Dominion Double D IPA - Old Dominion Brewing Company

jtierney89

New Jersey

1.65/5  rDev -55.6%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Semi-hazy tarnished amber color with a half finger of head. Lots of dark fruit malt on the nose, touch of earthy and citric hops.

Brisk, on the lighter side of being heavy bodied. Dark fruit flavors, fig jam, sugared raisins, some rum and lots of caramel. Hops aren't really the center focus, more of an after thought and is just there for balance. Still some lingering sweetness though. Not alot of detectable alcohol for the abv but a little off for the style. Very much so on the sweet side for a DIPA. I've loved everything i've had from this brewery except this one. Double D just isn't the double IPA you would expect from Dominion, definitely not enough hops. Kind of simple and not impressive.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 03:35:00 | More by jtierney89

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.55/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a dark golden orange color with tangerine edges and a half finger off-white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Spotty lacing left behind.

Floral hop aroma with a soily, grassy character that's countered by a sweet malt backbone. Slightly resinous with subtle spicy needle followed by caramel malt, toffee and biscuit.

Medium bodied with perfume like earthy hops that provide dry bitterness that lingers over the sweet malt backbone into a bone dry finish. Very dirty/soily with sticky pine needle flavor that dominates the hop profile. Needs some citrus/sweetness for balance. The sweetness comes from a strong caramel malt backbone that slightly overpowers the hops. Hints of rye, caramel, toffee and biscuit. Some alcohol burn toward the finish but overall the ABV decently masked. Kind of all over the place with too much alcohol and sweet malt. In theory it sounds like it's well balanced, but there's just three different extreme flavors battling each other.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 06:19:54 | More by corby112

Momar42

Maryland

2.83/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz bomber into Duvel tulip

A - deep, amber/orange color. Mild head formation that leaves decent lacing.

S - sweet, faint pine perhaps. For a DIPA, not a huge nose by any stretch. Ruination 10th Anniv this surely aint!

T - wow, I think I just got a cavity. Sweetness overpowers on the front end. Hop bitterness tries to assert itself but Willy Wonka makes anything else almost impossible. There is a fairly large malt content as well but that only magnifies the sweetness. Hop heads need not apply.

M - For all the sweetness and malt this beer at least isnt cloying. Finishes smooth and easy, due in large part to the one dimensional poor body of this beer.

O - Not a BAD beer, just not what most would consider a typical DIPA, even for an East Coast one to be honest. The lack of aroma and depth of flavors really sink this beer for me. I suppose this isnt the first time a guy has been led astray by Double D's. (Sorry, had to.)

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 00:08:02 | More by Momar42

IronLover

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Murky, dark copper orange in color. Poured with a dense beige foam that reduced to a thick cap that coated the sides of the glass with sticky lacings. Sticky sweet caramel malt and brown sugar aromas with hints of light citrus and booze in the background. This was bottled almost 6 months ago, the hop character has likely faded. Medium bodied with a sticky, yet creamy smooth feel. Sweet caramel malt flavor with light citrus orange, grapefruit and pine hop notes from the middle to the end. Very boozy throughout. Finished with a bready, boozy, light pine hop bitterness. This drank more like a barleywine than a DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 02:26:58 | More by IronLover

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a clear copper color with a minimal head and sticky lacing.

S - Light, sweet, resiny fruit aroma with some faint pepper spice, light guava, and light sweet caramel malt (buried way down there).

T - The caramel malt, candy fruit spice, and pine. Resinous, spicy, with a hint of butterscotch and oak way down there.

M - Thick, oily, slick, with noticeable alcohol warming until the throat adjusts to the heat.

O - Candy sweet and almost cloying for a big IPA, I wonder what the age is of this bottle? I'd like to try a fresh batch and give this one another go. This is a very big beer and will hit you hard which makes it a sipper. But, the candy sweet presence is almost too much to make it enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 23:20:45 | More by jzeilinger

Ego

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

22oz bomber featuring.... a bomber
Bottling Date: July 12

eyes...
no head to speak of even when I got more aggressive with the pour, good amount of carbonation is a sign of hope though, lots of bubbles swirling about my DFH cauldron, legs are good on this one which makes sense due to the ABV here, slightly burnt orange hue, pretty standard fare here.

nose...
major citrus hops with mostly dripping orange, sweet malty tone but there is a detectable alcohol in the nose, on a quick whiff the hops really throw a blanket over everything and smell awesome but take an extra second to pick up the rest.

taste etc...
for all those bubbles the carbonation disappears and this is remarkably thin. in some DIPAs the syrupy hops mask this and there is some of that here but it doesn't quite get there. the sip starts off with the nice orange-y hop flavor and then nothingness and then some real harsh bitterness.
after a few sips you normalize more to the flavor, but still my initial take remains, this is purely hop bomb city with no furry edges. the hop bit is very bracing and the ABV is quite noticeable.

verdict...
A really strong use of high alpha hops. This is hard to keep going with, maybe split among friends, this is a bit rough around the edges. If an unabashed hop nuke is your thing, give this a try.

music: cro mags "best wishes"

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 05:07:25 | More by Ego

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Pours a mildly hazy copper color. The head is three fingers high and offwhite in shading, quickly receding to reveal rings of lacing on the glass. Ultimately, the head settles at one finger.

S: The hops here are rather spicy and piny, rather than (preferably) citrusy. All this hoppiness is hidden behind a ton of crystal malt - again, not my cup of tea. On the plus side, the nose has little in the way of booze.

T: Lots of sweet malt open the flavor profile, with notes of honey, caramel, and toffee. The hop profile here is a bit sneaky, building a mild piny tone on the finish and aftertaste. At the end of the day, though, it's not what I'd call hoppy by any stretch. Nor is it boozy. It doesn't really excite the taste buds, but I enjoy its balance.

M: It starts off with a medium body, but the mildly strong carbonation helps lighten it up some. The finish is dry and resiny; however, it's not overdone. This is quite easy to sip on due to the well-hidden booze and pleasant dryness.

O: It's pleasant and easy going, almost to a fault. I think this would be a good beginner DIPA due to its malty yet balanced nature and great price point. Still, it can't really compete with some of the readily available elites of the style. The booze comes out strongly when it warms up, so drink it colder.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 19:32:18 | More by ThisWangsChung

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.28/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: A murky burnt orange has a late developing creamy, bubbly topped head that was a light parchment color. Upon closer inspection and backlighting we see a light mention of chunky yeasty goodies floating about. Head retention was rather short and sweet falling to a patchy, bubbly covering.

S: Am i missing something here. Oh yeah, the hops. Rather neutral, no signs of alcohol but also no mention of hops. Bottled july 12, consumed october 12 so may have something to do with it.

T: Sweet and dry alcohol laced speciality grains. Strong alcohol and dry citrus, grapefruit, lemon combine ot give this some hop/alcohol fusels. The hops pick up quite a bit, the flavor is only moderate, not really tasty, rather alcohol driven, with warm apple nutmeg tones and burnt applewood notes.

M: Malty, dry alcohol fussels arrive on the mouthful. Big alcohol laced citrus warmth.

O: Overall the alcohol plays a dominant role here, honestly was unaware it was 10.0% until after drinking, really didnt seem that much, but was enough to distract. Flavor and complexity were pretty flat line here, only moderate, a bit overly sweet from the speciality grains and the alcohol interfers quite a bit. Not really exciting flavor wise, kinda mundane and a bomber is best split, the flavor does grow on you a bit but not enough to warrant good regards, its the kid in the front of the class who tries to hard to impress and ends up just annoying you in the end.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 23:07:02 | More by beerthulhu

kylehay2004

Florida

3.3/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: nice lacing and single finger head on a clear crimson body.

S: sour citrus dominates with some caramel malts.

T: candied citrus which is much for sour than sweet. The malts and hops are poorly presented and overpowered by the sourness. I almost wonder if this keg is bad.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: This is just not a good DIPA, especially in a very hard genre to compete in with so many good ones out there.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2012 01:30:29 | More by kylehay2004

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.3/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle poured into DFH snifter. Bottled July 12.

A - Pours a cloudy amber-brown color. The white head settles to a half finger and leaves a rather complete lacing.

S - Smells of dank grapefruit peel and sourdough bread. There is also a dark fruit character that I don't usually find in this style. Some hops, mainly floral, strewn across the aroma. Interesting, but some of the smells come across as out of place.

T - Caramel malts from the start. Various fruit flavors with a lingering astringency, like an artificially sweetened fruit punch. Some pine hops, but not nearly enough to balance the sweetness. The alcohol is noticeable in the aftertaste.

M - Thick and chewy with subtle carbonation. Has a warming character to it, suitable for colder months.

O - I was disappointed in this beer. It drinks like a Barleywine, which isn't in itself a demerit, but it isn't a good one. Cloyingly sweet after just a month or so from the bottling date. I won't be getting this one again.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 02:19:48 | More by NoLeafClover44

mooseo

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle into tulip.

A - Hazy orange-brown with a very thin film of white head.

S - Fresh grapefruit, pine resin, and sweet caramel malt.

T - Bitter grapefruit up front, followed by sweet caramel malt, rye and pine. Earthy citrus hops and bready malt on the finish.

M - Medium-full body, soft and silky. Mild carbonation, dry finish.

O - A decent double IPA, although a bit unbalanced in flavor. The sweet malts tend to overshadow the initial hop presence. But it's still an enjoyable beer and definitely worth a try if you like some sweetness in your IPA's. The alcohol is masked well, so be careful.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 01:50:18 | More by mooseo

Jason

Massachusetts

3.51/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

22oz brown bomber.

LOOK: Cloudy amber hue, thin sticky lace

SMELL: Mandarin oranges, caramel, rose water, grassy, estery

TASTE: Creamy, slick, fullish body, very bitter, faintly astringent, citrus overload, rind, pith, zest, warming alcohol, bittersweet finish

A bit off kilter, could be considered a hoppy Barleywine. Regardless, flavorful enough and fun enough to make me want to take another sip.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 04:20:30 | More by Jason

Beer_Runner

3.73/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottling date: July-12
Poured slowly into a standard pint glass.

A: Poured with almost no head forming at all. The small amount of head that did form disapated almost immediately. The brew is a copperish orange and mostly clear.

S: The aroma is very mild. There is just a bit of sweet malt and a little floral and citrus hops.

T: The taste has lots of sweet and bready malt. The sweetness is balanced by a sharp and bitter earthy hops flavor and a little bit of alcohol heat.

M: The body is medium, maybe just a little to the lighter side of medium. It leaves a little bit of a slick mouth coating and a pleasant bitter aftertaste.

O: Overall, this is a pretty good DIPA, particularly if you like bitter brews. The strong malt backbone and the bitter hops bomb balance out to a very robust and flavorful beer. Perhaps this beer is not in the top tier of a very competitive and large field of DIPA's, but it is a solid offering worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 01:09:25 | More by Beer_Runner

Pencible

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: This poured a clear dark copper with a bit of off-white head.
S: It smelled like rich caramel and honey malt, with some citrus and candied mango.
T: It tasted like sweet sugary caramel and honey, with some citrus and mango hops and rock candy. It had a clean but very sweet aftertaste.
M: It was slightly thick with a bit of carbonation. Decent body.
D: This was more like a sugary barleywine than a 2IPA, but it was still fairly enjoyable. The body was good enough, and the alcohol wasn't too noticeable. So it was easy to drink, if you have a sweet tooth. Not worth seeking out, but not bad to try once.

Serving type: growler

08-13-2011 02:55:21 | More by Pencible

mdaschaf

Washington

3.78/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Brews by the Bay.

A: Pours a copper/amber color with a small fizzy head with decent retention. Little whisps of lacing form on the glass.

S: Some grapefruit, caramel, brown sguar, and some faint pine. Slightly sweet, not as hoppy as I thought it might be.

T: More grapefruit and citrus with some pine coming during the middle. There is some more caramelized malt, a touch more than I was hoping for.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation. Abv was well hidden for 10%.

O: A pretty good effort, a little sweeter than I usually go for in a DIPA, would have liked to have been a bit more bitter. Will grab a bottle when I see it and give another shot and update if needed.

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2012 19:49:09 | More by mdaschaf

smakawhat

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from the bottle into a Dogfish Head Ale glass.

A real nice opaque and tangerine orange body. A three finger head is created while the golden brass liquid pours out of the bottle. Head is very creamy and whipped up, it's actually kind of yellow tinged with very tiny bubbles in it's makeup. A nice looking brew, even if it looks like a creamsicle.

Bouquet is a bit of a sugary hop front, and powdered sugar sensations. Thick sense of alcohol but not too boozy. With some time a bit of citrus orange comes creeping out. Not too bad.

Palate is kind of interesting. Lots of orange hop flavor, but also a kind of cough drop and borderline medicinal finish. Palate has a fine enough rich character that lets the mouthfeel play, and the flavors dance and come out. However, the finish is also really fleeting. Hop angle is definitely there, quite airy but also not with much staying power. A strange bit of sweetness also hangs around.

Overall it will do in a pinch, But my first sip and thought that came to my mind was this one was kind of weird. Probably not the ultimate DIPA to be had but life could be a whole lot worse.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 20:08:45 | More by smakawhat

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had this beer at RFD in Washington DC. I was looking for a beer that was not available in New Jersey. A cask beer works nicely for something completely different.

This was a cask aged version, which didn't have it's own entry. It was poured into a pint glass.

This beer is light brown with minimal foam. I expected the lower head due to the cask and the hand-pull.

Off the top I get grapefruit and a ton of resin. It reminds me of the smell on the Double Simcoe by Weyerbacher.

The flavor was somewhat unbalanced. I get a ton of resin over the oak accents. There was a bunch of bitterness.

The feel (like most cask beers) is perfect. You get the luxurious and silky texture. It is a very easy feel, that is only challenged by the bitterness from the hops.

I liked this beer, but I would recommend the Bengali Tiger or the Double Simcoe (as mentioned above).

Serving type: cask

08-05-2012 18:50:07 | More by ummswimmin

jnn4v

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Filled growler 8/3. Consumed and reviewed 8/4.

A: Light brown / dark copper or bronze color. Not a very typical DIPA look. Relatively little head. No visible sediment or haze.

S: Some grapefruit and some copper. Lots of brown malts - light brown sugar, caramelized sugar, etc. Smells very sweet with some citrusy hops. Maybe a hint of pine or resin, but that's definitely in the background.

T: Just as sweet as it smells. Seems more like a barleywine than a DIPA. Actually, seems more sweet than even some barleywines, or at least less complex. It's more of a pure sugary sweetness rather than the toffee and butterscotch I get from most barleywines. Grapefruit and other citrus hop flavors are there as well.

M: Pretty thick and viscous, even for a DIPA. I'm guessing that there's a lot of latent sugar in this and that Dominion just loaded up on the malt and the yeast stopped around 10%? Just my guess.

O: Not bad overall. Would be a good introductory beer to the world of DIPAs for folks who like sweet things and some hops.

Serving type: growler

08-05-2011 14:18:49 | More by jnn4v

ckollias

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed a sample of this beer at the What’s up Chesapeake Beer Madness 2012

A: Pours a golden copper-orange hue with a thin white head that quickly dissipates.

S: Huge hoppy aroma with hints of citrus in the background.

T: Very bitter hoppy flavor – with a slight citrus and lemon background. Alcoholic burn half through and finishes slightly dry.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Really good double IPA – I love this style.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 03:36:56 | More by ckollias

threeviews

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

S- Poured from a 12oz bottle into a 16oz (Odell branded) snifter (bottled on date: April 14, 2013)

A- Copper/Honey/Deep Golden color with a less than one finger's worth of head.

S- Caramel sweetness, tropical fruit and piney bitterness

T- Pine and sweet caramael malt...the palate is consumed by malt and hops in equal amounts...a very malt-heavy double IPA (but those who understand who know the style), this is a solid example.
M- Enough carbonation to keep it from becoming cloying, but this is a brew that is enjoyed colder, as it becomes a bit boozy when it warms.

O- I would suggest getting this as fresh as possible to get the most out of the dry hopping aroma/flavor.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 23:41:01 | More by threeviews

Arithmeticus

Maryland

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured chilled @buzzlitebeer's barroom.

A: copper color; thin head; medium carbonation
S: bubble gum, hops -- lingers a bit
T: very intense; wow, this is more like a triple IPA; very powerful hop bomb, like a bazooka

This beer makes a fantastic closer

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 17:29:45 | More by Arithmeticus

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bomber into tulip glass. Pours a golden orange color and a half finger off-white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Spotty lacing left behind. Floral hop aroma with a soily, grassy character that’s countered by a sweet malt backbone. Slightly resinous with subtle spicy needle followed by caramel malt, toffee and biscuit. Pine flavor that dominates the hop profile. There is some citrus/sweetness for balance. The sweetness comes from a strong caramel malt backbone that slightly overpowers the hops. Hints of rye, caramel, toffee and biscuit. Medium bodied with earthy hops that provide dry bitterness that lingers over the sweet malt backbone into a bone dry finish. Some alcohol burn toward the finish but overall the ABV decently masked. Overall, a very nice DIPA!

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 15:05:37 | More by CuriousMonk

BuxMontBeerLover

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed during the tasting portion of the Old Dominion Brewery tour. This beer was limited to a 50 barrel production according to our tour guide.

Enjoyed in a Old Dominion sample glass.

A - A deep, amber color with a half-finger head that quickly faded. A small amount of carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass.

S - A very classic IPA smell with intense hoppiness and grapefruit aromas.

T - A very tasty DIPA. A great combination of hops, caramel, pine and citrus. This is not a beer you want to drink fast or a lot of. The alcohol is very noticeable. The others in our tour group were BMC'ers and they couldn't handle the intensiveness of this beer.

M - Lightly carbonated. A thick beer. A bitterness lingers after each sip.

O - A really good beer. I would love to buy this but alas it is limited to select locations for a very limited time. Old Dominion is part of InBev but the folks I met there were very knowledgeable and truly dedicated to putting out a quality product. I'm really glad I got to sample such a low-production run beer.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2011 20:56:11 | More by BuxMontBeerLover

gobseulmuhri

New Jersey

4.11/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Got a single bottle of this at a local shop, just to try it out. Bottle date 4/17/13. A little over a month old, which is at the far limit of what I prefer on IPA freshness...

Poured into a Brooklyn Brewery snifter.

A: A semi-vigorous pour produced a finger thick head with decent retention and nice lacing. The color is clear, amber brown with no visible carbonation. Very nice to look at.

S: Grapefruit, pine, malt - all in relative balance. For a DIPA, it's quite balanced and pleasant. I didn't experience any alcohol smell. Surprising for a 9% abv beer, but I'll take it. Yet, if you are looking for something that's in your face, go elsewhere. The nose on this one wouldn't tell ya this is a DIPA...

T: Floral hops, pine, grapefruit, a malty sweetness. It's both light yet full and thick in body. It didn't have me floored, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

M: It's somewhat thick as one would expect with a decent amount of carbonation. Smooth. No alcohol bite or hop astringency. It's quite nice.

The Double D isn't among the best, but it's a very good beer. If you're looking for a casual DIPA (is this possible?) it's not a bad choice, but I wouldn't go out of my way to try it. If the Double Jack is a 90, the Dogfish 90 would be an 85, and the double D would be 80. YMMV...

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 19:34:47 | More by gobseulmuhri

superkustom

Maryland

4.14/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Very toasty. A bit boozy but over all well balanced. Poured into a Sam Adams pint glass. Pours a nice dusty golden hue. With ample carbonation of small bubbles rising to the 1 finger head. @ 9% its definitely a sipper, for the price it's a pretty good DIPA. I will definitely put this in my rotation.

Drink On, Drink Up! (DODU)

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 23:01:44 | More by superkustom