ApriHop - Dogfish Head Brewery

Spcoly

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a tulip glass.
Was recommended by store employee...I must admit Im not a fan a fruity beers and at first didnt take his advice but he promised the apricot is hard to tase, and he was right on.

A: pours a light caramel with 1 finger head

S: Hops galore and the aprricot or other dried fruit

T: I get more grapefruit then apricot...starts out smooth and finishes a little bitter....total hops all the way through

M: Medium, definitley drinkable. Good carbonation

Im a big fan of DFH and this one doesnt disappoint. Would have probably passed on once I saw apricot if it was from any other brewery. Would buy again...

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 00:18:47 | More by Spcoly

ElderBeagle

Maryland

4.4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Had this on-tap at the DFH Brewpub

A: A deep clear amber, but very little head by the time it came to my table

S: Smelled great! Citrus, piny hops with the sweet smell of apricots of course.

T: Tastes similar to their 60 minute but with a great sweetness throughout and a nice dry finish. Really balanced flavor, not too sweet but its definitely there. The reason I disliked Magic Hat #9 was because the sweet flavor seemed like it didn't belong, but here the flavors mingled perfectly for me.

M: Medium body and perfect carbonation

O: This is a great beer for this time of year. This may be one of my favorite seasonals from DFH next to the Punkin. Check this out and enjoy the Spring!

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2013 20:02:02 | More by ElderBeagle

IrishRedRock

Pennsylvania

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

Indeed, an interesting brew. There have already been comparisons to Magic Hat #9, and rightfully so, though this is more experimental, has more hops, and is just better. Golden orange in color, has a wonderful sweet nose of apricot, spice, and hops. The apricots are the most noticeable aroma. Flavor blends the hops and fruit very very well, with the apricot flavor adding a nice sweet touch to the bittering agent of the hops. Alcohol is hardly detectable, and at 6.6% really shouldn't be too noticeable anyway. Apricots = good, hops = good...this is a very nice beer. Bottle this one boys!

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2004 01:32:50 | More by IrishRedRock

Edwin

Pennsylvania

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

Thank to Jaysus (yet again) for hooking me up with this during our post-Philly/BA get-together/NCAA Tourney beer.

Appearance - A brown/amber color with a caramel head. The head disappears quickly, but leaves some lacing around.

Smell - Hoppy with a beautiful apricot scent. Some pine hints throughout as well. A very nice smell.

Taste - I was awfully surprised at the taste with this one. Hops come through, but the apricot flavor actually makes a very good addition to their already great IPAs. I was wary of this beer because fruit beers tend to be too sweet. This, however, was a very balanced flavor. Nicely done.

Mouthfeel - Like a warm blanket on a cold night, this beer just fits. Goes in silky smooth and goes down easy.

Drinkability - I would say very drinkable. This is a great back-porch-on-a-warm-spring-evening beer. I will be buying a case of this when it comes available in our area. I will enjoy them often. This is a good drinkin' brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2004 20:08:22 | More by Edwin

chugamugofsud

Oregon

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

I ponied up and got a four pack of the Apri-Hop figuring that it would just make me mad to see Dogfish Head IPA be abused by addition of apricots; however, this beer is really a well-crafted piece of work. It pours slightly lighter in color than the other dogfish head ipa's and immediately smells both of hops and of apricots. There is a small, lightly colored head at the top of each glass but the taste is what sells me on the beer (as it should). IPA hop-style beer apparently just blends perfectly with the apricot taste, this beers is very light on the tounge and is exceptionally smooth (with a strong hop flavor). The apricot taste doesn't overpower the beer and it seems that a balance is found between the two tastes. I love this and will get some more before it goes out of season to keep around for the fall harvest season.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2004 17:01:56 | More by chugamugofsud

JackTheRipper

Pennsylvania

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

A: Clear amber in color with a thin sticky head.

S: Absolute beauty. The citrusy hop aromas match up nearly perfectly with an apricot smell that is powerful and fresh without being cloyingly sweet.

T: Hoppy flavors are bold and floral without being overly bitter. Fruity apricot flavor is just subdued enough to taste real, not like some artificially supersweet additive, and makes a superb match to the hop flavors.

M: Full bodied with a nice sharp feel on the tongue. Sweet but not a syrupy sweet that overwhelms the tastebuds. Carbonation is very nice, and the alcohol gives a very mellowing warm.

D&N: Is this a far-out fruit beer or an awesomely done freaky IPA? I don't know but this brewery did it just right. I don't know how Dogfish Head makes their hops taste the way they do, but I'm now a big fan of theirs. If you haven't tried this one yet, what are you waiting for?

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2004 07:24:20 | More by JackTheRipper

AlexJ

North Carolina

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

On draft at Delaneys (New haven, CT), leftover from a DFH dinner. Pours hazy straw yellow with dense white head. Magnificent juicy apricot aromas mingled with soft malts, and a distinctly clean floral/pine hop note. Tastes MUCH better than its bottled counterpart. Fuzzy apricot, bready malt, and a crisp, piney, well-hopped finish. Perfect mouthfeel, too easy to drink. Someone said it reminded them of Magic Hat#9. I bitchslapped him back into the corner where he belonged!!!

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2004 21:25:05 | More by AlexJ

wingnutter

Florida

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

Tried this one on a whim based on my love for DFH's 60 and 90 minute IPAs.

Poured a beautiful orange/copper color, with a nice head that laces the glass as its drank.

Smell: Fruity, hoppy, malty. Smelling this one made my mouth water for a taste, and....

What taste! Hops, malt, and fruity sweetness. I didnt get a strong apricot taste, but the fruit sweetens this beer just enough to take any bite out of it. Its insanely smooth. It just flows over the tongue and dances down the throat. Fruity, hoppy, malty...balanced very nicely. The 7% is expertly hidden - I forgot I was drinking a 7% ABV beer. Its that smooth and tasty.

Mouthfeel is slick and light at the same time, although you know youre drinking a big beer. One of the smoothest beers of this strength that Ive had the pleasure to try.

Id have a hard time choosing between this and the 60 minute. I like the fact that apricots are used in making this beer, but it doesnt taste like a "fruit beer". The fruit lends just enough sweetness to soften up the taste without dominating the wonderful hop/malt balance.

DFH does it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2005 00:09:21 | More by wingnutter

swhitt

Texas

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

I got this in a 4-pack of bottles and have had it a couple of times. Pours quite a bit darker than your standard IPA with a gigantic head. Once a few sips the head all but disappears. Apricot flavor is amazing, much better than Magic Had #9 (one of my first craft brews) and finishes with a crisp kick of hops. Even though the alcohol percentage is high at 7%, I could easily drink the entire four pack in one sitting. It's good - I'm going to miss this seasonal once the summer is over.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2006 00:11:37 | More by swhitt

demcorhip

Ontario (Canada)

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

Ill come right out and say that this is a biased review, i simply love this beer and think its one of the best "summer" beers ive had this summer. The balance between the apricot and hops is amazing, and while i taste apricot firstthen the hops the transition between the two complementary flavours is so smooth i still havent been able to tell where the one flavour ends and the othr flavour starts. Ive picked this up a couple of times this summer, and will definitely be looking for it again next year.

Appearance
This ale pours a nice amber colour with a thin off white head. It is scantly laced with fine carbonation.

Aroma
Theres alot to smell in this beer. Fruity esters, caramelly malts, apricot, grapefruit, and piney scents are all there to please the nose.

Taste
This is a bold, tasty, incredibly well balanced brew. The apricot and hop flavours wonderfully complement each other. The slight sweet and sour contributions from the apricots, caramel from the malt, and the resiny grapefruit/pine from the hops are all there to be tasted and appreciated.

Mouthfeel
This slightly carbonated beer has alot of substance and alot going on. I can almost feel a fuzziness in my mouth from the apricot, which along with the malt sweetness nicely balances the resiny hops.

Drinkability
This is a very refreshing drink on a hot summer day, and a very tasty treat. This would make a good session beer on a hot and humid summer day or night. Ill be drinking many more of these if i get my way.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2006 23:36:35 | More by demcorhip

mynie

Indiana

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

Solid IPA pour. Light orange at the glass' bottom growing steadily darker and bloodier to the top, where the beers only visible, tiny bubbles can be found joining a small head that quickly fades away.

Smells great. A really rich, fruity and floral hop against a sticky fruit malt background resonant of a fresh Rogue.

And the Rogue similarities continue wonderfully on into the flavor! The hops are big and present upfront along with a breaddough malt that's so chewy and yeasty you think you're drinking a Double IPA, for a second, until it disolves into a delightful malt profile combining apricot fruits, citrusy hops, and a strong, caramel malt. It ends on a dryer, roasted malt and a hop.

Remarkably balanced and thirst-quencing! This is a fantastic beer, probably my favorite regular offering from Dogfish Head.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2006 00:49:43 | More by mynie

BBM

New York

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

Had this one on tap. It pours a cloudy light orange with a creamy white head and nice lacing around the glass. There were mainly sweet fruits in the nose, with a hoppy bite and slight alcohol smell to round out the beer. Interesting.

Wow, what a tasty beer. Up front there is a sweet taste of apples, citrus, and (of course) apricots. Then citrus and pine hop notes make their way onto the palate, creating a nice dichotomy of bitterness and sweet. It's all rounded out by a very subtle alcoholic finish. This is a fruit beer with balls. Mouthfeel is phenomenal; I've never had such a smooth, rich, creamy beer from a tap in my life; it's almost like it was poured from a cask. Low carbonation, and a silky smooth finish make this one of the more drinkable beers I've had in a while, too.

Overall this is an outstanding beer from DFH, and even though it is a bit 'fruity' and out of the ordinary, I'd recommend it to anyone. Unique and delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2007 11:31:51 | More by BBM

abedenbaugh

South Carolina

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

A:The beer has an amber color to it with a nice thick white head that stays. The carbonation is very fine and there is a significant amount of effervesce.
S:This beer smells really great. The hop aroma is dominating. It smells of citrus. The apricot smell in it seems a little on the tart side, but gives a fresh feeling to the beer.
T:For an IPA there is only a touch of bitterness in it. Yet it might be covered up some by the apricot because once you start tasting any bitterness the apricot comes in right after it and cancels it out. The malt profile is a little bit of caramel and toastiness.
MF:The mouth feel is around medium. With as much effervesces as the beer has, it doesn't seem to be high in carbonation.
D:While I'm not sure if calling this beer an IPA is the most correct label, I do think that it is incredibly good. The apricot tastes great in it and the bitterness compliments it very well. I would love to buy it again and could drink them very easily.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2008 00:17:24 | More by abedenbaugh

erosier

Connecticut

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

Pours a golden amber color with a short and medium bodied white colored head that laces the glass a little on the way down. The aroma is of spicey citrisy hops and apricot flavoring. The taste is really good as the apricot flavor and the hoppy flavor actually mix very well together for a very interestingly fruity beer. The mouthfeel is also very good with a crisp and clean feel that is really enjoyable and makes the beer very drinkable. Well worth a try even if fruity beers and hoppy beers aren't your thing.

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2008 17:08:00 | More by erosier

slvrmon82

Delaware

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

Very excited to review this beer. It is one of my absolute favorites. Picked it up at dogfish the other day.

Wow. The appearance is nice, Gold copper. Nice and clear. Not a lot of head but very carbonated.

Smell is very fruity with apricots up front and maybe peach at the end.

The taste is right there. You can taste the real apricots versus the imitation extract that most brewers use.

Mouthfeel is nice and light. Surprisingly light.

Drinkability is extremely high. A great seasonal and a great beer all around. Perfect for the ladies as well.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2008 03:38:00 | More by slvrmon82

kbnooshay

New York

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

Poured a slightly hazy orange gold with a short lived white head. Aroma is sweet and fruity. The apricot flavor isn't overpowering so you can smell the hops in there. Wow! This is like number 9 but without the light wheat flavor and more hops. Flavor is slightly bready and light on the malt. Feel is kinda tingly from the carbonation but is light. I could drink these all night. Forget number #9, this could be a real gateway beer for good beer newbies.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2009 02:07:04 | More by kbnooshay

Seanibus

California

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

This is by far my favorite Dogfish Head beer (of course, I am admittedly not a big DFH fan in general, but this really is good).

I really didn't want to like this beer, but it is delicious. Pours a handsome copper with a decent fluffy head. The aroma is rich and fruity, musky and hoppy. The flavor is fruity but not sweet - musky, apricoty, with strong piny hops. There is a satisfying deep bitterness with a ripe fruit finish and a slight burn down the throat, like a good liqueur or brandy. The mouthfeel is smooth.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2010 14:52:10 | More by Seanibus

depechemode1983

Texas

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

Poured into a tulip.

A - Reddish copper in color. Head is tan and foamy with lots of small bubble mixed in with big ones. It has just a bit of lacing.

S - Smell is of piny and citrus hops with hits of grains, hay, and a bitter apricot smell that you really have to dig for.

T - Bitter and citrus with apricots being more pronounced. It finish sorta lemony with some sourness. Very refreshing.

M - Medium bodied mouth feel with cleansing carbonation.

D/N - Very drinkable. Not as complex as I thought it would be but I do think the apricots gave this beer a cleaner mouth feel. The lemony after taste work well with the level of carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 23:14:18 | More by depechemode1983

Genuine

Connecticut

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

Poured on tap at The Courthouse Bar and Grill in Putnam, CT.

Poured a beautiful, dark red/amber in color, with a very nice, off white 2 finger head. It stayed around for a while and left some beautiful lacing down the side of the glass.

Smell - The nose of this one is hidden in the cold, so it's best you let this one warm up a bit. Once it did, I noticed some woody, citrus, slight pine and a dash of fruit.

Taste - Hops hit you up front, right after comes the well balanced, full bodied malts. The apricots were noticeable enough to let you know that they are there, but they certainly do not overpower it. The malts keep it in check very well. I thought this was going to be very apricot forward but it's not, and that's ok.

Mouthfeel - medium, slick. The carbonation is there and it's not over the top, and it's not too little.

Overall - This is quickly becoming a favorite IPA. I didn't know what to expect but I'm glad that I had it today. I'll definitely be picking up more of this before it's gone for the season!

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2011 23:48:00 | More by Genuine

zrab11

Indiana

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

A- Pours a reddish copper color with a nie 1 finger head. Nice lacing

S- Hops and apricots are present followed but alittle carmel.

T- Wow this tastes soo refreshing. Hops mixed with apricots hit you right away followed by some sweet maltyness then ends with apricots

M-Light to medium bodied. Great carbonation

D-Overall i loved this brew. It had a perfect balance. Can't believe this beer doesn't get more hype. Will order this anytime i see it. Loved it

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 03:52:37 | More by zrab11

Siggy125

California

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

Poured from a 12oz bottle. Hazy amber light caramel in color. Off white head, fairly quick dissipated

Great aroma. Fruity apricot sweetness on the nose with mild hop essence.

The taste starts with citrusy apricot on the front end then some bitter hoppiness on the back end.

The best part of this brew is the way the apricot transitions to the hops. Very nicely balanced. I would rec best served cold as a thirst quencher.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 04:01:26 | More by Siggy125

ngeunit1

California

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

A - Pours a cloudy copper-orange color with a finger of frothy off-white head. The head fades down fairly slowly leaving behind some nice lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of lots of citrus and tropical fruits including apricots, grapefruit, pineapple, with some piney hops and a bit of caramel and biscuit malt.

T - Starts off some apricot flavor with some tropical hop flavor with some grapefruit, pineapple, and bitterness with some sweet caramel and bready malts. Through the middle, some resiny pine hops come through with some stronger bitterness and a bit more apricot flavor alongside a bit stronger malt flavor. The finish is a mix of topical and pine hop with some bitterness and a bit of sweet malt.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a resiny, bitter, and dry finish.

D - Very drinkable. The apricot flavor really works nicely alongside the tropical hops, and the beer has a great balance overall.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 03:51:14 | More by ngeunit1

Goldorak

Quebec (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Apricot jam pale orange, with massive, massive meringue that took forever to settle down. The cling on the glass was so strong it almost took me an ice scraper to get it off.

Smell: A bouquet of flowers, freshly squeezed lemon juice and a cloying, fruity smell that may or may not be apricots.

Taste: Carbonation is quite vivacious, middle is fruity, but a sour, tart kind of fruity. Then blamo, that Dogfish head hop salvo finishes it off, but not before giving your tastebuds a good beating. Finishing off my 4 pack was no difficulty at all.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2005 23:31:51 | More by Goldorak

Dubblebock

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Wow! I picked up this Dogfish Head offering on a trip to Grapevine Market. It sat nestled in between all of the other DFH brews, and it just sorta lept out at me while I was looking at it on the shelf. The bright label and the promise of adventure made me grab it gleefully.

I gotta say that this one hell of a great fruit beer. In fact, it may be one of the best fruit beers that I have ever had.

Aprihop roars out of the bottle with a creamy head of tight foam, settled on top of a rich looking orange-amber body. Just beautiful.

The nose is sweet and slightly fruity, the apricots giving the scent a light springtime feel, crisp and fresh.

The taste was incredibly tight and robust. Aprohop has a firm malt backbone, but it's the hops and the apricots that really balanced this brew out almost perfectly. Sweet but not cloying. Hoppy but not at all overwhelming. Fruity but not sticky. Just absolutely fantastic. Decent ABV, but it was not apparent as I could barely discern the alcohol in the flavor profile. This is extremely well-crafted.

Good mouthfeel, very nice carbonation level.

Exceptionally drinkable. I could drop one of these any time, any place. I wanted a second one as soon as I had finished the first. I really have to recommend this beer as a great summertime addition to anyone's beerfridge. Don't pass this one up if you see it in the cooler.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2005 23:41:35 | More by Dubblebock

qwert59

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a goregous amber orange, with minimal head but very active champagne like carbonation.

Smells like apricots and Dogfishhead hops. Cirtus hop smell and apricot sweetness. There is a slight, slight malt touch. I love the smell of this beer. It smells refreshing, like summer.

Taste starts with a subtle malt and quickly moves into apricots, and
finishes clean with a nice hop bitterness. The apricot is jsut right, not too sweet, not too subtle. I thought it would be easy to overdo the apricot, but its just right. The apricot stands in to highlight the hops in the IPA.

The moutfeel is typically Dogfishhead; theres a syrupy almost creamy body to it without over doing it. There's a really nice biting carbonation, which helps the beer to finish as cleanly as it does.

Overall, this is a great, highly drinkable spring/summer release. This would be perfect for relaxing on a hot muggy evening. Aprihop is what early Friday evening in summer tastes like.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2006 01:37:49 | More by qwert59