Drake's Denogginizer - Drake's Brewing Co.

kevanb

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

650ml bottle poured into a stemless wine glass.

The beer pours a lightly hazy copper color, hues of orange and amber with a thick, frothy white head, about a finger and a half high that has some spotted lace left behind. The aroma is nice, lots of piney, resinous hop oils with some rich, sweet caramel malt that is fairly sweet with some alcohol behind it. The flavors are nice, lots of hoppy goodness, grapefruit citrus with pine and lots of bitter, dank, earthy, resinous grassy oils that is balanced nicely with sweet and rich caramel malt and lingering alcohol. The body is nice, a bit rich and thick for an IPA, but carbonated perfectly with a lightly dry and sweet finish.

Verdict: A nice DIPA from Drake's, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries for their solid and consistent work. This is a bit malt forward for what I look for in an IPA but still rewarding.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 02:11:54 | More by kevanb

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.44/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Note: Adapted from notes taken 3/22/13

Comment: Surprised to see this beer on-tap at a restaurant next to my hotel on a recent visit to San Francisco (for a conference, which really cut into my drinking time)

Appearance: Clear, bright orange with a touch of gold - big, fluffy white head, leaves a nice web of great lacing

Smell: Tons of citrus, with an emphasis on oily rind - juicy orange and grapefruit - loads of oily citrus rinds, zest, and pith - some wet pine - very floral - some malts, with some sweetness, caramel and pale - some pretty obvious alcohol

Taste: Surprisingly burly, wouldn't quite describe this as a West Coast hop bomb - sticky, oily citrus and wet pine resin - almost syrupy in its oily citrus aspect - unrelenting grapefruit rinds everywhere, remarkably bitter - earthy - sweet caramel malts seem to be amplified by the alcohol, which honestly seems beyond the advertised 9% - very noticeable

Mouthfeel: On the heavy side of medium, sticky, oily, decent carbonation but could use some more to deal with the oil

Overall: Good, not fantastic

This is quite interesting. A big, harsh IPA with an emphasis on bitter, oily citrus. It's a bit too sweet, and is lacking the fleshy, juicy, hoppy magic that I associate with West Coast IPAs. Definitely interesting and worth a try. I'm not certain how fresh this was, since it was on tap, and I might want to re-evaluate for a bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2013 05:16:27 | More by angrybabboon

TheSixthRing

California

3.93/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a semi-hazy, orange-copper with an off-white, 2 finger head. Great retention. Sticky lacing coats the glass well, sip after sip.

Smell - Big pine notes upfront, complimented by some mild tropical fruitiness and hints of spice.

Taste - Less pine on the tongue than in the aroma, but still plenty to be had. Lesser notes of grapefruit. Malts come across with a toasted biscuit quality, and do well to compliment the big hop character. Finishes with some tropical fruit sweetness, and more grapefruit pith bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Close to full body with moderate carbonation. Juicy in the mouth before a drying finish.

Overall - Both are very, very good, but I think I prefer their Hopocalypse just a tad more. This one reminds me a quite a bit of Firestone-Walker's Union Jack in it's all-around character. Drinks closer to your standard IPA than a DIPA, bit only due to it's smoothness. That 9.75% is ready to kick in your teeth when you least expect it. Drink responsibly, friends.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 05:41:19 | More by TheSixthRing

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.76/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

22oz Bottle from Bevmo La Quinta CA for 7$

Appearance - Clear amber/copper with an average size fizzy beige coloured head. There is a high amount of carbonation showing and there is some decent lacing. The head lasted for around 4-5 minutes.

Smell - Hops, malts, caramel, apricots, pineapple

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste sugary caramel, malts, and woody hops. There is also some aprocits and pineapple and I can pick up on the booze. It ends with a malty very bittersweet aftertaste.

Overall – Lots of bitter hops and lots of sweetness. I'm torn with this beer, it's over the top but that's what it is supposed to be. If you're in the mood for a big bold DIPA than seen this one out.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 01:45:18 | More by spinrsx

chaint

California

3.35/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Poured reddish-brown color with good clarity. The head quickly dissipated. Not much of an aroma to the beer which was a bit surprising. Very balanced/conservative flavor...I wish there was more up front hop flavor, but there is a good sweet-bitter finish. In the end, a very simple DIPA. Good, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 04:22:34 | More by chaint

popery

California

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

From notes, 8/9/10. Good DIPA. Drake’s seems to be able to make IPAs in all sorts of different ways. This one probably wouldn’t be my pick for a new bottled beer from them, but it’s still a solid, enjoyable beer. This beer pours a transparent, medium amber with a foamy off-white head. The aroma is pine needles, pineapples, tangerines, candied lemon peel and papaya. It’s a big mess of hop notes. There’s also an apparent caramel malt backbone lurking underneath. The flavor has some acetone and is rather sweet for a West Coast DIPA, but it’s an enjoyable version of this type of DIPA. There’s a ton of bitter pine resin in the flavor, particularly the finish. The caramel malt is more apparent on the tongue, but there’s also some booziness in there. The mouthfeel is a tad harsh and boozy but nothing too bad. Carbonation is light. Despite the malt sweetness, the bitter finish is really doing a number on my palate. I’d reserve this one for the end of the night.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 23:36:42 | More by popery

lordofstarside

Nevada

3.63/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber to a pint glass...to lazy to wash out a snifter. No freshness date

Pours a deep gold with two fingers of foam. Alright retention, thick lacing, mild carbonation. Aroma of hops, some citrus, spicy pine resin, caramel malts, and some alcohol. Taste of strong hops, lemons, orange, caramel malts, and quite a boozy finish- alcohol really needs to be concealed better. Feel is dry and medium bodied, chewy, not the most drinkable. Overall good to try, but I wont get it again

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 08:37:47 | More by lordofstarside

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.39/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours a murky caramel color. Head is full. It leaves creamy remnants along the glass. Quite turbid.

S-Candied citrus hops and pine. Spicy hoppiness too. Plenty of malt backing. The hops hit me first but there is enough balance here. Wet, caramel glazed biscuits. Definitely not my favorite hop profile. Maybe I will enjoy the flavor more...

T-More candied citrus fruits a some tangy grapefruit. Herbal and spicy too. Soggy hop leaves. The beer is also a bit too balanced for me as well. The malt is quite broad. Sweet bread that seems to be ever-rising. A bit grainy.

M-Boozier than I want. The feel is sappy and resiny. Dry with definite bitterness. Full bodied. Round feel.

O/D-Not what I am looking for in a DIPA. Not my favorite flavors hop-wise. The malt sits too heavily as well.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 22:11:31 | More by VelvetExtract

BilbosNuts

California

3.88/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Clear light copper color with a small white head that fades to a thin film across the top. An ample amount of carbonation gives it a lively appearance.

S: Piney hop aroma with a significant toasted malt backbone. Overall, a resiny kind of aroma. There is also a touch of alcohol towards the end.

T: The taste is much more complex than the aroma leads you to believe. The piney hops and toasted malts are there along with a more tropical character in the hops. There is a slight alcoholic burning finish to go along with a mild bitter bite.

M: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Kind of oil-like in that it coats the palate with a bittering effect, yet also a bit dry.

O: A solid DIPA. The aroma was a little one dimensional, but it picked itself back up with a more complex and satisfying taste.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 01:18:56 | More by BilbosNuts

Florida9

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: clear golden color. Forms a small to moderate sized off-white head. Leaves a minimal amount of lacing.

S: intensely aromatic. Quite hop forward with lots of citrus, grapefruit, and orange mixed with some malty sweetness and a bit of alcohol.

T: taste is similar. Concentrated citrus flavor, moderate pale malt sweetness, honey and even a bit of apple juice. Maybe a touch of pine but the citrus hop flavor dominates. some alcoholic spice on the finish.

M: on the heavier side of medium with a bit of viscosity to it. Moderate bitterness. Easy carbonation.

O: a nice, west coast style IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 02:09:57 | More by Florida9

riored4v

Colorado

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured in to a tulip. 1 finger, khaki colored head. Murky, burnt copper colored body.

Aroma was grainy and a bit caramely. Some good hop aroma that was floral, citrus and piney. Some big orange/grapefruit notes as well. A bit sweet smelling.

Flavor had similar characteristics of the aroma. Grainy, malty and good amount of caramel notes up front. Quickly turned to a floral and citrusy hop flavor that was more grapefruit dominant. Some good orangey hop flavor as well. Finished with a mild, balanced bitterness. A bit resiny and piney with some grassy/citrus hop bitterness. Not overpowering or tongue ripping.

Medium body, medium carb. Fairly crisp finish. Slight signs of ABV.

Good DIPA overall. Not overly hoppy or malty. Had a good balance.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 23:05:48 | More by riored4v

Psilo707

California

4.35/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Viscous but translucent Orange hue throughout the glass. Very homogenized, very bubbly with thick lacing and head.

S: Thick and fruitful scent coming off the top that leaves a lingering sense of demanding aura in the nasal palette. Love it already!

T: Spicy upon first drink, slowly lingering into a full-blown massive drenching of the taste buds. What I love about this IPA is that the taste's aren't too complex for once - they are basic. Basic in the sense that maybe 2 or 3 different tastes/feelings hit you at once, and they all mold together like some sort of train hitting your tongue. It's an absolute pleasure of citrus, hops, honey, and a huge handful of spice. A-rated.

M: Medium-to-full bodied mouthfeel with the same spice as mentioned before and a lot of character all the way down. Could drink many of these.

Overall: Yet another good IPA from Drakes brewery, who consistently have been producing awesome seasonals in the last few years. Would recommend this to anyone, IPA lovers and newbies alike. Thank you again DRAKES!

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 02:31:32 | More by Psilo707

FosterJM

California

4.15/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

1542nd Review on BA
Draft to Goblet
12oz

Paired with a watermelon/feta salad
@BJs Newark, CA

App- Deep orange and a bit creamy in the glass. A little bit of a highlight in the glass with some golds and yellows. The head was on about 1/4". Great cling and sticky lace on this one.

Smell- A nice mixing of hops, cream and honey. Its a bit thick like a candy aroma but doesnt come off as sweet but more honey/grass/citrus forward.

Taste- Ive passed this bottle up many times. On a work trip for HH and couldn't pass up the tap version. Its a small hoppy beer with a good spice behind it. Honey sticky and a bit thick. Better cold vs warmer.

Mouth- Medium bodied and quite full on the body actually. A semi-creamy medium carbonation with a bit of residual creamy spice.

Drink- A nice double IPA. Seems like Nor.Cal/So. Cal, doesnt matter. All CA does is pump out solid IPAs

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2012 14:48:36 | More by FosterJM

harrymel

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled: unk
Amber with a scattered etching of off white foam and a loose, soapy rim. Mangos, peaches, cat piss, bits of pine and bubble gum. Flavor is sweet and bitter with good fruity undertones and plenty of sweet biscuit malt. There are notes of resin, pine, apple blossom, alcohol sharpness and pineapple. Medium bodied with easy, soft carb and an off dry finish. Nice beer – I’d drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 06:37:41 | More by harrymel

jaasen64

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle thanks to Chazari99 for the hook up. Split with my father. Poured into Founders snifter. Not sure the bottle date, but I'm assuming about 2-3 weeks ago, maybe less.

A- Pours a translucent copper with about a finger of white head that leaves spotty, but thick layered lacing. About average carbonation. A little bit darker then your average IPA.

S- Malty, some spices present, some citrus piney hops in the background. About average aroma strength.

T- Caramel malts, citrus hops, some spices, some more piney hops on the finish, finishes slightly bitter but not overly so. On the sweet side.

M- Medium bodied, abv very well hidden, pretty much no alcohol burn on the finish, finishes very smooth with a high drink-ability.

O- This was a pretty decent DIPA, especially considering how smooth it finished with the high abv. I think the hops might have faded a tiny bit, but they were definitely present especially in the taste. A little bit sweeter and maltier then most IPAs that I'm used to, but I guess that's in part due to hide the high ABV. Overall a nice strong IPA with a high drink-ability that I'd definitely like to come back to and could recommend to other Hopheads.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 22:51:42 | More by jaasen64

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.8/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

650 mL bottle poured into a De Struise chalice.

Appearance - Deep orange. Very cloudy with a just-off-white head. Sticky lacing and some nice retention.

Smell - Muted musty pine notes and a strong malt presence. Grapefruit permeates the whole experience. Kind of a dull aroma, really.

Taste - Strong pine and grapefruit. Sweet malts all over, but the hops are strong enough that I rather enjoy it. The hops culminate to a bitterness that outlasts the lingering sugars.

Mouthfeel - Medium-heavy for an IPA. I usually prefer lighter bodied DIPAs, but this is hoppy enough that I'd call it "balanced" rather than sweet.

Overall - It's too sweet to be really spectacular, but avoids the pitfalls of many other malt-forward IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 23:02:16 | More by Alieniloquium

Nugganooch

California

3.63/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Notes from 08/10/12
22oz bottle to a standard pint glass

A: Pours a hazy caramel amber color equipped with a good finger width of long lasting shave cream head. Each sip leaves foamy rings of lace down the glass.

S: Smells of caramel malts with some underpinnings of pine and earthy tea leaf. Hint of alcohol. Aroma is malty and sweet with dark sugar qualities.

T: Taste leads with toasty caramel malts, sappy pinecone, and earthy herbs. I get a slight metallic bite at first but not throughout the full drink. There is a big up front bitterness with some juicy stone fruit and orange zest qualities. Flavors seem to fall off pretty quick from there although it has a nice dank hemp-like lingering aftertaste. Alcohol is detectable and warm but acceptably proportionate. A touch sweet and maltier than I prefer but not bad.

M: Nice creamy texture with a moderately full feel giving you a little something to chew on. Has a dry bite midway but still finishes with an overall wet saturation to the palate. Some residual hop oils coat the tongue.

D: Big caramel malt sweetness meets big hop bitterness. Flavors do fall a bit flat for me once you get past the initial flurry of hops and sugars. Not sure on the bottle date here - but this is way better on tap.
Not my go to DIPA by any means but still quite juicy and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 19:46:00 | More by Nugganooch

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I have no idea why I passed up on trying this beer for so long.

This is quite syrupy on the flavor profile. There is a decent hop profile that adds some good spicy tones to it. One dimensional, yes. But it's not too shabby. It was nice enough to drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 04:36:38 | More by RblWthACoz

BennyL1

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz into a NB globe - no freshness info that I could find. Thanks to schwartzoid.

Denogginizer pours a burnt orange with a good two fingers worth of white head. Sticky lacing along the glass, good looking beer.

Good hoppy aroma with a fairly strong malty background which is a hint of things to come. Not totally what I would expect from the style but solid.

First thing I noticed the sweetness of the caramel malt but still hoppy with notes of grapefruit and pine. Once again not typical of the style but really enjoyable. Really good balance.

Fuller body with medium carbonation - not overly smooth.

If you're in the mood for a DIPA with a strong malt side, this one would be a good one to reach for.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 03:26:20 | More by BennyL1

StJamesGate

New York

3.8/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hazy amber with a honeycomb crunch-textured linen head. Fresh oily hop flowers with orange oil and some gooey hot caramel underneath.
Sticky toffee with toasted nuts (Munich?) some Cointreau and maybe some tart papaya and then resiny, catty, piney hops that slowly go citrusy as it opens.
Candied orange peel ending and long lean powdery bitter linger. Medium, oily, a bit hot.

Simcoe, Columbus, Cascade and Amarillo plus Crystal and Munich, says the label.

Not quite subtle; definitely a rough hop punch, from the Simcoe I suspect, and some burn. Some others are saying how sweet it is, and there are some brandy sugary notes, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a barleywine. Maybe I'm just out of practice with >75 IBU beers. Either way, too rough around the edges to be a true classic.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 17:38:28 | More by StJamesGate

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.38/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from Chris. Thanks, dogg!

Darker than I like my DIPAs to be, this beer is a moderate amber color with a big, off-white head with nice retention and lacing. Clarity is great. The nose seems to have fallen off, as it mostly is a lot of crystal malt. Sweet with brown sugar and caramel, there is a modest hop profile as well, with pine and candied oranges. A moderate tangerine character is present as well. Decent.

The palate opens with a blend of moderate bitterness and moderate sweetness. Mostly crystal malt with a lot of caramel and burnt sugar sweetness, this is sweeter than I typically care for. The bitterness is smooth, with pine and candied grapefruit. Hop flavor seems minimal, and mostly citrusy. This feels lighter than a beer this sweet should taste, probably due to the ABV? Medium in body medium-light in body, this beer is decent. Despite not having the characteristics I typically look for in a DIPA, I am quite liking this.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 01:59:38 | More by DefenCorps

UCLABrewN84

California

4.08/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at The Golden State Cafe in Los Angeles, CA.

Pours a clear light copper with an off-white head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of citrus fruit, citrus zest, and some malt aromas. Taste is much the same with a medium amount of bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good DIPA with a nice hoppy presence.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2012 05:17:56 | More by UCLABrewN84

Auracom

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Dale for this throw-in! 4-5 oz. poured into a Stone Old Guardian glass on May 18th, 2012. This was a spontaneous pregame brew for a nutso barleywine tasting.

A - Clear, medium golden coloring. Tight, white, one-finger head. Decent retention and plentiful carbonation coming up from the bottom of the glass.

S - Lots of Simcoe hops, pine resin, a touch of sugary, candied malt, floral. Hint of mint. I like rhyming. In all seriousness, it's fine but a bit muted even near room temperature.

T - Bigger but not necessarily better in taste. Huge pine backed by a big caramel malt bill. Fair blending of the four different hop varietals in here, nice flavors at first but they get a bit muddled through the middle of the drink. Moderate lingering bitterness throughout. Slight honey and roasted almond underneath. Bread and alcohol perpetuate the backend of the drink.

M - Medium body, average carbonation, short bitter finish. Fair amount of backend warming heat.

D - It's unique but not wholly memorable. A bit too boozy even though it's nearing 10%. This is my Drake's and I do want to try more, so it's somewhat successful.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 21:17:33 | More by Auracom

largadeer

California

4.35/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Drake's Barrel House, served in a 12 oz tulip.

An amber-hued DIPA, a shade or two darker than most of Drake's hoppy offerings. Clarity is excellent, and it pours with an inch of foam that retains well.

The nose is bright and sweet with notes of melon and pineapple. As suggested by the appearance and the huge ABV, this is rather sweet but not necessarily malt-forward. The malt brings out the fruitiness of the hops, but doesn't add much in the way of actual malt aroma beyond a touch of caramel. It's very fragrant and enticing.

The palate offers an appealing blend of pineapple, cantaloupe and resinous pine. It's a touch sweet up front, but dries out mid-palate and becomes rather leafy and bitter in the finish. The body is hefty, bordering on syrupy for the first few sips, but then the bitterness balances things out.

While this is an excellent beer, the hop profile seems to be extremely volatile. Skip bottles unless you know they're no more than 2-3 weeks old.

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2012 05:41:47 | More by largadeer

Jemonster

California

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

A: Perfect looking IPA. Nice copper colored body with a dense off-white head. Tiny bubbles in the carbonation.

S: Nice and floral. Fragrant and deep. Really fresh hop scent.

T: Unexpected roasty notes right off the bat. Up front bittersweet flavors from the different types of hops here. Seems that they blended this one creatively. It's got a different profile than any other IPA I've had so far. Bold and rich.

M: A little flat to me. Makes it not as refreshing and not as easy to drink. Holding it in my mouth, I can feel the carbonation just barely.

O: A great one in my opinion. Forward and unique.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 06:29:53 | More by Jemonster