Robert Johnson's Hellhound On My Ale - Dogfish Head Brewery

Pahn

New York

3.6/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into Duvel tulip. Kept refrigerated since the beer's release.

Appearance: Free pour yields a 1 inch frothy offwhite head that dissipates slowly leaving a couple tight rings of lacing. Pours a hazy gold and leaves a few short lasting lacing streaks.

Smell: At first, Centennial hops with some peach and pear highlights. Bit of malt and citrus underneath. Centennials disappear quickly, replaced by some nice flowery aromas. The light fruity pastry and perfumy smells are pleasant, but where did the hops go?

After the first minute or so in the glass, one would be unable to tell what style of beer this is just by smelling--not a good sign for a DIPA. Still, smells good.

Taste: Burnt-biscuit-y malt up front, with some sugar and citrus leading to a hot alcohol finish. Next sip is lemony up front (along with the toasted malt), with some vague hop flavor in the middle. Decent bitterness, but still gives an overall sweet impression (if this really is 100 IBUs, it's a tutorial in how IBUs don't translate into perceived bitterness).

Interesting lemon and fruit up front, but in all the flavor is rather muddled. You might hear someone (e.g. me) talk about a beer having "clean flavor," by which we mean both that the flavor is restrained enough to not be over the top, but also very distinct and identifiable. For example, fresh NEBCO Gold Stock Ale tastes just like the pale malt and German hops used to create it; it's a great balance of its ingredients, cleanly presented in the finished product.

Hellhound On My Ale has the opposite of "clean flavor". There's stuff going on here, but it's profoundly muddled and indistinct. At first, this makes for confusing drinking. Eventually, the flavor sort of morphs into that lovely, estery, deeply alcoholic and perfume-like flavor of 90 minute and Squall IPA--enjoyable, but done better in both of those beers than in this one.

Mouthfeel: Full side of medium bodied. Creamy feel for a DIPA; good carbonation. Should be dryer; feels underattenuated and too sweet. Hot from alcohol. Pleasant bitterness, but a bit overwhelmed by sweetness. Really good elements mixed with sub par.

Overall: While the lack of hop flavor is disappointing, and the advertised lemon isn't making things any more interesting, the beer is ultimately greater than the sum of its parts. Even despite its flaws, I have a soft spot for that good-vodka-like flowery complexity of these malty Dogfish Head DIPAs. I would drink Squall or (fresh) 90 Minute literally any time if I could choose between this beer and those, but I did enjoy this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 07:21:06 | More by Pahn

thegerm87

Connecticut

2.5/5  rDev -36.1%

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civicm87

New York

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

06-17-2013 00:53:45 | More by civicm87

doremite

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -10.5%

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djre4orm

Virginia

3/5  rDev -23.3%

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BKBassist

New York

4/5  rDev +2.3%

06-13-2013 06:03:20 | More by BKBassist

zestar

California

3.25/5  rDev -16.9%

06-13-2013 03:47:49 | More by zestar

jaxon53

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

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Gschaf

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -10.5%

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mrfrancis

Kentucky

4.01/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden orange with a creamy, thick off-white head. The head retention is fantastic, and as the head settles, an enormous amount of creamy off-white lace is present on the sides of the glass.

S: Aromas of caramel, cream, and brown sugar are most noticeable on the first sniff, with traces of white pepper, lemon, and alcohol in the background. As the beer settles a bit, aromas of lemon, bitter orange, pine, spruce, juniper berry, and grapefruit become more noticeable.

T: Notes of lemon, bitter orange, kumquat, pine, spruce, juniper berry, peppermint, grapefruit, white pepper, heavy cream, caramel, brown sugar, and biscuit assault the palate. The finish is prickly, resinous, and laden with hoppy flavors of lemon, grapefruit, juniper berry, and pine, with just a hint of malty caramel and biscuit flavors to balance things out before peppery, prickly alcohol takes hold.

M: Medium-to-full in body, but leaning considerably closer to the latter than to the former. This ale is decidedly off-dry and sticky. Carbonation is firm. Alcohol presence is relatively restrained for the style, but does become more intense on the finish. Still, it is neither harsh nor unpleasant. I would dare say this is one of the more drinkable DIPAs I've had in the past year.

O: Even though Dogfish Head has produced plenty of IPAs and DIPAs, I'm really liking this one. I'm not quite sure it's on the level of Burton Baton, Squall, 90 Minute, or 120 Minute, but it is a very solid, likable example of the style. With this ale, the chances are that if you enjoy Dogfish Head's other DIPAs, then you will also like this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 12:50:05 | More by mrfrancis

tweezer159

Alabama

4/5  rDev +2.3%

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Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -23.3%

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Jamison85

Indiana

4/5  rDev +2.3%

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captainbearcat

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%

06-08-2013 00:19:54 | More by captainbearcat

Prometal313

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +27.9%

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Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -16.9%

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Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -16.9%

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South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

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Mississippi

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%

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Colorado

4/5  rDev +2.3%

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Florida

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

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Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.3%

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Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

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atr2605

New York

3.85/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A-pours a yellow copper color with a slightly tan head with good retention
S-lots of lemon and citrus, bit of a rubbing alcohol smell when first poured
T-more lemon with some pine and resin followed by malt and a bit of roasted flavor in the finish
M-medium bodied
O-I didn't really care for this beer, but I still thought it was very well crafted

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 23:57:59 | More by atr2605

sblanton83

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%

05-28-2013 23:57:58 | More by sblanton83