Dorado Double IPA - Ballast Point Brewing Company

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber purchased from the brewery.

Pours hazy light amber with a compact ivory head that leaves plenty of lace patches behind. The aroma is citrusy with pinneapple and white pepper notes and a very nice biscuity sweetness. The taste is intense pineapple and grapefruite with a nice backing of piney bitterness. Tangerine and papaya notes mingle in the background. Bready malts are evident in the background. Alcohol spiceyness is also present, reminding me of the potency of the brew. The mouthfeel is full bodied and briskly carbonated. Long bitterness and alcohol heat in the finish.

A great DIPA - great balance of complex hop and malt flavors, but perhaps the ABV could be kept in check more. It veers on the distracting at times.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 02:34:02 | More by CAMRAhardliner

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

4.2/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours reddish tangerine color with off-white head.

Smell is citrusy hops. Lots of pungent grapefruit and some breadiness. Hints of pine. A little musty.

Taste is musty grapefruit with lots of bitterness throughout. Bitterness lingers well in the aftertaste too. Not too sweet. Hints of bready malt come through, but hops predominate for me.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Lots of carbonation.

Overall this was an excellent DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 23:44:34 | More by TrappistJohnMD

thedoubler55

New Jersey

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

A: A nice golden orange color that is transparent, a nice finger of off white head at the top and some good sticky lacing to accompany this nice looking beer.

S : The nose on this one is very sweet, grapefruit, pineapple, oranges some honey and biscuit notes as well.

T:From start to finish this brew tastes great, lots of fruit up front pineapple, mango, lemon, and finishes off with some nice grapefruit and biscuit malts.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. A smooth and dry finish.

D: A great tasting beer, lots of freshness. I enjoyed this brew very much, smooth and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 18:24:26 | More by thedoubler55

happy4hoppybeer

Pennsylvania

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

Nice deep orange/light amber, with frothy white head, loads of lacing. Nice.

Beautiful citrus aromas, along with sweet malts and piney hops. Very lovely citrus smell going on, the kind I love in IPAs and Double/Imperial IPAs. Excellent.

A lot of the nose follows through onto the tongue, with a medium body, not too heavy, not too light but just right. Lovely citrus coming through, as well as the malt and hops, of course. The hops are not as intense as one would think for a DIPA, but serve as a perfect balancing act between the citrus and malt sweetness.

A solid West Coast DIPA, not the best or even close, but I would have this again.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 20:00:54 | More by happy4hoppybeer

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Bright orange when backlighted has a slow steady rise of medium carbonation bubbles. The head is frumpy like oatmeal, with a eggshell tint to it. Size was a finger, retention was good, while the lacing provided a spongey film lacing of generous coverage. Good start.

S: Citrus, pale grains, not much here strength wise. One good thing is the ease up of speciality grains, an aspect i feel overplayed, especially for a style that is intended to be pale. Still comes up short for me.

T: Spicy bite of flowery dry grapefruit hops, some brief flashes of grain sweetness sneaks in early as well a spicy character. Strong level of bitterness, enought to satisify by double standard. Some dry lemons and just a hint of dry lime mixes with a woodys pine finish. Complexity is moderate, just a wallop of ibus is all that is needed carrying much of the weight here.

M: Frothy creamy, medium body, dry and bitter grapefruit.

O: Overall strongly hopped though limited complexity wise. A weak nose is the only fall off here. Nice spicy bite, good try.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 23:10:09 | More by beerthulhu

Amalak

New York

4.55/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A, A nice hazy copper color. Some foamy white heat. A bit of lacing.'

S. A mild hoppy scent.

T. A beautiful taste. It has a celery rye taste, there's some grass undertones. There's a mild hop taste and some dark fruitiness.

M. A nice mild rye taste.

O. This is a beautiful citrusy ipa. Extremely flavorful. So unique

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 23:58:40 | More by Amalak

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours a mostly clear dull amber/orange. Head is white and frothy. Head is smaller. It leaves a bunch of lacing however. Passes the checklist for a DIPA.

S-Loaded with candied-citrus fruit aromas. Candied oranges and apricots. A solid dosage of pine. Plenty of caramel malt backing. This specific hop aroma and flavor has never been my favorite. I prefer the ripe tropicals of their Sculpin over this.

T-This beer is very balanced with a strange medicinal or herbal hop finish. Almost a eucalyptus finish via the hops. Menthol-esque hop flavor. Candied fruit hops for days. Malt is robust. Caramel and liqueur-dipped bread.

M-Full bodied. Booze is noticeable. Bitterness and dryness are intense. Creamy from the malts and resinous from the hops. Sip by sip, not gulp by gulp.

O/D-Not what I was expecting, and it is by no means in the same category as Sculpin, but it's definitely pretty unique. 'Menthol hops' have been added to my reviewing acumen after tasting this beer. Not my style of DIPA; too malty and I don't love the hop profile. I respect the brew for what it is. It isn't my style, but I can see why it is so highly regarded. Still, I am so happy to have tried Dorado.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 21:47:49 | More by VelvetExtract

TBoneJones

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dorado
Pours a fairly clear, golden bronze color. Nice medium bubble action. Minimal head.
Smells of all the hoppy fruity goodness you can want in a DIPA. A bit of sweat and spice too.
The taste is whoa!! So bitter and hop- forward! Much tingly pine and some resin. Pepper is there. Great even though the alcohol is well detectable in this one. The spiciness of the hops was blended very well with the malt and there's an earthy dry, warming finish. Astringent yet it all works for me.  

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 03:10:45 | More by TBoneJones

AgentMunky

Alabama

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

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into an Allagash cervoise glass. Best before 6 August 2013.

A: Barely a finger of off-white head on this big beer. Clear honey amber.

S: Pleasantly fruity. I enjoy these hops. Similar to Citra, but more tropical. Looking at the brewer's notes for El Dorado hops ("El Dorado hops consistently elicit responses of fruity notes, specifically
tropical fruit flavors. Other fruit notes offered have been pear, watermelon candy, and stone fruit.") I suspect I know where this beer gets its name. Deep, with a nice malt backbone.

T: Sublime. Smackworthy and a quintessential double IPA. Of course it's resiny and bitter, but it's never aggressively so. Expertly balanced with some caramellish malt and hint of fruit. The watermelon candy is actually spot-on. The aftertaste, after the intense hoppiness fades, is Jolly Rancher.

M: This full-bodied beer is moderately thick on the tongue, which I appreciate, but with a playful spiciness.

O: If these are actually El Dorado hops, I want more! A great beer, highly recommended to all. Will have again. Drinkable and delicious.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 04:55:39 | More by AgentMunky

azdback

Arizona

4.23/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into my Ballast Point pint glass. Light yellow/orange color. Very clear in appearance. Head is a small two fingers and bright white and creamy in appearance. Lace is sticking well.

Smell is very citrus and pine. Pink grapefruit, orange pith, some sugar.

Taste is a great citrus bomb. Pink and yellow grapefruit. Some orange and maybe even some pineapple. There are some sweet malts here too and some alcohol burn at the end.

Mouth is crisp and rich but in a light way. Body is medium and the carbonation is fairly light. Finish is long and dry with some alcohol burn. Very nice.

Overall I really enjoyed this fairly limited release. I had one when it was just a couple of days old and I don't think this has changed much from then till now. It does have some candied malt characteristics but this is one of those West Coast hop bombs all the way. Get your hands on this if you can. A must try.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 03:17:25 | More by azdback

SHODriver

California

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

A: poured into a duvel tulip to a hazy golden orange with a small white head with decent retention as it fades to a small mat
S: smells of resinous pine, some grapefruit and pineapple. small underlying sweetness creeps through but the nose is almost entirely hops
T: orange marmalade up front with a nice piney hop bite, a bit herbal and citrusy toward the end and on the swallow there is a nice citrusy grapefruit rind kick with a bit of residual sweetness.
M: medium in the mouth with soft but sufficient carbonation. a little slick and oily but not syrupy
O: a very solid and delicious DIPA. very nice flavors and west coast all the way. I can't say enough about this beer, if you find it and like hops you should buy it.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 01:22:25 | More by SHODriver

nataku00

California

3.48/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a tulip glass. Beer pours a hazy orange with two fingers of off white tight foam head. Head dissipates after a few minutes to a half a finger, leaving a bit of sticky lacing.

Nose is a bit weak. Some grapefruit and orange peel and pine needles, sweeter juicy orange fruit, and biscuit malt sweetness.

Taking a sip, dank herbal and pine hops, sweeter fruits like papaya, orange and grapefruit. Mid tongue, a bit of biscuit and caramel malt sweetness. Finishes dry, with light grapefruit peel lingering on.

Medium body and well carbonated. Easy to drink given its abv. An interesting beer, but not too memorable.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 03:26:35 | More by nataku00

PicoPapa

Connecticut

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

22oz bottle with a Best Before Date of 071313. Pours a golden orange with a half inch of head. Lots of sticky lacing. Tropical fruits and sweet citrus aroma. Some piney hops too. The taste is alot like the aroma. Tropical fruits and orange peel. Pine more towards the end. Actually, the nose had more fruit than pine but I'd say the taste has more pine than tropical fruits. Resinous wih an oily mouthfeel. Not too much alcohol taste. Took me a long time to get to try this one but it was worth the wait. Overall, worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 04:57:50 | More by PicoPapa

scottfrie

California

3.95/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into Duvel signature tulip.

A: Pours an even amber with a couple fingers of greasy off-white head that faded into a wispy film leaving sheets of sticky lace.
S: Lightly boozy, big citrus hop notes, with hints of melon and honey. Boozy, bitter citrus.
T: Follows the nose with big notes of sticky bitter citrus nectar and rind, hints of sweet honey, and a ton of viscous booze. The finish is bitter and boozy.
M: Viscous mouthfeel, thick body, greasy and oily, smooth carbonation.
O: Great flavor but a bit boozy in taste and feel. Glad I tried this one though.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 23:11:00 | More by scottfrie

raynmoon

California

3.63/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Finally found this one, and at Bevmo of all places.

It smells very sweet and astringent. It almost has a metallic smell to it, you know, when it seems like you're just smelling an empty can or a bottle of something. Almost like sour candies; sweetness.

The taste is very big, sweet and alcoholic. The alcohol comes through a little more than I'd like. It has a big matliness and a nice hop bitterness and with a breadiness on the back end. It has a strange dry finish on the back of my throat.

The mouthfeel is very thick. People might describe it as "chewy" ?

A little disappointed. Maybe the bottle was old, or perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for this one, but it tasted much more like an American Barley Wine rather than a Double IPA. Still tasty though.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 03:09:15 | More by raynmoon

thagr81us

South Carolina

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

Shared by cmrillo during BRoss242’s send-off party before he moves! Will miss you man! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured a golden yellow-orange with a half finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, wheat, wood, fruit, sweet alcohol, and pine. The flavor was of sweet malt, wood, fruit, and pine hop. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. I was really surprised to find the pine aspect going on in this one like I experienced coming from a West Coast IPA. Isn’t that a joke for us East Coast guys? But all joking aside, this was brew was pretty nice and easy drinking. The fruit aspect was definitely the saving grace as the pine would have completely dominated otherwise. Definitely worth the try if you get the chance and I’m still surprised that I haven’t ticked it before.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 11:31:05 | More by thagr81us

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle from Bruisin Ales (Asheville, NC). 11.50. Best by 7/18/13. Served in a Sweetwater snifter. 

Pours a briliant orange tinged yellow with  a quarter finger near white head. Healthy strings of lacing left behind. 

Sweet bouquet of floral and citrus hops. Hints at grapefruit and pine. Quite nice. 

A tropical pine taste explosion- pineapple, grapefruit, orange, pine, grass, pepper spice, caramel, dough, and just a little booze nip towards the end. 

Medium bodied with a nice moderate carbonation. Slightly slick with hop oils. Long pleasant bittersweet tropical hop aftertaste. 

A smooth and delicious double IPA. A lighter feel than I typically prefer but great mix of flavors and well concealed alcohol. Despite the hefty price tag I'd certainly buy it again. Highly recommended. 

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 04:48:45 | More by ThickNStout

Lordquackingstic

New York

4.23/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz. bottle poured into a goblet.

A: Golden copper with a finger of white head. Slightly sticky lacing with bubbles dancing up the side.

S: Sweet and piney lemons, grapefruit, generic citrus car air freshener.

T: Huge burst of lemons and grapefruit balanced by slightly sweet malts.

M: Medium carbonation with a pleasantly bitter finish.

O: I enjoy this more than I enjoy sculpin (which I really enjoy), so this is a win in my books. I would love to see this in six packs, but of course that will never happen.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 23:06:15 | More by Lordquackingstic

rawfish

California

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a orange gold, two fingers of white head. Plenty of rolling lacing and decent retention.

Loads of pleasant uplifting pine, grapefruit and notes of grass, lemon and pineapple. Slightly grainy and light caramel malt sweetness detected beneath.

Malt is slightly detected, caramel and wheat. Grapefruit cannon, a lesser blast of pine. fruity esters of red berries and tangerine with some peppery and bright lemon zest brightness to it. Drying is average as is the rearing of the alcohol. The bitterness is quite a bit less noticable than other DIPAs, some sacrifice of alpha acids for bitterness here.

Medium-heavy DIPA body with adequate carbonation. Just rolls over the palate. Alcohol moderately noticable, fees more bright and lively when chilled.

Bright and bold DIPA by Ballast Point, really delivers a blast of hoppy flavor that remains bright and lively. Less tropical than Sculpin but I'm glad they turned a page with this one. Something to savor when it's available.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 04:24:35 | More by rawfish

joefuzz

New York

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

Pours a brilliant gold with a clumpy white 2 finger head

Smells like pure hop oil....Very big citrus upfront that gives way to a nice tropical fruit scent

Taste is a pure west coast hop bomb..Much as the nose lets on a huge amount of citrus hop smack you in the face then fade to a nice pineapple like sweetness on the back end.

Mouthfeel and carbonation are exactly where you would want a double IPA... Thin feel with just enough carbonation to carry it.

Overall awesome example of a awesome west coast IIPA....if we could get this fresh year round I would stop trading for Pliny all together

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 06:47:15 | More by joefuzz

rand

California

3.75/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bomber to my Mikasa pint glass

A: The beer produces an inviting, 1-inch head on the pour. The beer displays a rich, opaque, copper-tan color and yields a fair amount of suspended yeast.

S: Fruity bouquet with grapefruit and apricots prominent. Ample hops yield an earthy, rind-y essence that matches well with a cracker-like yeasty undertone. Alcohol is noted, but this is far from boozy.

T: The palate is first met with grapefruit and orange rind. Hops yield a slightly astringent aspect that keeps any malt-sweetness at bay. Some spicy nuances - lemon pepper, nutmeg - give the brew some dimension but the hop bite dominates. Alcohol pokes through and works with the hop snap to dry the sip throughout.

M: Medium-bodied but surprisingly light given the characteristics. Not as oily as I'd expect for a 10% double IPA.

A tasty, hoppy DIPA that will satisfy a need for a hop fix, but not the most layered of Ballast Point's offerings. I would never pass this one up, but it's strange that their more easily-attainable and lighter Sculpin is clearly better.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 08:19:02 | More by rand

pmarlowe

California

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

Labeled "Enjoy by 07/12/13". How ambitious. Tulip glass.

A: Pours a medium gold with a half finger off white head, not particularly dense or pretty, with some thin lacing. The head recedes to a fine ring pretty quickly.

S: Decent citrus, some piney floral, caramel and crystal malts, sugar, and I think a little alcohol. A wisp of cherry/blueberry Kool Aid powder. Wow, for the win.

T: Caramelly with some faint hops, moderate bitterness on the finish that's partly cut by sweetness.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation. For some reason I like the mouthfeel a lot , 4.5 a lot.

O: Pretty good but not up to the level of other BP IPAs, and certainly not up to the level of the former incarnation of this beer's sterling reputation. On the plus side, I had no idea this was 10% while drinking it; on the minus side, I probably didn't need a 10% DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 04:03:07 | More by pmarlowe

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a duvel glass

A: pours a very nice redish amber golden with about a finger of slightly off white head that seems to be leaving some nice spots of lacing. The other thing I noticed is that the body has a very nice clarity to it,

S: nice tropical citrusness of hops with a nive bit of pine, more notes of caramel and sweet citrus. I smell mango and pinneapple mostly.

T; much like the nose, sweet citrus up front, mango and pinneapple hop flavors with a nice balance of piney, resinous hop notes over a sweet caramel malt backbone... Just enough malts to handle the bitterness on the finish, where the bitterness really starts to step in with the resinous piney flavors building on your palate as you drink through it almost becoming chewy.

M: slick and oily medium body with a nice creamy medium carbonation that keeps it from being too viscous or resinous.... The finish is dry and bitter.... With the hop bitterness building on your palate the more you drink... Leaving you with the aftertaste of a mouth full of hops and a mouth coating of resinous pine.... The bitterness has a chewy like quality.

O: this is a pretty good double ipa, I would deffinatly take this over a sculpin... There is a serious amount of hops going in here and the balance is done quite nicley IMO. Nicley rounded while still maintaining an agreesive hoppyness or becoming on overly sweet malt bomb.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 05:46:38 | More by PeterIngemi

colforbin73

California

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

this is a great bitter double ipa. these days, double jack is my bench mark for a dipa. so if i inadvertently rated this higher, it's not better than double jack, but it's damn good.

pours a perfect rich orange with a good white head and decent lacing. the malt is right there, giving this beer fine body.... good and rich and oily and resiny... pine and citrus all in one. sometimes they mix sometimes they don't. this is good. excellent fresh hop aroma, a little spicy.

the palate attack is pronounced.... you get hop slapped right on the roof of your mouth and that spikey hop burn penetrates your sinuses. THIS IS a hop bomb. but so very well balanced -- like a Kung Pao Chicken! you get hit with the heat but then melt in the sweet sauce... sweet and sour, hot and sweet.

love to get this on tap somewhere in NorCal -- 8.99 for the bomber? but double jack is only 7.99....

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 02:54:40 | More by colforbin73

Mora2000

Texas

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

The beer pours an orange color with a white head. The aroma has some candy and resin hops, with some biscuit malt thrown in. The flavor is very similar. I get some bitter pine and resin from the hop notes, as well as some brown sugar and orange citrus notes. There is a good amount of malty sweetness, which is mixed with some strong hop flavor and a medium amount of bitterness. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 04:35:26 | More by Mora2000