Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

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

Wow, I don’t even know where to start. First off, I find thi sbeer to be really one dimensional, but how can it not be, considering how it was made. I recently bought a bottle of Hop Schnapps in Germany, and this whole pint reminds me of that a lot. The 20% definitely goes straight to the melon.

From a 12 oz. long neck brown bottle with a blurb and aging info on the left side of label, 2006 vintage, sampled at a cool cellar temperature in a chalice. Made a good appearance, poured a slightly hazy amber and golden hued orange with foamy beige head that settled into a thin, skim-like foamy lacing, a good amount of ringed sticking, moderate carbonation. Had a piney, citric and caramel nose with a little spruciness and whiffs of raw alcohol. A crisp, alcohol textured, creamy smooth full bodied mouth feel, good sipping drinkability. Rich caramel malty, followed by a smooth citric rind flavor with a piney numbness on the tongue, the hop bitterness is amazingly smooth and rolling in the palate, you get a little of that hop numbness on the tongue, but it is actually not that bad, a little grapefruity sugariness follows, a nice and steady alcohol warmth then lingers in the palate, a little brown sugar spiciness and a dryish grapefruity and caramel malty finish with a soft hoppiness and alcohol warmth lingering in the palate. For 21% ABV, surprisingly quite drinkable, a pleasant bitterness on the tongue, the hops are quite tasty and mellow, quite sipping quaffable.

My sample was pretty mellow, from 2004. It actually didn’t have a hop dominance that I was expecting, but the flavor was wonderful! Actually a bit of an anis flavor with vanilla, also a bit grassy. I don’t think I will get an older sample anytime soon, but I’d like to do a vertical of this one! Great beer

Exceptional IPA, I wasn't too impressed when I first took the bottle out of the fridge, it tasted more like a barleywine at first, but it just kept on getting better & better as it warmed, don't drink this beer too cold, I think it should be enjoyed around cellar temp, dark copper color, very little head but then again the beer is 20%, excellent balance in the nose, the hoppiness comes through first in the aroma then the huge maltiness comes through, excellently balanced flavors & body as well, again the hoppiness hits your face at first then the distingushable DFH malt & yeast pounds you, heavy body, dry & very hoppy aftertaste, the DFH flavor comes through again the finish, very well-rounded beer, this one again (much like a lot of other DFH beers) mask the amount of alcohol in the bottle, is there no limit to DFH creativity? excellent IPA

<!-- B -->Bottle<!-- /B --> Pours a slightly hazy light orange/amber with only a slight fleeting head. No real lacing. Sugary carmel sweet aroma. Slightly alcohol fumy note as well. Flavor is a very strong alcohol fume sence and still a lot of sweetness. Cough syrupy and buttery. Hops sure, but I don’’t think it can keep up with the very heavy feel and malt sweetness. Obviously the ABV is up there but I would not have guessed 21%. Glad I am sharing this one with two others.

Bottle. Aromas are of lemon and grass. Color is a golden amber with a lot of bubbles. Flavor is really sweet with a hops bite at the end. The sweetness is like white grape juice. Really strong and alcoholic warmth is a plus.

(Bottle -- shared with three other beer geeks, thank you all -- at Pikkulintu. Helsinki, on 2009-01-23) Dark orange and hazy. Medium sized white head. Alcohol, malts, hops and excessive amounts of glue in aroma. Full bodied and quite alcohol filled palate with little carbonatio. Hops, bitterness, alchohol, malts, berries, sweetness and saltiness in taste. Saltiness, bitterness and hops in aftertaste. Not enjoyable at all.

Bouteille de 12 oz, acheté à Belfats Co-op (Belfast, Maine). Orange rousse, peu de collet. Arome intence d’houblon sucré, avec un peu de fruits des champs. Goût d’houblon malade, très alcoolisé, sensation sûrette et amère avec quelque notes de pêches. Sont fou eux autres!