Dogwood Breakdown IPA

Formerly brewed at Dogwood Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Atlanta, Georgia USA

Bottle acquired in trade with SpringsLicker (thanks!). Best before date of 9/6/04. Poured a medium and hazy golden/amber color with a smaller sized white head. Aromas of citrus, peachy, light flowers, a little earthy and very light cardboard. Overall a nice smelling beer. Tastes of light oranges, citrus, and lightly fruity. Light lacing left on the glass. Not bitter at all (attributable to its age).

(12 oz bottle: Obtained in trade with BlueDevil0206, thanks James!) A big carbonation release occured when popping the top, a very tall column of foam has sprung to life atop the beer, and just a massive army of carbonation bubbles shift into 5th gear as they cruise up through the liquid. Quite the gregarious first impression! The nose is very fruity and floral, and well, that’s about it, Doesn’t really smell like an IPA, but it smells nice! Sweet and very fruity on the tongue, it’s somewhat floral as well, and there’s just a mild hop bitterness in the finish. But given that this beer has been retired for some time, and the smudged "best by" date seems to be 10-22-04, the hops has had quite some time to fade. Medium bodied, very smooth and soft mouthfeel, and despite all the signs of massive carbonation, it doesn’t really materialize on the palate. Bright golden-amber body is very cloudy, and that’s even with an intact layer of sludge along the bottom of the bottle. That off-white foam eventually shrinks to a quarter-inch thick layer, but holds that height until there’s no more beer in the glass. The lace pattern reminds me of a small tropical island, with shallow, intricate lacing representing the beaches of the island surrounding the thick foam which representing the inland mountains. Almost certainly this IPA has mellowed out since its birth, but despite (because of?) the fairly low hoppiness, this is a pleasant and very easy to drink beer.

Best by 4/30/2004 Pours a hazy rich gold with a quickly dissipating head. No lace. Mad chill haze. Smell is of light floral hops and sweet pale malt. Taste is quite hoppy up front, floral and bitter hops. hints of orange peel. Right about the time the sweet malt comes through it has a taste like rotten celery. If it wasn’t for that, this would be a much better beer obviously. Medium bodied and a disappointing hops finish, not alot of aftertaste. The initial taste led you to believe there would be a nice hoppy finish. Not too drinkable for me. Rotten celery is not good.

Clear copper with a thick off-white head. Aroma of some caramel and perfumy hops. Taste has big notes of grapefruit/citrus up front, then notes of caramel, english hops and light pine. Pretty sweet, bitter grapefruit rind finish. Very nicely balanced. Medium body with lively carbonation. Lacing hangs on the glass in sheets, great head retention. Solid stuff.

This beer pours a mildly cloudy orangey yellow color with this menacingly ridiculous head that left super frickin duper lacing all over the glass. One of the creamiest, most frothy heads I’ve ever seen...could have to do with this being nearly 2 years old. The aroma is fruuuuuuuuuuuity! Citrus, pine and a hint of malty sweetness..almost candy sugar. The flavor is medium bodied, and mildly carbonated and sticky. The flavor is sweet and citrusy with apricot sugars in mid sip followed by an earthy, dirty and twiggy bittering near the finish. Some malty cardboard towards the end, perhaps a hint of banana and grapefruit. Nice mouthfeel, a good but (since im used to west coast IPA’s) tamed IPA. Why did they have to go out of business...whyyyyy!

Yellow/orange color, with a head of truly epic proportions. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a head this huge! Aroma has subtle citrusy hops, slightly creamy. Flavor has some roasted malt, but dominated by a slightly hoppy bitterness. A good IPA, somewhat one-dimensional.

i gotta give thanks to kp for this bonus brew in our trade.the breakdown poured a super murky organge with hints of yellow creeping about.i got a nice white head that disapeared and left a nice web around my tulip glass.the aroma contained te signature citrus/pine characteristics,as well as some caramel malts.i personally felt the flavor,and palate lacked a bit.although its very smooth and easy to drink.overall its not a bad ipa at all.

Bottle from SpringsLicker. Pours a hazy amber color. Nice white head leaves great lacing. Very big aroma of the Goldings is fruity and floral. Creamy mouthfeel. Well balanced IPA. Underrated???