Dorado Double IPA - Ballast Point Brewing Company

merc7186

New York

4.21/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On tap at Bier Abbey in Schnectady NY, poured into a 4oz sampler snifter....poured by The Fuj.

A: Golden Straw Hue, Passes Most Light, White Head, Great Lacing

S: Citrus, Piney, Mildly Sweet Malts

T: Citrus, Grapefruit Rind, Piney, Mild Bitter Malts

M: Great Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Bitter, Mildly Sweet

Overall, a very explosive DIPA with a lot of hop profile.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2013 00:06:42 | More by merc7186

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.31/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Modest head but it leaves a continual blanket of lace. Clear with amber color.

Smell: Smooth caramel base with a light floral hop touch.

A good malt start. This yields to some alcohol warmth. The swallow features some grapefruit rind tasting hop bitterness. Long bitter aftertaste, but this is not extreme. Creamy body with a subdued carbonation level. Deceptively easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2013 17:23:47 | More by smcolw

ThirstyHrothgar

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Kinda thin for a DIPA. Blondish orange and lighter in color than other examples from this category. Hoppy, citrusy, but no heft. Not too bitter, a little sweet. Left me wondering if the server had poured the wrong selection. After being reassured, I tried to evaluate it fairly, but I couldn't help but feel a little cheated.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2013 02:34:48 | More by ThirstyHrothgar

TheSixthRing

California

3.39/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Had on-tap at Final Gravity in Roseville, CA

Appearance - A relatively clear golden orange, served up with a white, razor thin head in a 10 ounce snifter. Spotty lacing.

Smell - Juicy, fruity hop aroma hits first. Mango, grapefruit. Pine resin becomes more noticeable as the beer warms. Slight spice.

Taste - Considerably more pine on the tongue than on the nose. Lots of resin upfront and throughout. Hints of mango mid-taste, but are nearly drowned out between the strong pine presence and the grapefruit pith bitterness that peaks through in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Full-bodied. Sticky; near syrupy. Low carbonation. Dry finish.

Overall - I'm not a big fan of pine-forward IPAs, and this is one of the stronger "pInePAs" I've had. So much potential for a multi-layered flavor profile, stifled by the sheer dominance of the pine character. This is a well-crafted beer, but it's not my bag.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2013 20:01:36 | More by TheSixthRing

UCLABrewN84

California

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Tony's Darts Away in Burbank, CA.

Pours a slightly hazy yellow with a foamy off-white head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of citrus zest, citrus fruit, and some nice tropical fruit aromas. Taste is much the same with a light malt finish. There is a somewhat high hop bitterness on the palate that lingers after each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with a great smell that is quite tasty as well.

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2012 02:37:05 | More by UCLABrewN84

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Mugs Alehouse in Brooklyn, NY

A: Pours a cloudy golden orange in color with a finger tall soapy off-white head. The head reduces by about 50% while drinking this beer but still a good amount is retained. Significant lacing is observed.

S: Lots and lots of hop aromas in this beer - primarily citrus hops but also some pine hops. There is also a subtle hint of Christmas spices as well.

T: Big hop flavors - primarily citrus with some more subtle pine hints. There is some underlying subtle malt flavors that come out - bready and some caramel sweetness. Also, I get hints of Christmas/holiday spices.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate to high amounts of carbonation. Slightly chewy.

O: Very refreshing and I love all the hop flavors in this one. There is no hint of the alcohol present and it is real easy to drink (though I have a feeling this one could easily sneak up on you). I would definitely get this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2012 15:04:09 | More by dbrauneis

FosterJM

California

3.85/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

860th Review on BA
Draft to Taster

@Bruery Provisions

App- A medium orange with a very clear appearance. A fading color down to light yellow. A good one finger head with a good dose of cling as well.

Smell- A very deep smell with a good blend of malts and citrus. A bit thick on the nose with a whispy booze note as well.

Taste- A good deal of thick citrus more orange/grapefruit with a good bit of booze behind it. A nice balance of citrus to malt without be too unbalanced.

Mouth- A medium bodied DIPA with a matched carbonation level. A good bit of spicy citrus.

Drink- A very tasty beer. I'm glad I finally was able to get this. Big, thick, deep citrus.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2011 03:15:13 | More by FosterJM

Nugganooch

California

3.8/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Notes from 09/22/11
On tap at the Homebrew Mart location

A: Double Dorado pours a hazy yellow peach color with a nice off-white foamy one finger head and awesome window dressing.

S: Real nice fruity apricot aromatics. Some sweet pale malts. Quite nice.

T: Great medium hop bitterness that is fruity with apricot and tangerine notes. Some resiny pine. Sweet caramel cookie malt base. A bit of harsh heat really hits you in the back of the throat. Alcohol is def present on this one.

M: Sticky-icky mouthfeel. Lighter body for a big DIPA with a creamy texture. Resinous. A touch hot and dry crisp on the finish.

D: This is a solid DIPA. Big hops with a malt grain bill to match.

A touch too much heat for my taste but still a great DIPA with some real nice use of hops. Would def recommend and can't wait for bottles to come out again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2011 00:35:08 | More by Nugganooch

SDtastentune

California

4.93/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - Orange/yellow/ dusty.

S - Citrus is up front, followed by some hops.

T - Taste is rich citrus, some sweetness mixed with hops is there as well.

M - Great balanced carbonation, not too much but just right. Great citrusy aftertaste with some alcohol hints.

O - Overall I tend to drink this one whenever possible, great different tasting IPA. Citrus kinda IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2011 00:39:59 | More by SDtastentune

HopHead84

California

4.6/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4/7/2011

Fresh batch put on today at Old Grove in a pint glass.

A: Transparent yellow gold with a frothy white cap. Nice retention and lots of scattered lacing.

S: Blast of tropical character: mango, papaya, passion fruit. Notes of honeydew melon are evident, accompanied by grass and pine. I also detect big grapefruit notes, as well as orange and a little stone fruit. The hops are bright and really expressive. A little sugary caramel is buried beneath the hops.

T: Lightly sweet up front, with a moderate bitterness overshadowed by a massive hop cornucopia. Once again there are strong notes of mango and papaya. There's some candied sweetness midpalate with faint notes of caramel. Orange, grapefruit, peach, and pine are evident throughout. Alcohol is noticeable but not offensive.

M: Medium in body with moderate carbonation. Mouthfeel is dry, sticky, and smooth.

Overall: An exceptional batch of an exceptional beer. One of the best in the style.

*edit* I had another glass of this new batch on tap at Churchill's a couple weeks later and it was awful, like D+ awful: cloying, medicinal, and face melting booze. I'm not sure what's going on with this batch. I didn't take notes but I could hardly finish my glass. This review is from the keg I had the first day they tapped it at Old Grove which was awesome.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2011 04:54:14 | More by HopHead84

whatthehull

California

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Tasted April 23rd 2011 (from notes)

Poured into an IPA fest glass (Najs's Place, Redondo Beach, CA)

A - Golden honey and copper, barely any head, white in color and some lacing

S - Alcohol, tons of sweet malt and yeast, a citrus floral garden. Lots of fruit

T - Alcohol and more alcohol. Very fruity, citrus hops, floral hops, and very sweet

M - Chewy, almost to chewy. Low acidity and a long finish

D - Drinks nicely for a 10%+. Well balanced minus the alcohol in nose and palate

Final thought - Ballast point makes good IPA

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2011 04:38:37 | More by whatthehull

Dijeriduster

California

1.6/5  rDev -61.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Not sure what the story is but Ballast Point has done it again - changing the recipe for one of their most popular beers...first Sculpin last year and now Dorado. Boo.

A - Light honey gold with just a hint of head that doesn't stick around

S - Sweet and slightly phenolic with just a hint of hops, this should be a hop monster but smells like off homebrew

T - Sweet and bitter, but not in a hoppy way. Tastes like it didn't ferment all the way out or ferm'd at too low a temperature. Pales in comparison to years past.

M - Thin and whispy, the sweetness clings to your tongue in a bad way.

O - Wouldn't even get a taster of this let alone a pint. This is a classic example of needing to dump a batch - if Dog Fish can handle it then BP should buck up too. A sad day.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2011 20:56:11 | More by Dijeriduster

Sideswipe

California

2.53/5  rDev -39.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

On tap at the brewery. Into a pint glass.

Dark amber color with half a finger of foam. Head recedes rapidly leaving a small ring around the outside of my glass. No lacing at all portends that all is not right in Denmark. Smell is of sweet malt and dank hops. No floral or citrus qualities are discernible. I'm getting a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The taste is... Well, first and foremost it's sweet. Overly sweet. This is followed by a wave of bitterness and a sweet juicy finish. The term "medicinal" is the first adjective that comes to mind. It reminds me of the cough syrup I never wanted to take when I was a kid. Speaking of syrup, the feel is thick and syrupy with a low level of carbonation. Overall this was a disappointment. I remember this being much better when I had it a year or so ago. Brighter and much less sweet. As is, this beer is not undrinkable, I finished my pint, but it was not very enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2011 22:07:01 | More by Sideswipe

jsanford

Georgia

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

On-tap at the Lodge in Hilton Head, SC on 3/4/11.

A - Hazy orange-amber with a creamy white head. Great retention, leaves a ton of soapy lacing.
S - Pungent grapefruit and pine resin hops with a sweet caramel malt backbone. Very "West-Coast".
T - Huge tropical flavors of pineapple, papaya, peach and grapefruit with a strong caramel malt backbone. Tastes like a fruit cocktail cup in the best possible way!
M - Slightly creamy and sticky with a medium-full mouthfeel and moderate carbonation.
D - Nicely drinkable, the high ABV is well masked.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2011 22:25:18 | More by jsanford

ejyoung

Arizona

4.15/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap at the Ballast Point event at Hungry Monk.

Arrived in a chalice glass with no head, but nice golden color. I expect there was no head due to how it was poured.

Smelled strongly of pine, with some citrus, especially grapefruit. Nice.

The taste was also very piney/grapefruity, with the malt sweetness sort of in the background. Not nearly as sweet as some other DIPAs I've had lately.

The carbonation was good - I expected less based on how it looked. Left a sticky coating in my mouth.

I easily finished this glass, but that was enough for me. Nice double over all.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2011 20:55:10 | More by ejyoung

Nature777

California

4.6/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on-tap at the Ballast Point Brewery out in San Diego. This was my second trip to the brewery, and the first time I've had this beer. One word describes it; "flawless." This is the best DIPA that I have had to this point. Being from NY, I'm accustomed to East Coast styled IPAs. Despite that, I have a new found love for the West Coast style of IPAs.

This beer had a very distinct malty sweetness to it. The hop profile was strong but not overbearing. This beer was resoundingly balanced and highly enjoyable.

*As a note, this site has the ABV listed as 9.6%, the brewery had the ABV posted as 10.6%. I don't know if that batch was stronger than usual or if that was the norm.

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2011 14:53:23 | More by Nature777

billshmeinke

California

4.22/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Hazy dark golden color. About a finger of white head that leaves plenty of lacing behind with a nice cap of foam on tap.

S: hints of pineapple and apricot a bit of alcohol and a honey like malt sweetness

T: tastes of tropical fruits mostl pineapple which is quickly swept away with resinous bitterness that is over powered by sweet honey malts and finishing on an alcoholic and bitter resinous note.

M: full bodied yet light. Bitter slight spicy and a tad sweet.

D: Pretty easy drinker. A really solid dipa.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2011 02:26:12 | More by billshmeinke

weeare138

Pennsylvania

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

Notes from TJ's 7th Anniversary...
Appears a transparent light gold with a small white cap that quickly fades into a small cap and heavy collar. Lots of CO2 pumping up to the top of the rim. Scattered streaks of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of heavy citrus, sugary malt, herbs, and cut wood.
Taste is of the aromas with some pine sap and two-row malt keeping the hops in check.
Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, smooth, chewy, and warming.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2010 03:37:31 | More by weeare138

champ103

Texas

3.1/5  rDev -26%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

On tap at the Blind Pig Brewery in Champaign IL.

A: Pours an almost clear golden/yellow color. A two finger white head forms with good retention. Sticky lace is left behind.
S: Pine, grapefruit, and resiny syrupy. Light floral and grassy aroma. Not a lot of balance, but the hop aroma has some nuance which is enjoyable.
T: All the nuance that was in the nose is gone here. Just bitter grapefruit and resiny pine flavors. No balance at all.
M/D: A medium body that has a crisp and dry feeling. Though a little to syrupy and resiny. To much alcohol and bitterness to make this an easy drinker.

Overall, just a standard DIPA. Lots of bitterness and nothing else. Hop heads will love it. If you are looking for something else, keep on looking.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2010 03:33:26 | More by champ103

CraftAleRookie

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at TJ's 7th Anniversary Bash

A- cloudy bronze, fluffy 1/2 inch head that went NICELY to lace.

S- pine, pine, pine, and a bit of pine. Some grapefruit too with a sweet note.

T- solid tart hop bite (but not too sharp), with a finish of that nice hop sweetness. Almost a subtle hint of candied fruit.

M- smooth, but a bit flatter- ok for this brew, as the flavors compensate for the feel.

D- Solid- absolutely an everyday DIPA.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2010 16:49:42 | More by CraftAleRookie

claspada

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Aromas of pineapple and citrus with some hints of orange and grapefruit.

The tastes are initially hop centric but are balanced slightly by the pale malt backbone. Really no malt profile however. There's a crisp lingering bitterness that I am not a fan of but many people are.

The crispness of this brew is really impressive, but is really the only redeeming quality in my opinion. No where close to Sculpin IMO, so why should I have this when I can have that.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2010 22:56:14 | More by claspada

gregshead

California

3.4/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Golden color, mostly clear look. Head dissapates quickly and al that remains is a outside ring of foam around the edge.

S: Smells of strong citrus/grapefruit and most of all, pine

T: Taste floral/grapefruit hops with a little bit of bready malt to balance. Then comes the strong pine pine taste that is over the top for me. Finishes with a burning pine after taste. Dry finish.

M: Crisp carbonated taste mouthfeel. If there is a standard DIPA mouthfeel this would be it.

D: If you like hop bombs, this is your drinkable DIPA. Makes me think of the DIPA version of Blind Pig, even though this is two different brewers. If you enjoy the more balanced DIPA such as PtE like myself, this probably won't make your favorite list.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2010 02:28:13 | More by gregshead

Kaiser81

California

4.08/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had a half pint at the Old Grove location this past Thursday.

A - Clear golden color with about a finger width of head. Nice head retention as it soft and pillowy. Great lacing at first, but kind of loses its luster as the beer warms and opens.

S - Mild, piny hops with a sweet backbone. The sweetness continues to open up as the beer opens up, and it kind of becomes the dominant feature.

T - Malt up front turns to pine, then some small grapefruit notes, then an alcohol bite. This one was marked at 10.6% on the board, I think, and it tasted every bit of it.

M - Med carb, medium body, just like it should be.

D - Yeah, I could drink this, but I'd like a little less sweetness on it, and a little less alcohol bite.

Serving type: on-tap

09-21-2010 05:03:27 | More by Kaiser81

metter98

New York

4.13/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: It is hazy golden orange in appearance with a small white head. There is a moderate level of carbonation.
S: The aromas are dominated by hop bitterness and have some notes of citrus fruits and other spices.
T: There's a rather big hoppy flavor yet a good amount of balance from the underlying malts so the bitterness is not too overpowering.
M: It feels both medium-bodied and crisp on the palate.
D: It's rather drinkable considering the high amount of alcohol content, although I can't see myself having more than one of these in a single sitting.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2010 00:16:08 | More by metter98

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.81/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A decent enough beer, although I like their Sculpin and Big Eye better.

Appearance was amber with hints of brown. Good aroma, citrus, not pine.

Darker, stronger, didn't find it to be as balanced as would have liked, thought there was a grainy earth feel to it that didn't allow the hops to shine like their other IPAs.

Had at the dipa fest. Suffers from great expectations because of their other ipas, otherwise, there is nothing wrong with this.

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2010 02:08:53 | More by Beerandraiderfan