Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

Brewed by Dogfish Head Brewery
Style: American Strong Ale
Milton, Delaware USA

Bottled. Murky, pale yellow colour, sitting menacingly in the glass, obviously powerful but more noble and distinguished than its little brothers, the 60 & 90 minute IPA’s. Still brutally hopy like the other two but more mellow and smooth. There seems to be a better balance in this beer, although I’m not sure if it’s the contents that have reached a higher state of Zen or whether it’s time that gives this beer its nobility. Still a hell of a lot of hop in one glass. It probably took me the best part of an hour to drink it.

Hazy, dark reddish-amber body. Looks thick and syrupy. Nice carbonation. Small off-white head that settles to a patchy, thin film. Small traces of snake-like lacing. The aroma is surprisingly fruity. I picked up cherries and tons of dark caramel. There is a good amount of floral hops in the nose, though not nearly as much as I expected. The flavor is very, very sweet. There is a massive amount of sweet caramel and sugar in this brew. There are big floral hoppy flavors in there, but it is overpowered by the sweetness. The alcohol is hidden, even at 21%, behind a huge wall of flavor. The palate is thick, syrupy, and overly cloying. There is a medium-long floral hoppy finish. This beer is quite an experience, though the big-time sweetness is unsettling to me.

Pour is copper/amber with a thin white head...smell is malty and hoppy indeed...some grapefruit and pine...taste is surprisingly NOT over the top or out of balance...I had thought/assumed it would be...maybe the malt-hop balance off-set the alcohol...definately warming, but if this had a lower ABV I would drink it for breakfast...I want to reiterate it is NOT super hoppy...

12oz bottle, dated 1/17/08. about 5 weeks old. pours light copper with creamy white head. big aroma of caramelized corn sugar, cotton candy, some alcohol, minimal piney and fruity hop notes struggling to peak through the intense sugary nose. flavor is mainly cotton candy, extremely sugar sweet, lots of caramel, juicy fruit hop notes. carbonation is smooth and body is medium sticky heft. they obviously over did it, making me wish i could try this at 11-16%abv. it actually don’t come off that hoppy when because there’s so much malt, sugar, and alcohol. boozy finish for sure but the alcohol is sharply hot. i sort of enjoyed the first 2-4oz but not the rest of it so much, as this is just not that enjoyable...wow this beer gets really bad as it warms, the nose became more nail polish remover and paint thinner and the flavor is like lots of windex, alcohol, and liquid hop extract. it was much better when it was a bit colder.

Light amber colour. Clear. Has an off-white head, mostly diminishing. Very hopped aroma, grapefruit and rubber. Flavor starts bitter and moderate sweet, finish is harsh bitter. Long duration. Full body. Oily texture, flat carbonation. Harsh alcohol.

2006 Vintage

9/29/2008: Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA has a big bouquet of aged citrus fruit, sugary toffee, and a hint of gin. The color is coppery honey and quite clear. The biege crown makes an appearnce after the pours, but fades away pretty quickly. The flavor is sweet in the at first an showcases the malt. Dried and aged fruits such as dates, prunes, apricot, and sweet citrus then come through. The sweetness intensity is actually well-controlled and balanced. The bitterness is quite subdued at this point, but that’s acutally okay by me. I like a sweeter beer anyways! There is also notes hints of vanilla and the caramel quality intesifies and gets richers as the beer warms. The apricot gets more juicy as well. The alcohol is extremely buried amongst the other flavors and and makes no appearance in the aroma or flavor and doesn’t even burn (until it gets warmer). The strength complements the sweetness well provides a good warm feeling. Damn, this stuff is even more dangerous than the DFH 90 Minute Imperial IPA! Its medium-full body is smooth and soft on the palate as well as slightly syrupy lightly sticky on the lips. This is an extremely impressive brew. This was my first and I will definitely be back again!

Comparison to DFH 90 Minute Imperial IPA... More golden in color, but not too much different in appearance otherwise. Excellent sweetness without being too much and a much more refined and aged fruit/citrus flavor. Less bitterness overall, but still obsessively habit forming! A lot like fine sweet port or something...

12 fl. oz. bottle (AGES WELL; Bottled on 09/07/06 F) from Party Town in Florence, Kentucky. Rating #1258 for this beer... Rating: 8 4 9 5 19 = 4.5.

I must give a big thanks to hopsrus and francisweizen for the bottles that they provided. Appearance: It pours a clear golden color with a medium bubbled white head. The head dies pretty quickly. Aroma: Piney and citrusy. Flavor: In the first sip (and I emphasize sip, don't try gulping this one) you're hit with a sticky, syrupy flavor. It's sweet, but not too sweet. Little tingles of alcohol pop up & tickle your mouth. What surprises me is that it's more sticky sweet than hoppy.

Enjoyed this one with KieferUGA and Kleyland down in Atlanta. We all enjoyed it, but it is definitely a special occassion beer. Luckily it was. The alcohol was well hidden for the amount; only minimal alcohol burning on the throat. Very good (and sweet) flavor; some candy sugar, pine/citrus hops, and hints of fruit. Great aroma.