a hallmark of the style. Finish was semi-dry, just lacking an overall bitterness. It was okay, not bad, but there are better examples, IMHO. YMMV.

Jun 18, 2018

darktronica from Indiana

3.37/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle with a best enjoyed by tag of July 2018. Pours a touch browner than expected with minimal head, a portent of things to come. This is malty enough to make me question if it's really an IPA, whether American or English. Minimal hop bitterness closer to the finish. Not particularly bad, but just nondescript and somewhat boring, even for a local brewer that I consider average with occasional big hits.

May 16, 2018

Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.99/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was poured into a becher pint glass.
The appearance was a soft burnt orange to copper color with a finger's worth of white foamy head that slid off at a mild pace. Some light stringy lace ran here and there.
The aroma had some crisp semi-sweet to light bitter floral hops with some grassy hops coming together that bit down on some pineapple juice. Soft dankiness came in nicely.
The flavor leaned into the sweetness of the combination of those hops - floral, pineapple and danky flowing into each other nicely. Mild aftertaste of the floral and pineapple hop qualities.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied, perhaps just a tad under with a wonderful smooth sessionability about it. Carbonation felt good with a sturdy ABV well projected by the brewer. Mild finish of the sweetness of the pineapple and dankiness, seemingly losing a touch of floral.
Overall, really nicely done AIPA that I wouldn't mind having again.

Oct 28, 2017

bwood06 from Wisconsin

3.4/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

I've been on a bit of an IPA kick recently and picked this one up at a local liquor store that was having a special on make your own 6 packs. Figured I'd give this one a shot since I hadn't had it yet, plus it's brewed only 45 minutes from where I grew up.

This beer pours a cloudy, orangish-amber hue that is fairly opaque with moderate carbonation visible. It looks like unfiltered orange-pineapple juice more than anything. The head is off white with an orange tint and is thick and foamy, dissipating very slowly to a rocky layer with a neck that is retained nicely. 3.75/5 The aroma is just like I described the appearance (like unfiltered orange-pineapple juice). This beer is thick with fruit and fruity sweetness, although a bit of pine resin seeps in as well, providing a sharpness to the sweetness. As the beer warms, a bit of citrus peel comes through, complementing the orange-tangerine-pineapple aroma. 3.75/5 The flavor leans heavily towards sweet, but this sweetness dissipates to a graininess part way through that remains through the end. The hops really don't show up here in the form of any bitterness (bitterness is light and lingers only light after swallowing), rather showing up as flavor undertones of oranges, papaya, and pineapple. The sweetness up front is a dank, mango fruitiness (odd dankness) that comes off a bit musty. 3.25/5 This is a medium bodied beer that is light on carbonation and is a bit sticky on the tongue with just a bit of creaminess. It is a bit astringent on the back end and puckers the tongue from the sides just a bit. 3.25/5 This IPA is a bit odd for me. The dankness and mustiness just don't work with the rest of the flavors. Based on the appearance and aroma, I really expected it to be bursting full of juicy fruitiness, but that really isn't the case. The "solid malt base" as is described, tempers the hops a bit too much for me. 3.25/5

Aug 14, 2017

dbrauneis from North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear golden amber in color with moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising from the surface of the beer and faint golden yellow colored highlights. The beer has a finger tall foamy white head that quickly reduces to a few small patches of thin film surrounded by a large patch of very thin film covering the remainder if the surface of the beer with a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Slightly heavier than moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: There are slightly heavier than moderate aromas of biscuit + caramel malts with a light to moderate amount of sweetness. Moderate aromas of floral + grassy hops.

T: Upfront there are slightly stronger than moderate flavors of biscuit + caramel malts with a light to moderate amount of caramel sweetness. That is followed by light to moderate flavors of floral + grassy hops which impart a slightly heavier than light amount of bitterness which fades away slowly.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: A more malty IPA, probably closer to an English one than an American one but definitely an enjoyable one. Easy to drink with well hidden alcohol.

Jul 09, 2017

jkblr from Indiana

3.26/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle BB April 2017 poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 6.7% ABV 65 IBU. The beer is bright and copper colored with off white head and fairly good retention and lacing. Aroma is caramel sweetness and vague hop. Taste is more caramel sweetness (too much) and a little generic bitterness. Mouthfeel is chalky and drier than you would expect given the taste. Overall, OK. I wouldn't normally review an IPA at its freshness limit, but I've had enough of this one to know what I'm drinking. If you find this on tap or in bottles (with a couple months to go) give it a try.

Apr 21, 2017

smcolw from Massachusetts

3.62/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Cloudy dark amber color. Small head that settles to rim. Little lace.

Spicy black pepper aroma.

Biting hop bitterness with a very long aftertaste. Decent body with a light carbonation level. Overall, a rather two dimensional beer. Good flavor but not overly interesting.

Oct 31, 2016

echris from Ohio

3.89/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Good IPA. Not very hoppy, crisp tasting with a clean finish. Could almost be characterized with a flat bland taste for an IPA. but very refreshing. I like this IPA after a work out to quench my thirst.

Aug 04, 2016

jwjon1 from Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It's not everyday I drink a beer and say yup, very solid offering, and then go to BA to find that the majority of you are idiots. Think there is only one of three things happening: 1) I'm the idiot (not unlikely), 2) folks are drinking from old bottles (have no clue if Upland bottle dates), in which case: fair enough, or 3) Upland changed their recipie recently.

Cuz on draft at the source, this hits all the traditional central states IPA notes. Aromatic, clear, clean, malt backbone, pleasant bitterness, crisp finish with a only a bit of lingering resin. Is it a W Coast hop bomb? Heck no. Is it a hazy NE yeast/hop/fruit juice? Not even close. Is it one of the better central states IPAs I had during my tour of Indiana? Damn straight it was--and I drank my fair share of IPAs across the state direct from the source.

Really is a solid taditional IPA in the 3.75-4 ish range. Not in the horrible/pass score range it currently sits.

Then again, I'm an idiot.

But so are you.

Jul 15, 2016

tone77 from Pennsylvania

3.62/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has a beige/orange color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of caramel malts, some melon. Taste is the same. Malts up front, light melon, bitter at the finish. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall is a bit malt heavy for the style, but is an enjoyable beer.

May 26, 2016

BigGold from Mississippi

3.49/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

First had at Upland Brewpub, Bloomington, Indiana, on draft into tumbler. Dragonfly is a serviceable traditional IPA, especially to wash down hearty pub grub.

Mar 12, 2016

HasteTheDad from Michigan

4.91/5  rDev +40.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

First review for probably my favorite IPA I have had in a region out of state Smell and the taste have a lot of citrus. If they sold this near where I live I would be an alcoholic

Feb 14, 2016

Immortale25 from North Carolina

3.26/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Poured into a Dogfish traditional oversized snifter. No freshness date.

A- Pours a medium amber color with a 1/2 inch off-white head that retains well before becoming a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a mostly full sheet of surface foam. Semi-resilient lacing leaves large clots behind.

S- Sweet malty aroma with some mild earthy hop character.

T- Mild bitterness with some more malty sweetness. Seems like there's quite a bit of crystal malt without a whole lot of hop character which makes it drink more like a slightly hoppy red ale than an IPA.

M- Small hop bite with medium carbonation and a body leaning toward the fuller side.

O- Drinkable enough but not even close to what I consider an optimal flavor profile for an IPA. If it was classified as a hoppy amber or red ale, I might not have deducted as many points. Either way, these guys should obviously stick to their sours.

Oct 29, 2015

jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

3.59/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

A - Dark amber pour with a very soapy lacing ring.

S - Light caramel malt base with some citrus.

T - Toasted caramel base with some bitter citrus on the back end.

M - Full medium body with light carbonation.

O - Well balanced and traditional.

Oct 24, 2015

BWED from Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12 oz. bottle poured into a snifter.

A- Copper, a bit hazy. Off white head is low but leaves some really good looking lacing.

S- Sweet, earthy hop. A little citrus. Malt comes out biscuity.

T- Earthy hop. Biscuit malt, and a good bitterness.

M- Medium-full body. Bitterness is a good level. Doesn't linger too much.

O- Solid. This isn't a juicy, citusy, west coaster. But has good flavor and bitterness.

Sep 28, 2015

MarkQ617 from Massachusetts

2.84/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.75

Had this on tap at the renaissance in carmel. The color was very light for an ipa, almost golden in color. The flavor was more wet hops than the citrus or pine Im used to in a good IPA. The feel was fine, actually fairly good for an iPA, but this might be easier to accomplish with less flavor. Havent run into many ipas that i dont like all that much, but this might be one.

Sep 04, 2015

Jason from Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

12oz brown bottle with a freshness date. Sample from the brewery.

Juicy, fruity, resin, & grassy. Apple skin, green tea, peppery, & slightly toasty. Lots of flavor, certainly not like most modern IPAs but fun to sip on.

Aug 08, 2015