Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

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

This is my 100th rating and it is a gem. When I opened the bottle the whole room filled with a hop aroma, as if I was standing knee deep in hops. It poured a slightly hazy dark amber with an off white head. The arome was intoxicating. First taste was an explosion of piney, floral and citrusy hops all in one complex but complete package, as it was actually backed up by some malty sweetness. The alcohol wasn’t as noticeable as one would think, but I was becoming comfortably numb halfway through the glass. It is a very drinkable beer, which is very dangerous!! A truly unique brew and one that any beer geek must try.

2006 bottle. Thought about saving this one, but I guess I’ll have to buy a few more to lay away. Just had a 90 min yesterday so that taste is fresh in my memory and will hopefully serve as a decent comparison. Looks alot like a 90 when poured (I imagined it being darker). Aroma is very sweet and barleywinish. Strong, rich malt taste (similar to olde school bw) with a strong honey-citrus taste thats a bit like eating sugarcane. Hop bitterness is very nice for a beer of this strength. Amazingly well balanced. Alcohol present, but not nearly as strong as one would think for 21% abv. Wow, this is definately an experience. Will update if I am able to try an aged bottle. Hard to compare with anything else, and amazing that something like this is possible.

2006 bottle. The aroma seems to have lost it’s hoppiness, I’m getting sweet notes of caramel and vanilla from this. Pours an opaque orange color, with just a little ring of head around the glass. The flavor of this beer is amazing, it starts with caramel, vanilla, and something I can’t quite pick out and has an amazingly long bitter finish. The alcohol is noticeable on the finish, and in the back of the throat, which at 21% I’d be amazed if it wasn’t. Now to hunt down a fresh bottle for comparison.

V - cloudy orange with light head A - lavender, alcohol, pine, floral, honey T - alcohol, sweetness, P - Love it. The alcohol serves to warm everything up

Only the strongest and most elite beer lovers can handle this brew. This is an intense IPA. Strong alcohol punch at first hoppy siip. Pours with a aromatic sign of nice blend of hops. Interesting blend of american hops with citrus tones. 21% alochol although taste a bit lower. Low carbonation for a strong IPA. Best 14$ i spent on a 12 oz brew

Another in the DFH series of let’s see just how big we can make this beer. This is a dangerous one. Well integrated alcohol that is barely perceptable even at a whoppin 21% and it goes down so smooth. Not for the faint of heart. It isn’t very much like other IPA’s that I’ve sampled and sometimes that’s a good thing.

Bottle. Poured a cloudy orange brown with a thin, almost soapy looking head. Strong citrus hop (both grapefruit and orange) aroma. Also maybe a little underlying pine too. Candy or brown sugar aroma was also there along with a little alcohol. I actually felt the alcohol more in my eyes than in my nose. Surprisingly sweet for such a hoppy smelling beer. There was some brown sugar and maple sweetness on the front of the tongue then a somewhat mild lime and pine hop flavor at the back of the tongue. There was light carbonation feel in the mouth and was somewhat sticky but not overly thick. Not too much of a bitter hop aftertaste, either, like most IPAs. Went down easy for something with such a high abv. There is a little alcohol taste but not anywhere near what I expected for something with this high of an abv. Great beer.

12 oz bottle. Pours a clear orange/copper with a small layer of silky white head. Aroma was not what I was expecting at all and although the pine and citrus hop qualaties are there it is a sweet odor with only a hint of alcohol. Smooth bodied with just enough carbonation to make itself known. Flavor is unlike anyhting I have had before and although hop qualaties are there this beer is sweet. If something called hop syrup exsisted this would be it. There is a slight citrus bitter burst towards the end of the flavor with just a hint of alcohol. This wasn’t what I was expecting but man was it great, sort of like the time that I kept after school by the quiet and reserved librarian for having an overdue book.