Ballast Point Dorado Double IPA

Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
San Diego, California USA

Mostly clear, ever so slightly hazy orange-amber body. A small, foamy white head quickly gives way to a wispy, thin film with a small edge. Nice, sticky patchwork lacing decorates the glass. The aroma is San Diego IIPA all the way. Tropical fruits like mango, papaya, and even coconut blend masterfully with traditional citrus notes like sweet naval orange and tangerine. Each consecutive inhalation yields deeper, sweeter, fresher fruit. The flavor is built on a surprisingly light and refreshing toffee base, allowing for the various fruits and hops to really shine. Again, mango and papaya provide for alternative, sweet, fruity elements, while kumquat, orange, and tangerine hops add ample bitterness. The presence of smooth, creamy coconut is such a welcome and unexpected treat. I would never expect to find such flavors in an IPA. Excellent balance. Medium-full bodied, but this is as easy drinking an IIPA as you will find. Very smooth. Lingering, bittersweet, creamy and fruity finish. This is a different kind of brew, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Excellent.

Duane shared a bomber of this with me, and I’m glad he did! Very good stuff and a tad underrated, IMO. Tons of citrus hops and plenty of sweetness to balance it all out. Velvety mouthfeel seals the deal. This is a gem of an IIPA.

22oz Bomber Recieved in trade from the most generous of traders, errantnight. Thanks! Dorado IIPA pours a hazy glowing orange (although I did just recieve in the mail today so it hasn’t had a lot of time to settle). A two finger creamy yet craggy slightly off-white head formed on the pour and stays put. Leaves excellent sticky sheet lacing. Aroma is first and foremost hops, big piney resinous hops. There’s solid whiffs of citrus that comes through with each swirl of the glass. Unsweetened grapefruit and mango mostly. I also pick up a touch of aspirin like bitterness. There is a solid sweet caramel malt backbone keeping all those hops in check. Very nice. Flavor starts with a very big slightly sweet caramel maltiness creating a perfect backdrop for the hoppiness that’s surely to come. A great piney hoppiness overshadows the caramel and leads flawlessly into hop resins. Sweetened grapfruit shows itself on the finish and the caramel make its triumphant return. Not near as much bitterness as expected from the aroma and actually the caramel sweetness balances out the hop profile very nicely. Body is on the medium side leaning slightly towards the heavy. Just enough carbonation to create a airy mouthfeel as this beer hits the palate. If I had to pick a flaw, and this is just me being overly critical, is the body gets a little sticky in the throat as the bottle disappears. For such a big beer it’s pretty easy to put away. The balance helps the drinkability quite a bit keeping both the malt and hops, and there’s a lot of them both, in check. Another great Left Coast IPA. My first sampling from Ballast Point. Surprisingly more balanced than I expected, especially aftertaking a few big whiffs. 10/11/07

Bomber courtesy of miketd. Citrus hops aroma and taste. Could stand to be a tad more bitter or a little less sweet. Nice mouthfeel. Overall a nice drinking experience.

Bottle courtesy of KingG. Spruce, herbal aroma. Nice mixture of hops and malt. Not as much hops as I like but still a solid IIPA.

bomber from Saarlander, thanks Aaron. a delightful IIPA. full of citrus hops in both aroma and flavor profile. sweet without being cloying, crisp and clean without a trace of bitterness. really enjoyed this one!

to start i moved from the east coast 2 weks ago! amberish watery looking beer with lasting nice frothy head, realy sweet, juice tasting sweetness meets

Draft @ Hamilton’s. Bright orange-amber color; white head with great retention and lacing that coats the glass. Dense, earthy and citrus hoppiness in the aroma; dense, resiny. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: dense citrus hop character with an earthy malt backbone; well-developed hoppiness but slightly astringent, with a dry, dried dark fruit character at mid-palate. Lengthy, dried fruits and wet malt finish.