Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

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

Thanks to some of my best customers, Brian and Dani, for this one! 12oz brown glass with pry-top. Bottled on 7/8/08. Appearance: Medium amber with a tan/white quarter-inch head. Head recedes quickly and leaves no lacing. Just a scattering of foam on the surface. Nose: Super sweet smelling (I know, I know, you can’t smell sugar). Aromas of dried figs, dates, dried flowers, white rose petals, something like cardboard (not faulted), dried orange peel. Palate: Immediately sweet and round mouthfeel. There’s a little prickle from the alcohol and a warming of the throat after swallowing. Flavors of dried figs, mango withpeel, dried papaya, aloe, hay, lemon, and dusty clay. There’s something that really reminds me of a nice sweet Madeira (Malmsey and Bual blend perhaps?). Notes: Although this monster is super sweet, it hides the 20% abv pretty well. I think there’s a lot of complexity on the palate, more than most critics want to admit to. Yes, it’s unbalanced, but who ever thought they were going for balance with a 2 hour boil and 45-degree plato? I tried this beer two years ago and thought it was marginally "overpriced," but my opinion has changed. I dig it and I think it’s worth the money.

Bottled.. Pours copper with a thin white head.. Aroma is caramel, candy sweetness, floral hops and alcohol.. Taste was caramel, toffee, honey, grapes and a slight woody note.. Full body with good carbonation.. Too easy to drink for the abv.. Had a whole bottle while I watched UFC 100.

Overall Impression: Really enjoy Dogfish’s "IPAs" (you may not necessarily call this an IPA, as it’s really not) and of course this is the best of the 3. Super strong beer, interesting flavor, worth trying, but at the price I wouldn’t drink it often.

Location: 12 oz bottle from some bottle shop in Delaware, 9/7/09

Aroma: Aroma is potent, fruity, hot, strong floral character
Appearance: Hazy orange color with some white head
Flavor: Mostly hops obviously, but a pretty strong alcohol taste and some strong maltiness too, complex and enjoyable
Palate: Warm alcohol burn, big mouthfeel and body
Overall Impression: I decided the good ole 120 could use an update to the rating from a nice bottle. Picked up some more of this stuff to age, but this bottle did remind me nicely of the ones I had enjoyed in the past, a nice beer for sure. The standout on this one for me is how complex it is. It really is wonderful in that way.

Has a sweet taste with a strong after taste. Its so nice to drink 120 min because not many are needed to get a little buzz.

This beer is really good. It is one of the first "craft beers" I have tried, and it was certainly a good choice. It poured a hazy dark orange amber with very little head. Smells strong, sweet and floral to me, and almost burns when I go to smell it. Taste is amazing, especially if you enjoy something sweet. It is on the syrupy side, fruity, and has a definite bite to it. I like this beer a lot, and will certainly have it again.

This IPA is great. Pours golden with a small amount of head. Nose was honey, hops, and alcohol. Taste was almost like mead. Honey, caramel, and sweet sweet barley. 20% alcohol was well hidden in the almost oily mouthfeel of the beer. It is unlike any IPA i’ve ever had. Very good!

Poured a copper-amber color. Aroma was everything I’d expected. Potent but smooth with a nice hop backbone. Flavor was unbelievable. So potent, but not overpowering. For being as strong as it is, it really is well balanced. Sweet and malty, but yet with great hop flavor. Very very good.

Great Beer. Amber orange color nice head. strong flavor of hops which is nice.