120 Minute IPA
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

 

Awesome brew! Slightly sweet, but wonderfully so. Heavy malt nicely balances the exceptional hops. I'm bummed that I'm now living in Georgia, where you can't get a beer over 14%.

 

RB transfer

 

On draught, a golden copper color, just off clarity, with a substantial head and light lacing.
Sweet and malty as expected for an imperial brew, not cloying, bit a little syrupy. The malt is nicely caramelized, with notes of toffee, vanilla, muddled fruit.
The 18% ABV is well masked, but the boozyness asserts itself with every sip, one way or another. ;^]

Pours a cloudy, dark, reddish amber coloration with a small, fizzy head. Smells intensely of caramel malt and stone fruit, tropical, slightly resinous hops, with notes of apricot, papaya and hints of pine and wild honey. Taste is an excellent balance of intense, sweet caramel malt, some berries and fruity, herbal and resinous hops, with stone fruit, tropical and lighter citrus notes of apricot, papaya, pineapple and orange marmalade, as well as strong pine and wildflower honey notes. Finishes with a strong sweetness and bitterness, as well as some caramel malt, apricot, orange marmalade, pine and honey lingering in the aftertaste. Full mouthfeel with a very rich body and light carbonation.

This makes for a truly unique and fascinating drinking experience that I enjoyed immensely even though I'm not usually a big fan of very sweet beers. That caramel, honey sweetness is balanced incredibly well with a good, resinous bitterness here though, while the malts and hops harmonize very nicely as well. I would love to try this with a few years on it, but am glad that I'm having it reasonably fresh the first time around, because I really enjoy that interplay of sweet and bitter, fruity and resinous notes here. There's a very full and rich body and moutheel to this as well, with a certain strength to it that never feels overly boozy though, making this a true sipper of an IPA that I can totally see turning into a Barleywine over time.

Bottled in 2017, for an 8 year old IPA it’s really good. The stories are true, it did taste like a barley wine.
I will likely find a fresh version to finish the review, just put this here in case it helps anyone thinking about aging one or more.

 

Well, nothing to add to my rating, besides: a conglomerate of hoppy, malty and fruity goodness in a bottle. Adequate carbonation, well hidden 15.5% in my case (no, it was a 4-pack for 34 bucks). Well invested!!!

Looks a cloudy dark orange with little head in my tulip glass. Smells of slightly out-of-date dates and maybe a bit of alcohol (this bottle says 16% ABV). Has a mouthfeel like fruit juice with moderate carbonation. Flavor starts with a shudder-inducing bitterness, then a date-like sweetness beneath a firm booziness. All the flavors blend together and finish smoothly, so outside the bitterness I can't tell where the malt, yeast and hop begin and end. I might describe this beer as "difficult" in the same sense as a "difficult" novel or movie. Confusing, but fascinating enough to keep sipping.

90 Minute tastes like Coors in comparison.

Yummy. A steep price to pay for a beer, but I’d rather nurse a bottle of this than drink a 6 pack of swill.

First sip seemed almost too sweet, but quickly evolved to a complex mix of hoppiness and tropical fruits. Reminded me of some “wet hopped” beer I’ve had in California.

Oh and booze. It’s hidden well but by the time you’re pouring those last drops into a snifter, you’re feeling puuuuuurdy good.

Best sipped alone so you don’t have to offer one to a friend.

Bottle dated 5/29/20 from @roguer from '25 BW/Stout BIF:

Pours a caramel-colored brown with minimal head (just a thin ring). Appears murky brown in the glass and there is some suspension and particles due to the age that found their way in from the pour. Nose is very faint hops, some caramel sweetness and leather. Taste comes off somewhat astringent, likely due to a combination of the ABV and five years age with notes of raisin, tobacco, leather, and minimal oxidation (cardboard note). Mouthfeel is medium and still has prickly carbonation given the age. Finish is quite bitter, lingers, and introduces some woody/piney characteristics.

It was surprisingly easy to drink for this ABV. Pleasant aroma of ripe apricots, malt, grapefruit, and only a hint of alcohol. Sweet, malty taste with moderate bitterness at the end. Warming alcohol in aftertaste. Fortunately, brewers managed to balance sweetness, which is overwhelming in many strong beers.

I really like the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, so I had high hopes for this. This was 17.1%abv.

Look - Pours a very clear dark amber/copper color, with a minimal head.

Smell - Pine, a sort of barleywine scent, and just a touch of honey. Maybe even a hint of apricots?

Taste - I'm not a big fan of the taste - a little too much hoppy bitterness. Bitter hops and barleywine mostly.

Feel - A bit flat, and leaves a bitter aftertaste. Might be good for some, but doesn't work for me.

Overall - Given how much I like the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, I found this one disappointing.

 

 

 

 

Bottled in 2019, opener in 2024. Beer is dark chestnut, smells of malt and lots of dark fruit - figs and raisins. Drinks more like sherry or port than beer, with only a slight carbonation to give it away. The hop character has faded, but I think it's still doing something to slightly tame the sweetness.