ApriHop - Dogfish Head Brewery

Groomsy

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Mellow Mushroom in Lexington, KY as their rotating tap. Served in a pint glass, consumed on 16 May 2011. Review taken from notes and recent memory.

One word sums up this beer: Madness. On to the review.

Appearance: Very deep and hazy red/copper body, hard to see any carbonation coming up from the bottom of the glass. Topped by a frothy one-finger head of beige foam which sticks around for a while and leaves dangling lacing in its wake. Nice looking beer; its deeper color for an IPA makes me wonder what the nose and taste hold. (It kind of does resemble apricots, now that I think of it.)

Smell: Whoa. Ever had Magic Hat No. 9? It's like that, but better. As strange as it sounds, the nose is powerful, but also very dry. The apricot notes probably add to this dryness, and this enticing fruit aroma is backed steadily by citrusy hops (think grapefruit/oranges) and a substantial presence of sweet, sugary malts. The beer overall smells very earthy, and the apricot notes aren't so overpowering that it seems artificial (as the case with Magic Hat). Balanced insanity. I like it.

Taste: This definitely tastes like an IPA, and it's perfectly balanced with the apricot flavors. Front and center are some citrusy hops which bristle the tongue, followed by fresh apricots and just a hint of pine. The malt emerges in the finish in a very sugary and sweet - almost candy-like - type of way which blends with some of the bitterness from the hops. I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this beer, but I was pleased at the balance and natural flavors from the fruit used.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation was kind of sharp at first, but as the beer warmed, it became more tame in its carbonation without being bland or watery. The brew is about medium body and goes down smoothly with the lingering flavors from fruit, and creates a pretty drying sensation in the finish, though the alcohol is well-hidden. Well-done.

Overall: I would expect nothing less than weirdness from this brewery, but this is a great beer. It would be too easy to dismiss it as merely a "fruit beer," but this definitely shows itself as an IPA with a big twist to it. Glad that I got to have this brew; its weirdness will hold a place in my heart.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2011 19:04:12 | More by Groomsy

dcloeren

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

05-25-2013 06:49:09 | More by dcloeren

mulliwater

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%

05-25-2013 03:45:54 | More by mulliwater

TheDoak

Florida

4/5  rDev +3.9%

05-25-2013 03:25:23 | More by TheDoak

mlefebvre7

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%

05-25-2013 01:52:04 | More by mlefebvre7

edbritton

Alabama

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%

05-24-2013 20:30:49 | More by edbritton

Gatch

Massachusetts

3.84/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: Nice amber brown color with a big white fluffy soapy head. Great lace and retention. Darker than the usual IPA.

S: Fruity malt with just a faint hint of hops.

T: Plenty of sweetness and fruit with discernable apricot but this isn't an IPA. Not enough hops to even be a Pale Ale. This is a fruit beer.

M: Very sweet but tasty. Not cloying but there's that dried fruit feel.

O: Good flavor...and wait... are those hops when the beer warms up?!

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 01:22:17 | More by Gatch

Caskaway

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%

05-24-2013 00:01:01 | More by Caskaway

tzieser

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%

05-23-2013 23:42:13 | More by tzieser

Boston_Steve

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%

05-23-2013 19:42:14 | More by Boston_Steve

Absolut

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%

05-23-2013 19:25:47 | More by Absolut

frogfan

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

05-23-2013 18:58:40 | More by frogfan

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%

05-23-2013 01:45:16 | More by mikeincharleston

smooth_aleing

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.9%

05-23-2013 01:27:29 | More by smooth_aleing

grannaniwa

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

05-23-2013 01:26:33 | More by grannaniwa

BradStokley

Maryland

4/5  rDev +3.9%

05-23-2013 01:23:51 | More by BradStokley

LouDogg114

Georgia

4/5  rDev +3.9%

05-22-2013 23:39:20 | More by LouDogg114

DStoked

Ohio

2.5/5  rDev -35.1%

05-22-2013 13:46:57 | More by DStoked

bmurray10

Texas

4/5  rDev +3.9%

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AdamF625

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- amber and transparent with a fluffy white head
S- citrus fruits, apricot, hops are not as well represented as I would like.
T- slightly tart apricots, citrus hops, finishes malty and sweet
M- medium carbonation, crisp, fits the style
O- nice beer on a hot and humid night. Very tasty and refreshing!

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 22:32:02 | More by AdamF625

johntfox

Florida

4/5  rDev +3.9%

05-21-2013 18:39:31 | More by johntfox

swanson45

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%

05-21-2013 02:16:49 | More by swanson45

deniserat

California

4/5  rDev +3.9%

05-20-2013 22:34:49 | More by deniserat

Kreko7

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%

05-20-2013 21:24:12 | More by Kreko7

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%

05-20-2013 20:50:46 | More by BeerForMuscle