120 Minute IPA - Dogfish Head Brewery

lighthabit

Oregon

3.96/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

clear, golden, nice head dies down quickly. intense smell, flavor is hops and malt on steroids, trying to fight against a whopping 14%. sweet like crazy and oily thick. not a brew for quaffing, but sipping with a friend. drop a point or two for being so very intense, it's a bit much. in it's favor, it's not a "girly ipa" like my bro usually calls em.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 03:21:56 | More by lighthabit

richj1970

Alabama

4.28/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 12 oz bottle into goblet.

Bottled into 2011 and opened in mid 2013.

A: Burnt orange and very hazy with small white head with some large bubbles. Some lacing.

S: Oranges, peaches, apricot... Sweet malts and caramel or butterscotch mixed with a bit of earthiness.

T: Nice sweet malty flavors combined with lots of citrus. Hops are still detectable but subdued from age. A bit boozy, but enjoyable.

M: Full body with medium carbonation in line with high ABV. Coats the tongue nicely. Very nice sipping beer, but was smooth enough for me to want to drink much faster.

O: Very enjoyable beer. Definitely needs to be shared or enjoyed slowly or the alcohol catches up with you quickly. Will have to seek out some more bottles of this one!

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 01:59:37 | More by richj1970

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dogfish Head - 120 Minute IPA

A friend snagged a few of these for me from over in NY since VT ABV laws restrict anything over 16% still. Silly, but at least I was able to get a few.

Look - Poured into the DFH IPA glass, figured no other way to do it. Pours a hazy deep orange amber with a full foamy head that dissipates slowly and leaves a good amount of spotty lacing, which is quite impressive given the alcohol content.

Smell - Alcohol is right on top, as well as malt, but these both face contention with juicy citrus and piney bitter hops. One hell of an aroma but a little off-putting due to the alcohol.

Taste - Smooth caramel malt with juicy citrus hops gives way to a warm boozy blast to the face. The alcohol is there for sure, but it mixes well.

Mouthfeel - Tingle, warmth (throat and stomach), and general almost bourbon whiskey feel. Surprisingly enough it is quite dry (only ever so slightly sticky) and on the lighter side in terms of body. This is a sipper (of course) but otherwise quite drinkable, I had no problem putting this down.

Overall - Not really what I would call a DIPA, but I guess the formula had to be characterized somehow and it seems to be an extreme version of this formula. Quite a novel creation, would have this again once in a while for sure, might try aging one for a few years as well.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 12:22:21 | More by JMScowcroft

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.76/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

2003 bottle:

a deep amber pour, no sign of carbonation but very clean pour for the amount of sediment in the bottle. smells of alcohol up front, lots of honey and sweet malt. the flavor is a malt bomb. much of the boozyness is faded, lots of sweet caramel, honey, and tons of barley. full body with very low amount of carbonation (shocked there's any at all after 10 years). i have to say, this held up VERY well. this was the first year i drank 120 minute, and it's nice to have gotten a vintage from that year 10 years later.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 01:12:15 | More by facundoCNB

Andreias21

Florida

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Smooth with a hint of alcohol burn, was expecting more hop centric flavors. Not bad, but not what I expected. Citrus was prominent, almost thought I had been scammed and someone had put a Dogfish label on a different beer. 75 minutes still holds the key to my heart for this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 02:06:10 | More by Andreias21

Tonmeister

Georgia

4.04/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.75

Bottle poured into a Goose Island Glass

The appearance is light brown, amber with a thin white head. The lacing is maintained when tilting the glass.

the aroma is piney, citrusy, not really as hoppy as I expected. I can definitely smell the alcohol with a hint of vanilla.

I can definitely also taste the alcohol on this one, but not as much as I expected. There really isn't a hoppy presence. I can also taste a blend of vanilla mixed with honey roasted malt.

The mouthfeel is thin containing average carbonation and it's very tingly on the tongue.

Overall I consider this a very special beer, only to be consumed during special occasions. The taste kind reminds me of white wine (Chardonnay); however, It has a much more complex taste than wine. It's surprising how smooth this beer is for its alcohol content. It goes down very smooth for the 18% ABV contained in the beer. I would definitely buy this one again. My only advice is please drink responsibly because this beer is very smooth for the amount of alcohol that it contains, making it a really good beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 01:38:59 | More by Tonmeister

Roman5150

Michigan

4.59/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

beer review #100!!!!

bottle into Duvel glass

appearance: semi cloudy orange/amber, surprisingly a 1 finger thick white head (aggressive pour), very intricate lacing

smell: alcohol, apricot, vanilla, earthy hops, minor citrus and grapefruit notes

taste: you can taste the alcohol warmth, obviously being an 18%, but it gives way to other flavors such as a surprisngly bitter herbal hoppiness, I can make out some minor citrus and grapefruit notes, as well as some other spices that seem to be present... coriander, some clove, and maybe even a little anise. The finish is smooth, somewhat dry, but wow this is way more dinkable than I was expecting, tastes more like 12-13% beer than 18%.

mouthfeel: not that carbonated, very full thick warm body, has the feel of liquor almost

overall: I was expecting a not very drinkable alcohol bomb, and what I got was quite different. For the high ABV, this was way more balanced and drinkable than I would have ever expected. You can actually pick out hops and the malt backbone and not just the alcohol. Dogfish Head took it to the extreme with this one, and it came out amazingly balanced. For the curious, this is an easy choice, just buy it. Worth the $10, will buy again on special occasions. You feel great after just one...

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 01:37:00 | More by Roman5150

RyanCave

Virginia

4.59/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Mahogany, toffee, pours very viscous, lots of lacing
S: Cherry, dry oaky, prune, raison, nuts, pistachio, almond, a bit boozy
T: Pine nuts, boozy but not hot, drinks like a port, lots of cherry, very sweet but not cloying, appropriate for what you're drinking
M: very viscous, well carbonated, drinks like a port or sherry
O: this is an incredible beer. it was bottled at the first part of 2011 and we opened it half way through 2013. having had a fresh 120 on tap as well as in a bottle I would say this brew takes on a style of its own a part from an IPA. We did not note ANY hop character what so ever, but many different types of sweet tastes.

All in all this brew is stupendous, which is why I pick up a 4 pack every time it comes out.

can't wait to open an even older one!

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2013 22:24:36 | More by RyanCave

brodericksloth

Oregon

4.26/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

what you would expect from a continuously hopped boil for two hours. Dry hopped for one month. Intense everything: nose, taste and mouthfeel. 18% abv nice copper color.

Definitely a swirler, sipper. Take about ten-thirty minutes to get through a 12 ozer. Share with a friend if possible. Is this beer or port like beverage? Beyond barleywine.

Not much carbonation, head, legs, etc....it doesn't need it. Improves as warms; opens up the apricot, peach citrusy taste. 120 IBU's

Someone said relaxing; I agree

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 19:14:11 | More by brodericksloth

StoutHunter

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I picked up a bottle of Dogfish Head's 120 Minute IPA a couple weeks ago for $8.89 at The Lager Mill. Well it looks like this will be my 600th review, I always like to get something that I wouldn't normally buy for these milestones. This is the first time I have seen this beer around so I thought I should take a chance on it, I have heard that this is a really intense and potent beer and since it's something that doesn't show up around here often I thought it would make for an interesting 600th review, so lets see how it goes. No visible bottling date, 2013 Vintage, it's pretty fresh. Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a snifter.

A- The The label looks nice, it's simple, but it's got a clean and classy look to it, I like it and the special bottle cap is a nice change. It poured a very hazy and nice orange color that took on some darker amber hues when held to the light with almost two fingers worth of off white head that died down to a thin ring that stayed till the end and it left some nice lacing behind. This is a pretty good looking beer, I really like the color and the head and lacing were much better then I thought it would be for such a high alcohol beer, I like it.

S- The aroma starts off with a very high amount of sweetness followed by lots of hops that impart a huge citrus fruit aroma with some tropical fruits in the background with some papaya, mango and pineapple like aromas sticking out the most. Up next I get some malt aromas that were a little grainy and pretty biscuit like followed by lots of sweet malt aromas. Towards the end I get slight cannabis and herbal like aroma that blend nicely with other aromas and is followed by some strong alcohol aromas that let you know this beer means business. This beer had a very good aroma, it was pretty complex and very intense lots of strong alcohol and hop aromas.

T- The taste seems to be pretty similar to the aroma, it starts off with a very high amount of sweetness that instantly coats the mouth and is followed by tons of citrus hop flavors with some tropical fruits in the background and all the nice fruits that I picked up in the aroma show up nicely in the taste and it really dominates the taste buds. Up next comes some biscuit like and very sweet malts followed by a medium amount of high bitterness with some herbal flavors showing up towards the end with a hoppy, citrus and warming alcohol aftertaste. This beer tasted very good, the alcohol was pretty warming but not overly harsh and it wasn't overly bitter either with some nice citrus hop flavors and lots of sweets malts, It's a complex sipper.

M- Not the smoothest, but smoother than I thought it would be, syrupy, sticky, on the medium side of being full bodied with a slightly lower amount of medium carbonation that worked well with this beer. The mouthfeel was was pretty good and it worked well with this beer, I thought it had just the right amount of carbonation.

All in all I thought this was a good beer and a very good and extreme example of the style, once you get past the intensity there some nice layers of flavors and aromas that make it a pretty complex beer that's nice to sip on. It didn't have the best drinkability, it's going to take me quite awhile to make it through the whole bottle and I really don't see a way that I could drink another one unless I wanted to get completely wasted, one is the perfect size and it would also be nice to split with someone. What I like the most about this beer was how complex it was, it seems like every time I smelled or sipped it I picked up a new aspect that I didn't get before. What I liked the least about this beer was the high amount of sweetness, I know beers this strong are always pretty sweet but this one was bordering on syrupy sweet. I would buy this beer again, If I see it again I would like to get a couple bottle for the cellar, I have no doubt that this will age well and hopefully it will get a little smoother with age, I would recommend this to anyone who likes strong and intense beers, just because you like a couple IPA's doesn't mean your ready to take on the hop and alcohol onslaught which is 120 Minute IPA. All in all I was pretty impressed with this beer, it wasn't as harsh as I was expected but it was still a very intense beer that isn't for the faint of heart. Dogfish Head did a great job with this beer, I know when a brewing a beer that is this strong it can get to be pretty difficult and it shows how confident Dogfish Head is to regularly make a beer that's this intense and so difficult to brew, it takes balls to do something like that and you have to be a little crazy, but it all comes together as one hell of experience that everyone should have least once. So far this is the strongest beer I have ever had, I think it's about 18%. Good job Dogfish Head, it's nice to have a brewery like you guys that makes special beers like these that are great to have on special occasions, here's to 600 more reviews.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 04:05:40 | More by StoutHunter

Resuin

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a tulip glass. Stamp on bottle says 'Bottled on 02/15/13', which makes is just shy of 3 months old.

Appearance: Pours a copper/deep amber and leaves about a half finger of off-white head.

Smell: Surprisingly light smell - concentrated citrusy hops, malts, and I detect a hint of raspberry. Definitely different aromas then any beer I've had.

Taste: Matches the smell, but everything is more pronounced. Very sweet, especially for an "IPA". I still get the raspberry flavor along with the malts and citrusy hops, as well as some mild alcohol. Also some other fruit flavors including apricot, peaches and figs. The finish of this one is plenty of hops, counteracting the sweet start - very interesting and complex.

Mouth-feel: Thick and syrupy - there is definitely still some carbonation in here but not a whole lot. The alcohol is well hidden for such a monster at 18%, and it goes down pretty smooth.

Overall: A unique beer for sure. While this beer has characteristics of an IPA such as the bitter hop finish and citrus notes, it also takes notes from other styles such as the thickness and mouth-feel of an imperial stout, as well as flavor notes from several other different styles. This is definitely the sweetest IPA I have ever had, but all being said this was an extremely enjoyable drink experience and I can't recommend it enough. Obviously, this beer is one to tread carefully with, as it packs a punch.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 23:19:30 | More by Resuin

jgurley

Florida

4.55/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into my tasting snifter. My second time drinking it, first review. First time was on tap and slightly different, if memory serves. Pretty reddish gold color. Medium to smallish head which dissipates quickly, yet laces nicely. Wonderful citrus fruity/produce market aroma. Oranges, pine, lemongrass, melon. Big sip... Sweet, full bodied. First thing to go through my mind is the word Barleywine. Citrus, dark fruit and big brown sugar. Far from tasting like an IPA, except for the hop bitterness across the very middle. The back end is surprisingly sweet. Good lingering aftertaste. I found this to be more carbonated than what I expected from reading other reviews. Alcohol is masked well by the ABUNDANCE of flavors, but is HIGHLY evident as soon as it hits the belly. Alcohol hits you similar to a warm red wine buzz. Body is slightly thick and sticky. A good beer to sip and swirl, and it warms very well. One word description of this beer: Relaxing.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 00:23:34 | More by jgurley

Axnjxn

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a New Belgium snifter, about a year of age on this one.

Pours a golden color with a slight white head. Low carbonation.
Smell is interesting... it's not that big considering what i had expected. it smells of alcohol and citrus much like a barelywine, but its not over the top. Tastes nothing like an IPA, though i wasn't expecting it to. It tastes quite nice actually. Very boozy but also sweet. Very sweet actually. Orange and citrus and alcohol. Obviously a sipper as this is a heavy beer, but the body is smooth.

Overall dont expect this to taste or smell or BE anything like an IPA, because its definitely not like any other. This is a barleywine and thats what you should be expecting. Im very impressed at how balanced this beer is considering the extremely high ABV. You'd think this was 10 or 11%, not 18! Bonus points for that.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 23:30:08 | More by Axnjxn

schnarr84

Alberta (Canada)

4.84/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 5

12oz bottle (thanks to BeerThursday) poured into Alaskan tulip
Holy citrus bomb. all i smell is faint hops and a case of oranges. zero booze on the nose which is mind blowing for a 18% ipa. taste is pretty hoppy but again the orange cuts through it so well. this is incredibly a session beer.. if this was toned down alcohol wise i would drink a dozen in a row. probably the holy grail of IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 18:03:58 | More by schnarr84

dar482

New York

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

The color is a clear wonderful ruby, orange color with not much of a head.

The aroma has a great papaya, peach, mango, and citrus hops. Sweet biscuit malt, syrupy sweetness, and then some dank herbal, resin.

The flavor is quite good. It has a good hop character and the alcohol does not come out so hard for 18%. It has a hop kick and then wonderful sweet juiciness hops and fruit flavor. Then there's a big sweet malt, bitterness, and the booziness, they all meld really together.

It has a slight flavor of a barleywine, but with the big malt and thick malt flavors. It's an extreme beer that you should try. It's a good sipper and worth the try.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 21:11:50 | More by dar482

gpogo

California

4.53/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A- Hazed red amber body. Light foam, more specifically the tiniest ring of foam. Has legs like wine.

A- Dark fruit and caramel malt, no noticeable alcohol or hops.

T- Very sweet malt flavor with quite a bit of alcohol. As I worked through this glass I noticed myself getting rather intoxicated and my senses dulled.

M- Medium-heavy body and little to no carbonation. No apparent carbonation, but there is still a carbonation bite. Quite warming in my chest as well.

D- So incredibly smooth for the amount of alcohol. This bottle was less than a year old and most of the hops seem to have mellowed out. My previous bottle was ~5 years. I'd like to try a freshly bottled one in the near future. As far as sessionable, nope, after one I had a very nice buzz on.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 05:33:49 | More by gpogo

Rope

Illinois

3.09/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Served in Chimay chalice

Appearance-
A deep orange color, with a thin white fizzy head.

Smell-
Very hoppy, citrus and bitter hops competing in the front with a sweet smell if you search for it.

Taste-
Way to sweet for its own good, almost like a Spaten Optimutor. The sweetness is way to much, and is followed by a slight bitter. I have a hard time picking out any flavors.

Mouthfeel-
Heavy and oily, less carbonation than expecting.

Overall-
I love me some hops, but if I wanted something this sweet I could drink soda. Still better than a AAL.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 04:59:58 | More by Rope

tut2528

Illinois

4.34/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

bottled on 2012

A: pours a nice brown color with an orange hue to it and when held up to the light it becomes an awesome dark orange color and you can see some floaties. pours about 1 fingers worth of head formation that is beige in color

S: huge hops rush to the nostrils during the pour. immense grapefruit, orange peel and even some subtle lemon zest are also pretty evident and integrate very nicely with a huge malty and sugary sweetness. to be honest, the alcohol is extremely well hidden.

T: huge sugary and malt sweetness is noticed right up front and it has a great hop profile. citrus and grapefruit still present and there's a big creamy finish. again, for 18%, the alcohol is balanced nicely with the big sweet backbone

M: heavy side of medium bodied, leaves a big sugary sweetness that sticks to the teeth and the palate. the alcohol is warming, but inviting

O: this was one of the first brews i had when i got onto the craft beer scene and it was too strong. but this is simply amazing to me right now. i find this well balanced for 18% and i will definitely be grabbing more of these

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 00:01:08 | More by tut2528

ThomasMetal75

Massachusetts

3.09/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A- Dark cooper and cloudy. There is a small head that sticks around throughout the beer. Head livens up with a good swirl of the glass. Very nice alcohol legs/lacing present.

S- Oh helloooo! Alcohol and hops dominate the nose. Smells dank! Hard to pinpoint what kind of hop sent is there. I think it's a combination of floral and grapefruit citrus scent. There is an overall sweetness present.

T- Very complex beer. IInitial sip is of alcohol laced hops and malt. The finish is soooo bitter and soooo boozzy! Sweet as well. There is an overall malty bozzy quality to the aftertaste. Too alcoholic tasting. It's a little better when at room temperature. When it warms, the malty taste balances out some of the alcohol and sweetness, making it more palatable.

M- Full, very rich mouthfeel. Beer really covers the back of the throat. Long finish. It's just too boozy in taste to make this real easy to drink, almost un enjoyable in the mouth.

Overall- This a very full bodied, intensely complex beer. It's too boozy in flavor for it's own good. What did I like about the beer? When it warms, the malty taste balances out some of the alcohol and sweetness. I will never buy this again. Not god offal, but not really my kind of IPA. I'll stick with the 60 and 90 minute IPA from Dogfish Head over this any day of the week. But this is a good beer if you like something more boozy tasting.

*My recommendation would be Avery Brewing's Maharaja for a high abv Imperial IPA over this any day of the week!*

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 01:25:47 | More by ThomasMetal75

Clonies720

Texas

3.41/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into snifter. This is relatively fresh 120 minute I think?, and not aged by me. Marked "2012K 23:43". 18% ABV.

Appearance: Fluffy off-white head. Pours a semi-clear golden orange color.

Aroma: A big hit of malty sweetness to my nose. A light fruity ester combined with a hint a pine and citrus. The aroma then melds into wet and juicy hops.

Taste: It's quite sweet. To the point of being cloy and nearly unbearable. Can't really taste the hops at all. Very bready.

Mouthfeel: Thick and full-bodied with a syrup/molasses-like presence on the tongue. Medium-carbonation.

Overall: Actually not half bad. I'll be interested to see where 1 year of aging on the 2nd bottle I have takes this beer. 18% ABV, and the wholly sweet nature of this brew make it a slow sipper to enjoy and warm up on a cold night.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 22:20:05 | More by Clonies720

yottachem

Massachusetts

4.59/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled in small tulip.

Appearance: Pours thick (not quite motor oil) with minimal head. Very fine carbonation produces thin off-white ring around glass. Light copper in color with ruby highlights. Just barely darker than 90 min.

Aroma: Alcohol, fruity esters, raisin, pear, rum, dark caramel, brown sugar, over-ripe fruit. Malt produces a very complex sweetness that dominates the nose and the hops are very light in character.

Flavor: Wow, quite a complex beer. If one were to think about the flavors as you taste them it kind of goes like this: Very sweet, rum-raisin early in taste, alcohol burn, followed by hop-bite and then an alcohol warming sensation. Then the lingering bitterness decays to yield a soft malt sweetness followed by a final wave of hops. Dark toasted bread, peppery/spicy hops. Almost candy-like in it's sweetness. Presence of alcohol is dominant. Hop profile drops off as beer warms and the malt character comes forward more.

Mouthfeel: Med-full body with light carbonation. A surprisingly high carbonation level for this beer considering it's ABV. Bitter components are quite firm, but surprisingly ethereal. Ethanol burn warms down the throat to the belly.

Overall: Wow. Just wow. Flavor "play" between the hops, malt, and alcohol is incredible. Warms like a whiskey. Malt sweet is almost belgian-like in character but not belgian-dark (strong dark stone fruits). Hops play back and forth with incredible delight and doesn't completely destroy your palate with bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 21:44:54 | More by yottachem

gillagorilla

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12oz. bottle from 2011 into a pint glass

A: Dark golden amber with a rapidly diminishing head on the pour.

S: Surprisingly you can still smell the hops. It smells like a much more alcoholic version of their 90 minute. You can really get the citrusy-pine smell but it tinged throughout the smell. You can't escape it.

T: No hops whatsoever. Don't mistake this for a DIPA. It is quite sweet with a strong malt backbone. Just too strong ale for me.

M: Smoothy feel that is quite thick.

O: This is fine for samples, but a whole bottle is a lot to take in. I think I should have waited longer to let the alcohol die down. To be honest, I have no idea how they call this an DIPA. It is more like a strong ale or a barleywine. This beer really needs to be aged a while or drank superfresh on tap (like I had at DFH).

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 02:50:27 | More by gillagorilla

Prince_Casual

Virginia

4.81/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

A: Amber, Jurassic park type color. Crawled all over the glass

S: Boozy cocktail. The first time I 120'd all I could think was Grand Marnier + soda. There's more going on here, though. There's definitely bourbon'y flavors, not too much sweetness or vanilla which I hate, but a <great> counter to the booze.

T: Sickly sweet, bourbon over soda all the way. There's

M: = It really makes me think of a crown+ginger more than anything else. I'm a Hop person, but this is just straight booze, sweetness, (light) smoke, etc. Grand Marnier is also in the picture.

O: This IS a cocktail, letting it sit in a glass whilst doing other stuff is how to drink this. It develops before you open it, in the glass, and as you enjoy it. GREAT beer, in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 06:50:55 | More by Prince_Casual

BudsAndBrews

Florida

3.1/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A nice orange/light copper. The amount of head that accumulated at first was surprising considering the abv, but as expected it dissipated very fast. This beer shows its alcohol content in the glass. Looks slightly viscus and has decent legs on it.

Alcohol hits you most prominently on the nose. Behind the alcohol burn I pick up citrus (grapefruit, orange peel) supported very nicely by some big sweet malt notes. There are certainly some unique wine qualities in this beer. You might say tart grapes, or think there is a mead-like quality.

Taste is very much inline with the nose. I immediately felt the alcohol warmth. It starts with a nice amount of bitterness and finally leaves your mouth coated with a big residual sweetness.

Overall, a nice beer that needs to be drank at room temperature or just slightly cooler. Not a 12 oz. bottle to drink by yourself, but nice for a special occasion to share. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 15:07:02 | More by BudsAndBrews

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.86/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle from iLOVEbeer (thanks man!). Bottled 2/15/13. Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Pours deep ruby hued gold with a half finger of near white head. Given the high alcohol, I'm surprised to see a good bit of spotty lace. The etching on the bottom of the snifter keeps bubble rising to maintain a thin hazy layer of head.

Smells punguent and sticky. Orange, pine, grapefruit and toffee. More subtle than expected for all the hopping that DFH touts. Still nice.

Taste is a blast of big sweet honey cake malts with a ton of hops. Orange, peach, citrus rind, fig, caramel, grapefruit and an almost oaky vanilla. Booze is there but it comes across as only half of what's actually in there. This is a great sipper to enjoy over 1-2 hours seeing as it seems to evolve a bit as it warms.

Thick, oily, slick yet sticky feel with a nice light carbonation. Long lasting sweet finish with a good dose of bitter.

Glad to get a whole bottle to try- the only other time I had this was only a couple ounces. Plenty of depth to enjoy over an extended sitting so I'm glad I took my time on this one. Also glad to have a 2011 to try soon to compare. Overall this is far from my favorite imperial IPA but it's a uniquely enjoyable experience that every hophead should have at some point.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 04:36:08 | More by ThickNStout