Squall IPA - Dogfish Head Brewery

MBrausen

Minnesota

4.72/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a CBS snifter.

A. Pours od medium-dark orange, slight 1mm foam that settles to light bubbles

S. Smells of lots of sweet pine, and tons of orange peel and grape fruit.

T. Tastes of sweet pine, orange and then more pine, and a sweet citrus and bitter end.

M. Thin bodied, heavy carbonation, tingly feeling, slightly dry finish.

O. A very good beer! Very refreshing, and easy to drink. Super smooth all the way through. A very good beer wirth searching out if your a DIPA fan!

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 21:23:10 | More by MBrausen

lpayette

Vermont

4.75/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance- Pours the color of Grade A Clover Honey. The head size is very much dependent upon the strength of the pour. A 5-finger head would be no problem... yet a more reasonable 2-finger head is also no problem. Brussels lace clings to the glass like spider webs.

Smell- Extremely pungent in the best way possible. Most notably citrus (grapefruit and orange) notes, but there are a host of other hop-centric aromas going on. Pine makes an impression. Very floral. Green grapes, ethyl acetate (pear), faint lemon. Oh, and there are some malty aromas too. Caramel, toffee. I'd swear that this is barrel aged, because it seems to have oak and vanilla- like aromas too.

Taste- Like a lot of great beers this gets better as it warms, and the flavors really start popping out. Make no mistake, this is a big beer with a complex personality. I hate to be redundant but much of what is found in the smell is found in the taste as well. What becomes more evident upon tasting it versus smelling it however, is how masterfully this beer is balanced. But beyond balance, the subtlety of hop-derived fruit flavors, and the malt derived sweet flavors such as caramel and toffee blend perfectly together with the hard to pinpoint oak and vanilla-like flavors. I honestly can't think of anything that would make this taste better, so for that this beer gets a rare 5.

Mouthfeel- Incredibly smooth and creamy. Full-bodied as well, but that doesn't retract at all from the drinkability.

Drinkability- This is easily the best new IPA that I've had the pleasure of trying in 2009. Quite possibily my favorite new beer for this year thus far. If you haven't had this, you should seek this out. Both hopheads, and malt lovers alike will rejoice.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2009 05:21:01 | More by lpayette

jwarren2388

New York

4.75/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Poured from a bomber into dogfish signature glass. Has a fat frothy 2 finger length head that leaves a nice soapy trail of lacing like a spiderweb along the glass. The color is a highly turbid golden honey-copper hue.

Smell: What a beautifully balanced bouquet of excellent ingredients. Starts off with bits of caramel and toffee that combine with bready malts and vanilla. These sweeter scents mix nicely with a citrusy grapefruit punch of hops that have a touch of pine in the background with bits of pear, grapes and a faint lemon.

Taste: This is one extremely malty IPA. Nothing ferocious waiting in the wings but rather a very aromatic hop used here. The nose really is a great precursor for this brew considering it builds the anticipation of what its going to live upto. It has a nice fat juicy lupilin oil with enough malt to keep it balanced. I'd swear this brew was barrel-aged due to its nice oaky backbone but alas it is much like an pendulum it swings back and forth in equal amounts.

Mouthfeel: A full bodied brew that is wet on the palate with a nice carbonation tingle as it goes down incredibly smooth and creamy. Leaves behind an almost oaky malt in its aftertaste.

Drinkability: If it weren't so rare in these parts and I was feeling a malty IPA then this would be a go to. Has a higher abv which might keep you from opening a second unless you really need to warm up. Leaves me wanting more and and at a 9% thats a dangerous character.

Overall: Much like burton baton this brew has a delicious combination of ingredients. I raise this glass to your sam Calagione for your chaotic chemistry is highly commendable.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2009 20:51:22 | More by jwarren2388

Pencible

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: This poured clear gold with a little white head.
S: It smelled primarily of tropical and citrus, with strong pineapple and apricot, along with lots of caramel and honey malt, and a bit of mango and orange.
T: It tasted like apricot and pineapple and honey, with a little grapefruit and mango. It had a bitter but very mellow aftertaste.
M: It was thick and super smooth, with almost no carbonation.
D: This was a fantastic beer, so clean and delicious. It hid the alcohol very well too, so it was dangerously drinkable. This was basically the ideal flavor profile for a 2IPA, for my tastes. Tons of tropical sweetness and clean bitterness blended with a solid light malt backbone. So good. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2010 19:56:45 | More by Pencible

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to jgasparine for this tasty brew! 750 ml bottle. Served in my DFH snifter, the beer pours an orange/amber color with about an inch and a half off-white head. Head retention is excellent, and there's a lot of lacing left on the glass, too. Aroma is citrusy (tropical fruit, grapefruit) and pine hops, along with a bit of caramel malt. Nice, inviting aroma. To me, the taste is the same as the aroma, it's all tropical fruit, citrus and pine hops, and caramel malt. Great balance between the fruity, malty and hoppy flavors, this is a very tasty beer! Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's slick and creamy with good carbonation. Drinkability is pretty good, it's smooth and very enjoyable to drink. I think it's a great overall brew. If you find some of this, make sure you pick a bottle or two up!

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2010 23:46:44 | More by bluejacket74

Natec1000

Colorado

4.75/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Light Orange, nice head retention. Perfect for BC. Looks like a beautiful IPA.

S: Not insane but thats not what they're going for. Hops very present. Nice citrus.

T:Incredible! Well balance between hops and malt.

M: Great! Nice carbonation. Well done for bottle conditioning.

O: Another incredible IPA by Dogfish. Different from their others. My 2nd favorite of their IPA series. Must find more!

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 02:43:24 | More by Natec1000

PatrickJR

North Carolina

4.8/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into oversized snifter.

A - Slightly hazy golden in color. Smallish off white head forms. Retention is moderate, decent lacing. Expected as per the aging and ABV.

S - Heavenly stuff here. Sweet caramel and toffee from the malt provides the backbone with hints of molasses and maple syrup. The hops play their part well also. Spicy, piney aromas jump out with accents of tea and herbs. Mild citrus and earth are noticable, but not as dominant as others in this style, which is one of the reasons why I loved the original 90 Minute so much. There's a little bit of fruit on the corners; perhaps some perfumed, flowery version of apples and peaches. Somewhere in Squall hides a coffee-like, almost woody aroma that I've also noticed in 90 Min but can't exactly pinpoint.

T - While not a direct translation of the nose, this is some awesome stuff. Early on the sticky sweet caramel comes in with a distinct toffee note and touches of maple syrup and honey. Not bready at all, but more like a delicate cream-based dessert. The "delicate" quality is quickly overthrown. Mid palate the hops start doing their job with a burst of pine and earth, with huge floral overtones and a definitive leafy and almost minty quality. This overall herbal flavor almost instantly morphs into slight citrus, showing off the grapefruit/grapefruit peel that is so familiar, though it isn't very strong nor does it last very long. Late palate is left with some moderate to high bitterness accompanied by woody, bark-like undertones that carry over well into the aftertaste and end up tasting a lot like coffee, or more specifically burnt-ish coffee grounds. All in all, superb from start to finish. Huge malty sweetness balances out much of the bitterness nicely. One can find the alcohol if one tries, but it's hidden amongst myriad flavors.

M - Sticky, syrupy almost. Full bodied with a moderate-low carbonation.

D - I've loved DFH's 90 Min IPA since my first sip somewhere around 3 years ago before I even really liked or understood beer in general. Squall has taken some getting used to; I've actually gone through 3 previous bottles before picking up another and settling down to review it. Just as the 90, Squall is a fantastic beer and a true standout in a market saturated with DIPA's that seem to excel only in terms of mediocracy. There's a wide range of flavors here and even though this is a big tough brew, it can certainly be enjoyed by veterans and novices alike.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2010 07:00:24 | More by PatrickJR

albertjr21

New York

4.8/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

2011 bottle purchased in early 2011, enjoyed on 11-5-11.

Appearance is a bright and semi clear orange rust under an easily provoked head. Nose carries a lush aroma of sweet hops-both floral and citrus. Stored at a cellar condition and served lightly chilled, mouthfeel here seems delicately carbonated with a hefty sugared, nectary but smooth bitterness. Taste here seems a more fully pronounced exaggeration of 90 Minute IPA for sure...Deep caramelized sugary malt flows the hop wave along nicely into a sweet fruit and bready finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 01:05:20 | More by albertjr21

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

4.83/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Out of a 750. This is the DFH 90 min IPA, unfiltered and bottle conditioned.

A- Looks very nice. Dark gold, caramel. Beautiful two finger head that looks aesthetically pleasing, if you can dig it. Frothy, ivory white, sits on the beer all the way down without being in the way. Textbook lacing, very well done.

S- Piny spicy hops. Smell is reserved, actually. Still, smells good. Note- as I got really close, the smell of new growth pine suddenly sprang to life. Very intense.

T- Amazing. I think I have a new favorite DFH IPA, and that's saying a LOT. I swear by the 90 min and love the 120 and 60 min. I haven't gotten the 75 min IPA, but that's neither here nor there..

Anyways, back to taste. Pine, hop resin, sugar. Malt is there, but this beer is all about the hops, and it's fantastic. Really an amazing beer. Stays true to the unique IPA flavor that DFH has been able to carve out. The dry-hopping did this beer a mighty fine service. Simcoe stands out, but what do I know, they all taste great.

M- Crisp, healthy carbonation. Better aftertaste than most DIPAs. Good, nay, amazing balance. Drinks like a pale ale, with the flavor and body of a DIPA. Wow.

D- Drank a 750 with.. myself! And it was glorious. This is why I love beer. Honestly, I want to buy cases upon cases of this stuff. DFH, if you read this, please put this beer into full-time production! This beer is great.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2009 23:47:09 | More by ShogoKawada

larryi86

Delaware

4.83/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

750mL bottle dated 2010A poured into a snifter.

A- A nice light brown/amber with a one finger white head.

S- Hops, juicy grapefruits, pine, and a hint of alcohol.

T- Bitter hops with hints of earthy flavors and caramel malts. Very well balanced and hides the 9% ABV very well.

M- Smooth, good body, and slightly chewy.

D- A great DIPA that is easy to drink the whole bottle at once. If you enjoy DFH 90 Minute then you will enjoy this too. Out of all of DFH's DIPAs this is the best.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2010 21:56:36 | More by larryi86

Immortale25

Florida

4.83/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured into a Delirium Tremens snifter. Says Bottled in 2011.

A- Pours a murky dark orange with a 1/4 inch head that drops down to just some bubbles on the edge of the glass and in a neat formation in the center indicating healthy yeast.

S- Strong hoppy, medicinal, slightly alcoholic fumes come off of the top showing that this is gonna have a nice punch. Smells of fermented citrus fruit that's heavy and pungent. To some, these may seem like bad things but I'm totally down.

T- Indeed. Sharp hop bite right off the bat with an alcohol kick. Upon more sips, I enjoy the wide variety of hops that were used in this variant of 90 minute. They all seem to work together nicely, maybe being a bit cluttered since I'm tasting sweet, spicy, citrus and bitter all at the same time but it's enjoyable nonetheless. The main thing that makes this very different from 90-minute in its original form is the lack of malt, but I'm not complaining. After a while the alcohol seems to be well-hidden but I think that may just be my palate going numb from all the IBUs. Either way, this is very drinkable once you get used to it.

M- Medium-high carbonation from the bottle-conditioning is what I believe makes this beer the best incarnation of 90-minute. Plus, since it's unfiltered, there's a thick viscosity to it but not creamy like 90 can be.

O- Kickass! Like I said, this is my absolute favorite version of 90 (compared to Randallized versions, Burton Baton and the original). You take an already great beer like that and you make it unfiltered and bottle-conditioned and it brings it right back to its primal essence. Bravo

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 03:06:03 | More by Immortale25

Pittsburgh

Massachusetts

4.85/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I was impressed. I had another beer after this, not a bad micro-brew by my standards, and that second beer tasted bad to me because of this beer.

It was an IPA with smooth, almost vanilla taste at the finish. I've never tasted that in an IPA and I liked it.

The beer kicked my a@# though. Gave me a good buzz, 9% ABV.

I think the redefined the standards for IPAs for me, best beer I've had in a while. I'd definitely buy it again if I saw it.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2010 11:23:19 | More by Pittsburgh

anyhoodle

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into a pint glass from a 750 ml bottle.

Probably the best IPA I have had in a long time.

A - Pours a rich amber orange with a thick, short lived head. Lacing is well represented, leaving heavy rings down the glass as I drink.

S - Rich, earthy & grassy with pine notes.

T - Love the grassy hop flavor, clearly the hops have been added for their flavor, not simply bitterness. Bitterness is present but is not overpowering like many DIPA's (like the standard 90 min.) A little sweetness pops in, but almost unnoticeable. Overall very well balanced.

M - Thick, but not syrupy. No alcohol burn, tho the ABV isn't really high enough to expect it.

D - I am extremely enamored with this brew and hope that DFH adds it into their regular line-up. If more widely available, this could easily become my go too.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 03:50:49 | More by anyhoodle

hoopermcbeal

British Columbia (Canada)

4.85/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This was my first dogfish head beer I've ever tried. It was not disappointing at all. I made a trip to Seattle last weekend and managed to find some dogfish head brews. Which was a very exciting moment for me because I'm from Vancouver and The company no longer ships to Canada. That being said I've never had a chance to try any of them, but heard lots of good things.

I'm still developing my taste for hoppy beers, but I found that this one had a really good balance of hops and sweetness I like from higher alcohol beers like a tripel. I also got some apricot flavour. The smell was very enjoyable but didn't jump out at me. overall I was very impressed and can't wait to try some of my other dogfish head brews.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 05:15:24 | More by hoopermcbeal

Ahoney67

North Carolina

4.9/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Beautiful amber/orange color when poured in to a glass. Very nice hop flavor with a hint of orange and other fruit flavors with bitterness included. By far one of my favorites when it comes to IPA's. If your an IPA lover it is a must try. Also if you like the 90 minute then this is for you!

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2010 21:37:51 | More by Ahoney67

mempath

Pennsylvania

4.93/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

poured into a DFH 'shaped' pint glass...head just lingers and lingers and stays thick forever. splotchy minimalist rorschach 'lacing'...beautiful, deep orange/apricot color.

nose is an incredible bouquet (?!) of sweet and bitter orange marmalade. that pretty much covers the malts and hops! really intense, but not sharp smell that has so much depth and i hope isn't outshined by the taste...

wow, much sweeter than i imagined but quite counterbalanced by the hop dominance. like a more refined 90mIPA...well, that's what it is supposed to be, right? wow, again. i get a nutty (walnut?) after effect, even woody. this is complex, perhaps, since i let the bottle come out of the fridge and sit for about 20 minutes. but it's still very cool and very refreshing. the mouthfeel is also a strange but very successful balance of carbonation and...'flatness' (you get a sense of both, perhaps due to the thick, chewiness of it).

because i am a hophead and this is so perfect AND unique, sure it's exceptionally drinkable. it is what it is supposed to be. fantastic, one of my favorite limited offerings from DFH.

at $7.99 a bottle in tax free DE (across the line from me) i'll certainly bunker a few for the first days of autumn.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2009 23:09:03 | More by mempath

Baraka

Missouri

4.93/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I'm a pretty huge 90 minute fan so I was very excited to try this variant of it. Pours an amazing copper hued gold with a massive head that sticks around. The nose is hoppier than traditional 90 minute, featuring an array of citrus and piny aromas. It features a solid caramel malt backbone that provides some sweetness to counteract the hop barrage, but is. of course, very hop focused. The flavor is more intense than 90 minute, providing a plethora of hop flavors, a solid bitterness, and the aforementioned malty sweetness on the back end.

I could drink this all night; wonderful flavor, not too boozy, simply incredible.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 02:34:31 | More by Baraka

Duttonic

Texas

4.93/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

From notes 12/11/10. Found at Whole Foods on Lamar in ATX.

A- Billowing white head that lingers for a while, golden amber in color, great lacing, and lots of fine bubbles.

S- Huge malt character at first smell. Great citrus nose. Yeast is definitely noticeable.

T/M- Sweet, sticky, medium/heavy in body, great hop bite to the taste. Finishes dry. Extremely well balanced.

D- This is amazing. The best example I have had for the style and I have had many. This is the best offering of DFH's that I have had and I think I will have to put this in my top 5 of all time.

"Seek it out... and hoard it from the non-believers."

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 00:36:38 | More by Duttonic

OStrungT

California

4.93/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer pours a slightly cloudy burnt orange color, with a thin white head, that fades slowly, leaving a decent lacing.

This beer has a very pleasent floral hop aroma. It has a pleasent citruslike aroma as well. Very nice. It also has a mild grassy hop aroma.

This beer tastes much like it smells. floral, citrus flavor of grapefruit and lemon. Some grass mixes in as well.

This beer is low in carbonation. It leaves a citrusy hop aftertaste. The alcohol is hidden well.

This beer would make a good session beer, but the alcohol content might be a bit much.

Overall: Thanks to inlimbo77 for this great beer. I love this brewery, and I love 90 minute IPA. Squall is every bit as great as I expected.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 03:03:28 | More by OStrungT

foggylovesbeer

Delaware

5/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Cracked a bottle of this open tonight. Poured a thick white head, big aroma from the crack of the cap and from the glass. Honestly, how can you go wrong with this beer... a bottle-conditioned, unfiltered 90 minute IPA?!? Need to do a tasting w/the original, but from memory the Squall comes across smoother and even has a bit more of a hop kick in the mouth.
Great beer!

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2009 00:49:43 | More by foggylovesbeer

thebrood1987

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Smell is overwhelming amount of bursting juicy citrus smells along with that brandied fruitcake smell of their 90 minute. I also get a woody like malty sweet smell as well. You get the hop bite at the beginning and then ending with woody sweet malt flavors and citrus, grapefruit rinds and a resinous dry aftertaste from the hops. The smell and taste remind me of their Burton Baton but with more of a citrus fruity taste from the hops. I oddly get that almost oak wood flavor as well but not as much as Burton Baton though. The bitterness really evolves on the back of your tongue as you drink it more and reminds you that this Imperial IPA means business.

I'd say this is more hop forward in smell and a bit more bitter than the 90 minute. It's like the 90 minutes older brother. The malt really comes into play in this beer so it isn't just an enormous hop bomb with rich sweet oak and caramel tastes. They really make sure not to skip out on the malt taste at all here either... which is why I can see how people can call it very malty but this is what Dogfish does best...which is balance their beers with enormous amounts of rich ingredients. Top notch and definitely one of my favorite Imperial IPA's of all time.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2010 02:08:50 | More by thebrood1987