ApriHop - Dogfish Head Brewery

merlin48

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazed, bright orange body with a very minimal offwhite head that leaves sparse patchy lace on the glass.

Hops greet the nose first, with a powerful aroma of pine resin and citrus. The citrus is grapefruit, and the apricot aroma is remotely in the background.

Mouthfeel reveals prickly carbonation and a moderate hops bite.

The taste is aggressively hopped, as with other Dogfish Head IPAs, with a pine sap dominance and citrusy grapefruit just underneath. Apricots are barely picked up, regardless of the sampling temperature. Alcohol is hidden very well in this one.

I have a blossoming love affair with the occasionally rough hops used in Dogfish Head IPA's, and this ale is another fine example of their well constructed IPA's. For some reason, my bottle simply was lacking the apricot presence, in taste and aroma, that I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2004 10:10:03 | More by merlin48

HappyHourHero

Indiana

4.15/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Floral hop and apricot aroma. Orange hued cream colored head was thick and solid leaving a bit of scattered lace. Slightly hazy orangish amber colored beer. Body is on the light side of moderate. Smooth mouthfeel, a bit cream and bubbly, very nice. Lightly bitter IPA with a very mellow apricot flavor, a bit of light cereal malt, with a citrus punch at the end. A nice refreshing fruit beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2004 19:51:09 | More by HappyHourHero

kegerator

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

very nice brew.
poored out a true amber color with a decent fizzy head that dwindled quite fast.
The smell scared me a bit because the first scent was that of the 60 minute(i havent reviewed it yet but will). I got a hint of the apricot but it seemed i got mostly grassy hops, not pleasing to me. then i tasted it, wow. great balance, the apricots hit with a nice sticky sweetness and it goes down with a well balanced hoppiness that I coud enjoy, the mouthfeel is a bit sticky but also a littel fizzy at the same time. I found it to be a very refreshing brew and it was just what i was looking for on the 80 degree day that I drank it on...

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2004 12:52:32 | More by kegerator

jtfest

Oregon

3.3/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A somewhat cloudy apricot/amber with a thin white head, this brew has a nicely balanced apricot/hop aroma -- just as the name implies. Unfortunately, as well as these two blend in the aroma, they don't compliment each other as nicely in the taste. It's not that its bad, its just that if I wanted the hop flavor, there are about a hundred brews I'd pick over this -- and if its apricots I'm looking for, give me a Pyramid Apricot Ale. The mouth feel was full and syrupy -- nice for a fruit beer -- but I gave it a lower drinkablity because, why have another?

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2004 02:20:50 | More by jtfest

freed

Oregon

2.73/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Tried this because, uh, my wife wanted to know what it was like... yeah....

Attractive labeling and cap like most Dogfish stuff, and poured like a beer should. The body is a gorgeous amber, a moderate amount of small bubbles accumulated for a head, and the body is active with carbonation - possibly due to the cleanliness of my glasses, but I give the points to the beer.

The aroma is stiff with malt, surprising from an beer selling with hops and fruit. The fruit and hops are noticeable, but not as I would expect. Lacking a style standard, it is really the beer that has to leave the impression. Which brings me to the taste.

There is too much dried apricot flavor to this beer. The maltiness is pretty good, and would make for a rich IPA, or a great ESB, but it definitely takes over any flavor that should exist with the word "hop" in the name.

As such, its somewhat syrupy, which doesn't lead to drinking much. I split the 12oz with my wife (really), and that was an appropriate serving. Despite the beauty of the pour, it didn't stack up to what I'd hoped.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2004 02:09:52 | More by freed

garthwaite

Virginia

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

I'm generally not a huge fan of beers with fruit, so I was a little apprehensive going in. The smell was just like the name - intensely fantastic piney hops & loads of apricot. OK I'll admit it, the flavor was excellent...loads of citrus & hops balanced beautifully with sweet apricot which unfortunately got a touch syrupy at times. Never had anything like this before, but would definitely drink it again (and again).

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2004 17:12:11 | More by garthwaite

StrangerBrew

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I had the privelage of having this beer on tap at Dogfish Head recently. When the beer first arrived it had a very nice presentation, light copper color with a wonderful head. It was great beer, a light citrisy flavor, the hops and the apricots complimented each other wonderfully. Nice fruity aroma, very refreshing aftertaste and left you wanting more. It makes me almost want to drive 4 hours to have a few more on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2004 21:43:43 | More by StrangerBrew

jackndan

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

DogFish Head Aprihop: Reddish amber color, beautiful thick and creamy head, very dense. Leaves very nice rings down the side of the glass. Mild sweet aroma, equal parts apricots and hops, nicely balanced. The taste is terrific, the apricot flavor is present, but nowhere near overwhelming, as I had feared, in fact the taste is really exceptional. Nicely hopped, nicely malt base, and the fruit flavors adding an accent, rather than providing the dominant flavor of this brew. Light mouthfeel. Easily the best fruit beer I’ve ever had.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2004 23:24:47 | More by jackndan

Elemental

Oregon

3.33/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a deep copper/amber color with very little head and no lacing. the aroma is nice with hints of apricots and hops. The aroma also has a nice underlying malty smell. The taste is sweet with a lot of apricot flavor that takes over from the start. it does finish with a slightly bitter hop profile. the aftertaste left in the mouth has a good bitterness to it. Lots of contrast troughout the drink from sweet to bitter. Overall and ok beer to be injoyed during the summer months. Can't drink to many cause of the sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2004 06:36:34 | More by Elemental

BadBadger

New York

3.25/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A rich copper color. A small unsustained head: I poured for maximum head affect and there wasn't much there, and what was there didn't last long. Smells nice and fruity, which is to be expected. Taste was alright but not impressive: starts out sweet and ends up bitter on the tongue. Nothing spectacular here. Worth maybe picking up a single bottle. I am stuck with the remaining three bottles of the 4 pack, which I am not really looking forward to drinking. To many other fine beers out there.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2004 21:26:46 | More by BadBadger

beergeek279

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in the 12 oz. bottle, into a pint glass. The color was copper, with a bubbly white head. The smell was dominated by the apricots, with just a bit of the hops. The taste started off with the apricot sweetness and then the nice 60 Min-ish hops took over in the taste. Mouthfeel was average. As for drinkability, this wasn't bad, but may have been a bit muddled for sustained drinkability.

Well, I've always been a fan of DFH and their mad genius, and this is an example. Though I couldn't drink this one all day, for one beer or two this was an interesting experiment, to mix fruit beer and IPA, and I'm sure I'll have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2004 03:19:16 | More by beergeek279

erica

California

4.83/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I loved it! DFH never ceases to amaze, do they? To start off, it is a golden amber colour, clear with a white fluffy head. Smells maybe a bit apricoty, a bit citrusy, I guess from the hops, but mostly malty actually. I had a few bottles of it and I still am not getting the apricots, and there's not any extreme hoppiness that would warrant a name with HOP in it. Besides all that though, I truly enjoyed this beer and if I could I'd make it my 'regular.' Mouthfeel is very smooth and just the right thickness. Not very thick but I couldn't call it thin. Basically it's not extreme in any way,. but it is so well blended that I think I'll be buying bottles for as long as supplies last!

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2004 20:47:43 | More by erica

longpondbeerman

Maine

3.73/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

OK, I'm not usually one for fruit beers, even though I live in blueberry territory in Maine every summer, but I had to try this IPA tinted with real apricots (I love apricots by the way, and I'm a big fan of the Dogfish Head IPA too). It poured a rich, bubbly, and very clear amber with a soft, sparkling tan head. I must say, the apricot aroma is evident, but nicely understated, as are the white pine esters, and together they seem to be a good match for the hops, at least in the smell. The taste, alas, is not quite as satisfying. The start is dull--a bit grassy, but neither the hops nor the apricots seem very full-bodied. There's a nice bready moment in the middle, but the finish is weak as well--not quite enough hoppy bitterness for my taste. But, the fruitiness is good--not cloying or intrusive.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2004 22:06:06 | More by longpondbeerman

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hmm...clearish orangey apricot color, how fitting, just under a finger high head of dirty cream colored foam, some thinnly etched strings of lace stick. Smell has a nice herbal/grassy hop with a solid toasted malt backing, some detectable notes of fresh apricots and slight pine lay underneath, very fresh smelling with a raw grassy hop edge. Taste has a toasty frontage blending quickly with herbal grassy fresh hops that has a mild bite ending with a mix of pine wood, citrus fruits and just a peppering of the apricot can be detected nearer the finish where it tappers off with a toasty malt flake and bake twinge and a grab of hop bittering thats favorabley mild. Feel is about medium, nice and crisp with a light drying quality with just the right amount of bite and balance making for a good drinking IPA fruity treat. Its not as Aprihopped as I hoped it would be but its quite good non-the-less. Borderline sessionable with the 6.6% - drinkable all the same. I could easily put a few of these away and be a happy camper. Thanks to drweizen for the bottles!

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2004 02:05:18 | More by tavernjef

francisweizen

Australia

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another good one from DFH. A dark golden/orange brew with a tight head of white foam. Aromas are apricot essence, metallic/herbal hops, citrus notes, and some pine. The taste is hoppy up front with a big fruity blast in the middle and a nice piney/herbal finish that lasts, giving you fruity hop burps. The mouthfeel is a bit on the thin side, but that is good for a summer refresher like this, and the drinkability is damn good as well....nice stuff

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2004 22:17:41 | More by francisweizen

PSUDREW

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

The best way I can decribe this is magic hat # 9, but jack up some. Which is very very nice. I mean some people might take that the right way, but i truely mean that as a compliment

It pours a nice medium golden color, with frothy white head. Smells light, sweet, fruity, and hints of spice mixed in.

Over all it is a rather flavorful, yet "light" beer. You could drink this all day and night. Nice clean mouthfeel as well.

Tastes sweet at 1st hit. Nice malty flavor mixes nicely with the apricot flavor on the way down. It is still an IPA, through and through, however. I mean you cannot mistake the typical hop charecters and what not usually present, however, you just tend to notiuce the malt/fruit mix 1st. It blends together rather well, and is very enjoyable. good job

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2004 01:53:49 | More by PSUDREW

TinusTime

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep golden with hints of orange.. Gee kinda like the colour of an apricot. Nice fluffy white head. It is a pretty beer in the glass. Smell is crisp with just a hint of fruitiness. Taste is quite yummy. A bit of malt up front with just a hint of the Apricots, followed by a nice but balanced hoppiness that dries out the brew and keeps the fruitness in check.. The mouthfeel is very nice as well.. Well carbonated and silky smooth.. Drinkability is high.. Not to high in ABV, one could sit and drink quite a few of these i do believe.. A very good offering from DFH,, They can certainly do IPA's well

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2004 16:41:31 | More by TinusTime

SheepNutz

Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz. bottle poured into a tulip-style glass. It pours a seep reddish-copper color with 2 fingers of head. There is good lacing left on the glass. The smell is very hoppy, just the slightest hint of apricot. Some fruity aromas come through as well. The taste is malty and fruity at first, some of the apricot making itself noticed. The finish is hoppy and dry, very nice. The mouthfeel is thick and heavy for an IPA, yet smooth. The drinkability is very nice too. A sweet and hoppy treat.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2004 02:58:56 | More by SheepNutz

Ieatlambfries

New Jersey

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

The appearance of this fruit IPA was good. Amber, clear, medium white head. Decent lace retention. To me the smell was hoppy yet did not seem to have any hints of apricot. Not at all displeasing though as I love hops. The taste was good as well. Much stronger hop bitterness than a #9. The apricot flavor became more apparent as the beer got warmer. Also a hint of that weird Dogfish Head taste that in my other DFH reviews I call "canned pineapple syrup." I have yet to understand what this flavor is, but I have encountered it in the 90 min IPA and the 120 MIn IPA as well. Mouthfeel was crisp and refreshing. I also thought the drinkability was good. I'm not a fruit beer fan, and while this doesn't come close to my favorite fruit beer (St. Peters Grapefruit), it does in my opinion offer a better taste than the other apricot fruit beers I've tasted. A good solid offering, worth a taste.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2004 23:17:02 | More by Ieatlambfries

99bottles

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I like drinking this right from the bottle. Fun and springy label is celery and apricot colored. But from a pint it pours a deep amber-orange color with a tight little inch of off white head. OoooOOOoo. Great smell. Nice blend of hops and juicy fruit, apricots, obviously. The first sip is very confusing. It's an IPA that has a ton of sweetness, almost like candi sugar. The apricots are there, especially if you burp. I really like how the apricot hides and plays around in the malt and hops. Not like # 9 where it jumps out. This is a very sweet, refreshingly bitter beer that begs for warm weather. As its 78 and sunny here for the first time all year, I've gotta go enjoy this.

Compliments a steak of tuna on the grill VERY nicely. Mmmm !

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2004 21:25:52 | More by 99bottles

yeagerbm

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: Very clear copper color, mild carbonation and a offwhite head which was very fluffy after my aggressive pour.
Smell- very aromatic, grainy raw hop smell. reminds me of cutting open a package of hops and taking a whiff. I like it. Mild fruit smell but I probably wouldn't have picked it up if it werent on the label.
Taste- Great hoppy flavor with a definate fruity sweetness to follow. Very floral and sweet at the same time. Smooth in the mouth but a little too sweet to guzzle down.
Overall this is a very interesting beer with a great hop aroma but its a little too rich and sweet for my taste which kills the drinkability after my stomach starts to hurt.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2004 20:15:18 | More by yeagerbm

avylover

Virginia

4.9/5  rDev +27.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Excellent looking deep golden clear brew, with a massive off white head that seems to stand still. Light bubbles rise up to the head. Good citrousy hop aroma, with a slight hint of the labelsake's apricots. Taste is hoppy , yet refined. Nice citrous flavors with the slight taste of apricot keeping things smooth. Grainy tastes and a decent maltiness hold it together nicely.Great hop flavor, with a mild bitterness finishing things. This beer tastes like the perfect summer IPA. Medium bodied, with a slick, starts wet/finishes dry mouthfeel.Dry aftertaste, but great lingering hop flavors. Drinkability is top notch, I could drink this to no end. Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2004 19:56:48 | More by avylover

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I'll admit I was pretty excited to try this beer as it sounded like another off-the-wall, yet tasty brew from the gang at DFH.

Poured a clear amber color, with lots of cracklin' and fizzin' head. No lace. Tough to pick out any aromas with this one. There was some notes of fruit (presumably apricots) but not much else. Flavor was different. Hoppy, but with a good balancing act by the malts. Finishes sorta funky, with a "wooden" aftertaste. A different beer and one that I'd suggest trying just to experience it.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2004 03:01:27 | More by OldFrothingSlosh

Billolick

New York

3.25/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle, "packaged in" date of 04. pours reddish copper, with an off- white head, I cant get much of a nose. Dry grainyness of hops dominate the flavor. Bottle says its an IPA but, not really a nice big punch of hops. Not too impressed with this one, seems to have an identity crisis. Fruit beer/IPA doesnt cut it for either style.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2004 00:02:29 | More by Billolick

shippos

New York

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

thin medium white head wih an excellent looking golden honey copper color that has touch of haze.

fruity (I can't tell if it's apricots or not, subtle to me if it is) hoppy grassy aroma...ton of aroma hops in this one.

average mouthfeel that's a little juicy apricot taste. dry hoppy aftertaste, not bitter definetly hoppy. couldn't detect any hints of alcohol, nicely hidden. intesting but I probably won't get this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2004 15:22:25 | More by shippos