Alternate Takes #3
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

 

 

What happens on the East Coast, stays on the East Coast. America's early days of IPA development relied on influences of balance from the British hoppy beer but began using indigenous U.S. ingredients- predominantly hops. Out of that mindset was born their 90 Minute IPA, and now Dogfish Head's hop burst and double dry hop techniques play out on that yesteryear mantra.

Bright and hoppy, the nose comes alive with a plethora of citrus, tropical and herbal fragrances along with impressions of nutty granola. Medium amber in color and topped with a rich and creamy meringue, the beer then leads with those richer malt flavors of caramel, toffee, poundcake and those promised flavors of granola.

With a semblance of balance firmly intact, the taste slowly dries and the hops billow into a juicy medley of pink grapefruit and freshly zested oranges. Light lemon brings an herbal arrangement of chive, cedar, geranium and fresh grass clippings. Rounding with the estery taste of apricot and the hop's mango flavors and the taste of stone fruit and exotic fruits resting just below the citrus. Resinous and bitter, the beer's finish outplays the firm malt linger quite easily as its woodsy, sprucy and grassy bite clings to the throat.

Medium full in body, the drying action of the beer and its resinous character assists the beer's impressions of lightness and drinkability while its flavor and complexity is quite robust. The beer's layers of hops prevent their taste from becoming muddled and benevolent. A long and bitter aftertaste and alcohol spice outlasts the malt sweetness in true IPA form of any ilk.

 

pours a hazy, bright orange-amber with a huge thick head that hangs around for a bit. nose; mango, orange pith, grassy hops, light pine, & light belgian yeast. taste; easy caramel malt, mango, orange zest, pineapple, citrus hops, lemongrass, dank resinous pine, banana ester, & a belgian funky yeast. medium carbonation & mouthfeel. maybe a touch on the sweet side, but otherwise this feels like a terrific fruity & dank belgian ipa. put this one on the market!

 

32oz crowler, filled at the Rehobeth Beach joint, drank at home in Jersey in a nonic pint glass.

Nice looking golden copper-orange color with a 2-plus F dirty linen-white cap that stays frothy and holds up. It's clean and clear. Moderate amounts of lacing.

The first aroma I get is of the dreaded "alcohol burn". There's some standard issue DFH malt back there, but it's too little, too late.

Sweet malt, alcohol, and some candied fruits.

Heavy, sweet, boozy feel. The bitter hops are killed by the abv and the sugar.

This brew is pushed too far and the results are disappointing . It lacks aroma and flavor. Less would have been more.

 

 

Tasted in a 12 oz snifter from draft at The Craft Beer Store on March 2, 2017. Look is orange gold with a thick foamy head and lingering lacing. Smell is faint. Taste is fruity. Feel is smooth.

Beautiful golden ale: crystal clear, strong head, good retention. Wonderful lacing.

Slightly fruity and dank aroma; restrained.

Bitter, resinous, touches of citrus, pine, pineapple, mango, and star fruit; sweetly malty. Wonderfully bitter.

Long wet finish, slightly hot, medium bodied.

Really nice aggressive DIPA with a classic profile. Think Ruination (1.0) or Pliny, although this is a touch fruitier than either.

On tap at NoVa brewpub:
A fairly cloudy beer, or at least very hazy, atypical of DFH. Deep burnt orange body holds an off-white lacing rim from a hero pour.

Nose is a combination of tea, a little citrus, and a bit of herbs. The herbs seem mildly pungent, but also have an earthy and fresh green quality to them. A mild sweet tea comes in as it warms.

Taste is earthy with a bit of spice from the get go. There's definitely a familiar DFH note to it (reminiscent of either 90 Minute and/or Burton). There is a lightly sweet but definitely tropical note next. A very brief hit of acidity before pine wood dulls the fruit and eventually gains more of the palate by the end.

This came as a more fruity (tropical with a touch of tart) version of say a 90 Minute. I'm probably wrong at guessing the actual base, but you are getting a DFH beer with the basic taste, it seems to me. It's just a little more fruity and less bitter feeling than other offerings.

 

 

 

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