Romantic Chemistry
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
- From:
- Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
- Delaware, United States
- Style:
- American IPA
Ranked #3,797 - ABV:
- 7.2%
- Score:
- 85
Ranked #28,766 - Avg:
- 3.78 | pDev: 9.79%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 202
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Aug 28, 2025
- Added:
- Dec 13, 2015
- Wants:
- 26
- Gots:
- 373
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good
What you have here is a serious India Pale Ale shacking up and hunkering down with mango and apricots. At the same time! Romantic Chemistry is brewed with an intermingling of mangos, apricots and ginger, and then dry-hopped with three varieties of hops to deliver a tropical fruit aroma and a hop-forward finish. It’s fruity, it’s hoppy, it’s tasty!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Wasatch:
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado
4.44/5 rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Revisit: 11 Aug 17
12 oz. Bottle
Bottled On: 05/03/17
Poured into a DFH glass a pretty nice clean/clear dark golden amber color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice one-finger plus thick/creamy off-white head, which leaves some really nice creamy sticky lacing behind. The nose is moslty malty, slight hop note, lots of apricot, some mango notes, cherries. The taste is pretty nice, malty, some hoppyness, apricots/mangos, slight spice, cherries. Medium body, ABV hidden pretty well, nice little bitter/dry finish, very slight spicyness also on the finish. Overall, this one did surprise me, I like it. Another different take on a style from DFH.
12 oz. Bottle
2016 8th Annual Dogfish Seasonal Art Series
Bottled On: 2016F 1241
Pours a pretty nice clean/clear dark golden amber color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice small creamy off-white head, which leaves some islands and sticky lacing behind. The nose is moslty malty, slight hop note, lots of apricot, some mango notes. The taste is pretty nice, malty, some hoppyness, apricots/mangos, slight spice.. Medium body, ABV hidden pretty well, nice little bitter/dry finish, very slight spicyness also on the finish. Overall, this one did surprise me, I like it. Another different take on a style from DFH.
May 22, 201612 oz. Bottle
Bottled On: 05/03/17
Poured into a DFH glass a pretty nice clean/clear dark golden amber color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice one-finger plus thick/creamy off-white head, which leaves some really nice creamy sticky lacing behind. The nose is moslty malty, slight hop note, lots of apricot, some mango notes, cherries. The taste is pretty nice, malty, some hoppyness, apricots/mangos, slight spice, cherries. Medium body, ABV hidden pretty well, nice little bitter/dry finish, very slight spicyness also on the finish. Overall, this one did surprise me, I like it. Another different take on a style from DFH.
12 oz. Bottle
2016 8th Annual Dogfish Seasonal Art Series
Bottled On: 2016F 1241
Pours a pretty nice clean/clear dark golden amber color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice small creamy off-white head, which leaves some islands and sticky lacing behind. The nose is moslty malty, slight hop note, lots of apricot, some mango notes. The taste is pretty nice, malty, some hoppyness, apricots/mangos, slight spice.. Medium body, ABV hidden pretty well, nice little bitter/dry finish, very slight spicyness also on the finish. Overall, this one did surprise me, I like it. Another different take on a style from DFH.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Sinfull from New York
3.77/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Amber color . Nice , off-white head. The aroma of citrus, mango, hint of apricots. Balanced, juicy taste with the hoppy ending. A decent IPA but nothing special.
Feb 14, 2025
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota
3.93/5 rDev +4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.93/5 rDev +4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Clear, golden/amber hue, solid, lasting head of creamy foam.
In the nose: soft bitterness, big fruit. Plenty of tropical, some citrus. I'm urged on to drink...
In the mouth: Plenty of hop bitterness at flavor at the start, floods the palate, then on comes the fruit. Never too sweet, and not too bitter, or, I should say, just bitter enough. Hopheads like me won't be disappointed, others, maybe. Yum. Flat-out brilliant balance in this one. Just right on every aspect. Medium bodied, with a great texture and never-quitting fruit flavor mingling with the hops.
Oct 17, 2020In the nose: soft bitterness, big fruit. Plenty of tropical, some citrus. I'm urged on to drink...
In the mouth: Plenty of hop bitterness at flavor at the start, floods the palate, then on comes the fruit. Never too sweet, and not too bitter, or, I should say, just bitter enough. Hopheads like me won't be disappointed, others, maybe. Yum. Flat-out brilliant balance in this one. Just right on every aspect. Medium bodied, with a great texture and never-quitting fruit flavor mingling with the hops.
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.33/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.33/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Consumed April 2016.
Pours the color of some older dipas, orange/amber with 1/4" white head. Can't say the commercial tug job was wrong, there are stone fruit notes and ginger. Smells like more of a Rare Barrel wild ale than an ipa, but hey its Dogfish Head, whattdya expect? Its a nice aroma. But will we see the first ipa w/ ginger that is good?
The taste isn't really hoppy, its overshadowed by all the adjuncts. I don't like fruited ipas, I don't like ginger in like, anything but that one Rare Barrel beer. It doesn't change much here. I mean, did I like it more than I expected? Yes. Would I buy it again? No. Its a bit of a sweet, fruited beer, which makes me wonder if doing this sort of thing is cheaper than proprietary hops. On the upside, mango and apricot are some of my more well liked fruits in other styles of beer, so I didn't hate this, it just doesn't fit into my ideal ipa mold.
May 27, 2020Pours the color of some older dipas, orange/amber with 1/4" white head. Can't say the commercial tug job was wrong, there are stone fruit notes and ginger. Smells like more of a Rare Barrel wild ale than an ipa, but hey its Dogfish Head, whattdya expect? Its a nice aroma. But will we see the first ipa w/ ginger that is good?
The taste isn't really hoppy, its overshadowed by all the adjuncts. I don't like fruited ipas, I don't like ginger in like, anything but that one Rare Barrel beer. It doesn't change much here. I mean, did I like it more than I expected? Yes. Would I buy it again? No. Its a bit of a sweet, fruited beer, which makes me wonder if doing this sort of thing is cheaper than proprietary hops. On the upside, mango and apricot are some of my more well liked fruits in other styles of beer, so I didn't hate this, it just doesn't fit into my ideal ipa mold.
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
3.09/5 rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
3.09/5 rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Bottled February 2016; drank 3/3/16 @ the Yarchives.
See-through ruby red appearance.
A rough pour yielded a huge khaki head; strong, frothy lace.
Apricot, mild ginger & faint cane sugar notes in the nose.
Medium mouthfeel.
Mild ginger & faint apricot flavors up front; a hint of cane sugar on the finish. VERY mild, to the point of being boring.
What's the point?
Sep 02, 2019See-through ruby red appearance.
A rough pour yielded a huge khaki head; strong, frothy lace.
Apricot, mild ginger & faint cane sugar notes in the nose.
Medium mouthfeel.
Mild ginger & faint apricot flavors up front; a hint of cane sugar on the finish. VERY mild, to the point of being boring.
What's the point?
Rated by migyerger from Florida
3.46/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.46/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Smooth, not as tart as expected. Funky tinge from the ginger or the hops. Nice drinkable IPA.
Mar 11, 2019
Reviewed by cyclonece09 from Wisconsin
3.94/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours cloudy orange red with a fluffy white head. Smells of citrus and earthy hops. Tastes of citrus and earthy hops with a good grain backbone. Beer is light/medium bodied with good carbonation and a smooth finish. Overall, a very good beer.
Jan 20, 2019
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