90 Minute IPA - Dogfish Head Brewery

sinistersteve

Oregon

4.88/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Well, what can I say about this beer. The label has a guy hammering a nail up his nose, I read that the hop process was used with one of those old-school electric football games (which would be the second best use for them since I saw one smashed over the head of an individual in a pro-wrestling match), and there is a damn cork in the bottle. Something ain't right here and I'm bound to find out what it was. Turns out, there is not much wrong with it at all. After having a minor grappling match with the cork, my efforts were soon rewarded with an exceptionally thick head on the pour. A almost ruby color in my glass and a burst of hopiness in the taste making this a great beer. I first had this at the IBF in Portland and now I remember why I kept going back for second and third helpings. A must have for any beer geek. This one is definately on the list to repurchase over and over.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2002 20:36:07 | More by sinistersteve

inebrius

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Hazy orange under a fat and fluffy head. Nose is hops and hops with a little bit of hops. Huge malt spine is cut with hops, bitter and flavor and aroma hops over fruity esters around a smooth and alcoholic warmth. This is a dangerously tasty brew and the best Dogfish Head beer I've had.

Cheers to frank4sail for the gift! You all right bro!

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2002 18:31:57 | More by inebrius

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A bottle-conditioned IPA utilizing a single, constant 90 minute hop addition of Cascade, Columbus and Chinook. They originally did this by hooking and old "electric football" game above the kettle and adding hops to the top of it. As it vibrated, the hops were slowly shaken off the edge. Unfortunately, (since it makes such a great story and everyone has fond memories of electric football) it got sprayed with water and never ran again! Now they've got a slow moving auger. The 90 minute is available in bottle (and draft at the brewpub), but the 60 minute is draft only (update - 12 oz. bottles were added in March 2003!). It has an impressive hop aroma but I kind of expected more. The malt is very basic in flavor (not very caramelish), but rich with a good body. Thankfully, it's enough to handle the intense hop flavors. There's alot of yeast character including an apricot fruitiness. The alcohol is a bit on the high side but it may smooth out if aged. The bitterness is there. Really there. As one local beer writer said, "Feel the burn". Definitely on the edge!

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2002 08:38:26 | More by NeroFiddled

ZAP

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Almost a bit of a sweet perfumy aroma....also sweet fruit like apples and pears on the nose...very crisp looking royal gold with a one-inch creamy head...very sweet in the mouth...Not very IPAish although there is some late bitterness emerging on the long finish...sticky sweet mouthfeel.,..From the label it sounds like the worked their asses off trying to balance the malt load but it comes up a little short...a bit too sweet...still well above average and well worth trying...the long finish definitely has some bitterness to it...

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2002 21:55:40 | More by ZAP

BillyBrew

Maine

3.53/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer is a freakish novelty. This brew has a hazy-copper colour with a strong, thick creamy head that sticks it out. Striking hop oil, just brutally wrenched out of that poor hop. Astrigent highs mix with a punchy alcohol on the nose. The hop taste is densely complex, indecipherable even. A odd chewy density of hop. As hop heavy as this brew is, there is some malt that grounds it a bit to prevent a skyrocketing imbalance. A thick, dese medium body with a dryness and a hop-oily after taste!?

I am appreciating the effort, but not neccesarily enjoying it. More of an effort of love than of ease. Definately try it out if you a down with the hopness, but two may be too many. Cheers

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2002 17:27:07 | More by BillyBrew

Jon

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2003 bottling, aged five months.

Slightly hazed peach color with a rocky white head that retains very well, leaving behind mazes of lace. Small traces of active carbonation are evident.

Perfumy hops, overripe grapefruit, faint smokiness, caramel malt, trace alcohol and additional high alpha hop oils presist aromatically.

Taste is far more balanced than fresh samples, though the initial, harsh hop bitterness is restrained. This results in a rounder, maltier 90 Minute with emphasis on ripe citrus fruit, caramel malt, residual malt sugars, a hint of smoke, and a lingering, yet restrained (for 90 Minute) hop bitterness. Fresh bottles reveal less balance and more hops, yet aging this bottle has led to a fuller, more balanced maltiness. Ample hop character still exists to fulfill any lupulinic yearning, which is the beauty of this particular bottle.

Smooth mouthfeel, lightly carbonated and slightly oily.

Drinks better than the fresh stuff -- smoother, more balanced and less of an alcoholic impact. A fun experiment with successful results. I'll soon see how the 2002 bottling has come along.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2002 21:30:08 | More by Jon

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is predominantly copper, but also seems to glow a beautiful orange hue. Big frothy white head. Bigtime pungency on the aroma. Plus nice little subtle citrus and pine nuances. Nice tasting IPA. Citrus and grapefruit rine present. Nice little bitterness. Some malt load here too. Very good IPA. Not and elite one in my book however.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2002 20:23:30 | More by Bighuge

Jdiddy

Rhode Island

3.53/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Well the stories you hear about the cork are true. We had twoguys trying to get the damn thing out. After about 10 minutes, we succeeded. Be very careful pouring this, it foamed up like crazy and I puored it pretty slow. The taste was not as hoppy as I expected. The alcohol taste was definitely there. I would recommend it just slightly chilled. As it became more warm, it was just too much. It think I will but a bottle and age it. Seems a bit too early to drink it now.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2002 07:59:00 | More by Jdiddy

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.3/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Damn, after struggling with the cork, I was thinking "This better be worth it!" Never did get all the cork; half broke off the top, the rest fell in the bottle! Has a nice dark, copper color, but very small head. The color has some slight cloudiness, with the yeast swirled in. Not many IPA's have the yeast in, eh? A real good bit o' lace sticks around! Nose is hops, and then more hops! Whiffs of the 9% abv show through, too! Good body, and nicely smooth over my tongue. There's a lot of strong, floral hoppiness in the flavor, mixed in with malty sweetness.A spicy bite is present at the finish. A different hop profile, but quite enjoyable!! Was the cork struggle worth it? Damn straight!!!

overall: 4.35
appearance: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | mouthfeel: 4.5 | drinkability: 4

207

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2002 13:44:25 | More by Bierman9

beerluvr

New Jersey

4.72/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Be forewarned-If you are not a fan of big/hoppy beers, stay away from this monster of a beer! Pours an insanely rocky and long-lasting foam collar over well carbonated orange-hued liquid ambrosia. Pungent citrus/piney hops assault the nasal passages. Taste is at first bitter as all hell, some estery fruitiness peeks thru midway, followed by hops and alcohol to lead the way to a tremendous hop finish. This is an IPA on steroids, highly drinkable even with it's in-your-face qualities. Slam a 750ml. bottle of this quick enough & you'll want to try re-enacting the picture on the label! A great accompaniment to some King Crimson music on headphones.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2002 21:32:40 | More by beerluvr

beernut7

Massachusetts

2.53/5  rDev -41%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This dark red/gold brew presents with a thick lasting head and exudes the strong scent of hops and alcohol. Taste is reminiscent of a strong ale but with a bucket load of bittering hops. This is a harshly sweet and very bitter ale. Not very drinkable and not to be consumed in large quantities. I have had one other "imperial IPA" and 90 minute does not compare to it.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2002 14:30:01 | More by beernut7

Andy

Massachusetts

4.93/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Sampled in 2001, this may have been my beer of the year. After having had some excellent experiences with Victory's Hop Devil and its ability to balance massive amounts of malt and hops, I was blown away by the 90 Minute IPA. A huge, masterful mix of alcohol, malt and hops, this beer almost completely satisfies me as a drinker. Great hop bitterness and flavor throughout, and of course, incredibly well-balanced. The sign of a true master brewer.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2002 19:42:17 | More by Andy

Brent

Kentucky

4.6/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wonderfully brutal. 90 IBU's - a hops extravaganza. Solid malt to carry the weight of all those hops. The 9% abv shows up in a spicy finish. My sample was the 1 pint 9.6 oz. bottle. Lets just say I'm glad I had this at home. For the hops wallop this beer packs, it is surprisingly drinkable. The bottle's designation of this as an "Imperial India Pale Ale" is deserved.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2002 20:59:09 | More by Brent

sprinkle

Michigan

4.22/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First beer that I've tasted from them.Bright amber,nice head,pretty carbonated.Big and floral on the nose.Balanced for the amount of hops in it.Hope to see more in IN. from these guys.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2002 23:53:08 | More by sprinkle

jermar

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours with a thick, big head. Orange-amber colored with rich well-balanced taste combining strong hop flavors, alcohol burn, and thick maltiness. Leaves a pleasant oily bitter aftertaste with slight syrupy malt sweetness. I really like this one despite the relatively high alcohol content because the alcohol tastes are integrated with the hop and malt flavors, especially as the beer warms. Comparable to Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale but with more alcohol in the mix.

I think they named it 90 Minute IPA because that's how long it takes to get the cork out of the bottle!

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2002 18:45:00 | More by jermar

marcobrau

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not quite the monster hop bitterness I anticipated. Although the brewers at Dogfish Head succeeded in making this beer hoppy and spicy, they did not make that bitter. I've homebrewed beers with more bitterness than this, but I have to credit to the brewers for producing such a highly hopped product. I think this beer could be a little stronger, closer to the strength of a barleywine, which would make it a good choice for laying down in a cellar. Still a pretty outrageous brew!

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2002 23:51:39 | More by marcobrau

cokes

Wisconsin

2.58/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Just tried this in 12oz form. Not sure if it comes across differently in this format, but my experience certainly was.
Taste was over-ridden with peach schnapps and poorly mixed gin and tonics. Big sweet and quinine alcohol flavors atop a pleasant but destroyed toasted English muffin maltiness. Loads of buttery, and butterscotch diacetyl as well. Paint thinner esters.
Heavy and cloying and alcohol-bitter to the point of undrinkability. Ended up dumping this one. Tried it again the next day and did the same.
I am gonna try giving this some time, and I hope for results that mirror my impressions of the 750 (as stated below).
---
Hops are certainly there in abundance...but, strangely, not as heavily as I expected (per the other reviews). Grassy and tight, with ganja backings, the hops are evident, but not explosive. The malt provides a solid foundation for the hops and the heavy alcohol presence. It's extremely well balanced for a brew of this strength...if perhaps a bit over-sweet. But in the end....it was just a strong IPA...Dogfish couldn't even work magic with this one. Don't get me wrong, it is quite a nice beer (and I am not ripping on IPA's), but this one does not differ that much from alot of others....and difference is something Dogfish seems to pride themselves on, so it seems all the more "normal".

It ends up being a good, strong IPA, but nothing to shout about. (rating 3.9)

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2002 01:06:26 | More by cokes

Murph

Arizona

4.05/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I have to agree with the other reviewers. This was not insanely hopped like I thought it would be. It was very hoppy but had some nice malt balance to it. Gets a bit of an alcohol taste as the beer starts to warm. Overall a good beer. Beautiful appearance. Perfect copper, slightly hazy with a nice sticky head. I am going to lay some of these down. I can't wait to see what they are like in a year or two.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2002 23:59:52 | More by Murph

John

New York

4.22/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this one on tap. And balanced it is. Very smooth and drinkable for a brew of 9.0% abv. though I would have enjoyed a more assertive hop profile. Maybe the keg version is a bit more mellow than the bottled. Nevertheless, a very good brew. A few 20oz. pints of this WILL rock you!

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2002 08:58:16 | More by John

mophie

Delaware

4.53/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I expected to be blasted with hops, but this beer was surprisingly balanced. Don't get me wrong, the hops are insane, but they were balanced quite nicely by a fruity, almost apricot taste. And at 1 pint, 9 oz, and 9% abv, one bottle is enough to put you in your happy place.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2002 22:48:55 | More by mophie

marc77

California

4.1/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Had to try it. The first sip is nothing but hops. After the palette adjusts and the beer warms, tasty malt, fruity esters and a touch of diacetyl become part of the flavor profile. They must've used a British yeast. The hop character is definitely American, but those esters make for a bastard of an IPA. Lots of alcoholic warmth in the finish. A tad hazy with a thick creamy head. This is a complex beer that must be sipped or your ass will be kicked. I'm drinking this by myself since everyone else here loves wine. I guess my ass will be kicked. I'll place this a notch below Stone's 5th Anniversary IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2001 17:09:28 | More by marc77