120 min Dogfish aging?

This has been discussed countless times.

 

I think 120min is the one with the label that says to bury it in the backyard for a few years. So, for how long to age, indefinitely. Put it in the back of the fridge with a "Do Not Drink" note on it.

Awhile back, I aged one for a year. It was good, but I love the beer fresh so much that I never bothered to age one again. Mainly for lack of willpower.

 

I put 8 years on one and drink it recently. It was superb...like an elite barleywine with some mead notes. Fresh I find it to be like gasoline.

 

I love it fresh, just age them and check up on it occasionally.

 

I have a 750 size bottle - I think it is from 2003. Wonder if I should open it? Been waiting for a special occasion.

 

I've had 1, 2, and 3 years old. Agreed with the above that the older it gets, the more like a good barleywine it gets. It you want punch in the face hops, drink it fresh. If you don't, put it somewhere and forget about it.

 

At the alcohol percentage and residual sugars, it can go for decades. I have several 6packs set away for 10 and 15 years presently; in my novice years I bought and drank, forgot about 3 for 6 years, opened one and was blown away by how much akin to an English barley wine it seemed (I'm talking Thomas Hardy or JW Lees). Way less vegetal than JW, less toffee than TH, but OMG-why-am-I-not-having-more-in-my-cellar tasty.

That said, if you don't like JW or TH, don't go out and buy a bunch of 120, you won't like it any better lol.

 

So I have been vacationing in the Rehoboth, DE area for the Thanksgiving weekend. My family has had a house in Bethany Beach for about 7 years. Since we have been coming here, I was introduced to and have to give credit to DFH as one of the main breweries that opened my eyes to "better" beer. Before I started reviewing beers on BA and really gaining knowledge about different styles, I used to drink quite a bit of 120 minute IPA. I thought it was just the greatest thing ever, probably because of the high octane buzz it provided me with. Since then I have been exposed to different beers and have learned more about the IPA style.
Back to my weekend; I went over to the DFH brewpub in Rehoboth and took home a 120 minute IPA for old time's sake. The verdict? I didn't like it as much. It was cloyingly sweet and way too boozy. More importantly perhaps, I barely detected any hops aroma or flavor. I noticed on the bottle that it was bottled in 2014. I have read the forums concerning IPA freshness. I have also read the 120 minute reviews in which many commenters write that it is a beer to age. So my questions are: would it have been better to drink it fresh? Is it better to age more? Has my palate changed? and finally, Why is this even considered an IPA if it didn't taste like one?

 

I don't think 120min tastes like most IPAs or DIPAs for that matter, like you said it is very sweet and boozy

I assume the list it as IPA due to huge amount of hops, but maybe others might say it is more like a barleywine

 

Aging a 120 minute is really a matter of taste. Also you were probably less into what it tasted like and more into getting it down for the big 18% punch it had. Now that you are "tasting" beers and identifying IPAs for individual hop flavors and the like expecting that it would be a hoppy snappy IPA after a year wouldn't be too likely.

On a side note we just tapped a 2013 DFH 120 and it lost a lot of that sweet resinous flavor and was actually pretty drinkable..

All in all, a year earlier or another year would have done you better but I don't have the will power for that either so I hardly blame you!!

 

The point is it did taste like an IPA. Just not a freshly brewed one. Remember that the original IPAs used hops for preservation of the beer and were expected to be consumed several months after being sent long distances by sail.

Also a beer with that much ABV requires lots of malt sweetness to get that strong in the first place.

 

Awful beer

 

Since DFH 120 is a classic gonzo IPA, I always keep some around. But I won't pay more than $10.50/bottle. I find it's plenty bitter, plenty hoppy, but the taste is definitely boozier than Devil Dancer or Double Crooked Tree, so more of a sipper than a chugger. I reserve it for those "gotta take the edge off fast" moments. Does it work? Hell, yeah!

 

It's definitely not like most ipas. I love 120, but definitely agree its really boozy and sweet. I haven't had it with a ton of age on it but can't see it not aging well.