120 Minute IPA - Dogfish Head Brewery

RollTide7

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Cloudy and light brown in appearance. Smell for me was not at all what I expected. I thought it be very hoppy, instead smelled boozy malty and a little fruity like fig. Taste was also very different and hard to detect much hops. Tastes much like it smelled for me, primary flavors were malty, caramel, figs etc. super high alcohol content not that noticeable. But beer is very sweet and different than I expected, (not hoppy at all). Glad I tried it but tastes more like a barley wine. Hated it at first, but grew on me as I got accustomed to the different taste. Definitely a unique brew that was a little misleading for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 04:12:12 | More by RollTide7

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A special treat to celebrate my 500th BA beer review, although I would have classified it as a barley wine rather than a DIPA? Bottled in 2011 and remarkably smooth. Has many of the elements of a good scotch, but I had no idea it was 18% ABV until looking at this site.

Pours a hazy, orange amber. It's oily and near-viscous in appearance, with no head and very little carbonation. Malt-forward aroma is milder than I expected, but still with a lot going on. I get a "sharp bitterness", with copper and oak, but am not doing it justice. The taste is more developed, with an initial malt sweetness that builds into a crescendo of more rounded bitterness during the body. The finish lingers for almost a full minute, and other than a hint of alcohol warmth at the end, there's no sign of the unbelievably high ABV. I can't pick out individual flavours to list, but it is both well balanced yet distinctly unique.

Although the bottle clearly mandates that this could be aged for decades, as a self-pronounced "hop head" I am disappointed that the citrus and tropical fruit tones have almost completely disappeared in the last year. Still an iconic beer on which I'm very glad to have splurged!

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 02:03:37 | More by hopsolutely

Bernardkowalski

5/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Absolutely one of my favorite beers!! honestly can go good with anything, but you are better off enjoying this beer by itself. it has so much too offer, such great combination between the yeast and malt's making this an outstanding brew. you can put this on my list of top beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 23:14:29 | More by Bernardkowalski

themind

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This beer has an interesting mix of flavors with a decent mouth feel. I have had this beer several times and each year it seems to be slightly different. If this beer is available it is a must try in my opinion. This is the 90 minute on steroids.

Bottom Line: Very good offering from DFH with a high price tag.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 13:05:44 | More by themind

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

4.94/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a bottle into a snifter. 2012 bottle aged about 6 months.

A - Pours a deep gold, almost amber, with a wispy, 1/2 finger head. (Pretty much as expected for an 18%'er) That said, the head maintained at least some presence all the way until the end of the glass. No lacing to speak of.

S - Immensely powerful aroma of freshly made toffee, sticky sweet breads, fusel alcohols which smell a little like magic marker, and an herbal/botanical blend. Smells closer to a barleywine or an old ale than a DIPA, but also totally unique.

T - Surprisingly, a candied sugar maltiness kicks things off, followed by HUGE hops in the form pineapple, mango, oranage marmalade, and some bitter grapefruit. Vinous white wine grape esters swirl about. Minty hop bite in the finish. The whole thing is drenched in booze, but I mean that in a good way as it's not at all "hot" on the tongue. ALL the flavors here jacked up to 11 and extremely rich. Some similarities to a good port wine. Man, this is amazing. Is there a way to rate something a 10?

M - Surprisingly delicate bodied, and slightly slick/sticky. Just enough carbonation to tickle the palate. Pretty spot on. Between the booze and the richness, the smallness of the sips I found myself taking while drinking this borders on the ridiculous.

O -Freaking amazing. Unique and complex. Too extreme? If your a wuss, maybe. If not, you can totally lose yourself in the depths of this powerful boozy beast. Yes, it's intense. Yes, the flavors can be jarring, and it might not be the most balanced beer available. That said...may I have another?

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 04:48:05 | More by TempeBeerMan

Homebrewpat

New Jersey

4.48/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Have had this many times both on draft and by this bottle. THis is without a doubt an extreme brew. I think of it as the port of beers. Big Alcohol and Sugary hops up front, tropical and dark fruits as it warms. Very rich mouthfeel, similar to high end BW's. Taste is toffee, maple coated hops, figs, and booze. I feel it gets even better with age. Drink this bad boy over and evening and smell and taste the wonderful change as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 04:25:29 | More by Homebrewpat

XicanoBeerRun

Texas

3.64/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Smells like sugar water and alcohol. You definitely smell more booze as it warms up. I poured half and drank it, and then poured the other half and drank it. Color is similar to other DFH brews like the ninety minute. More carbonation than I had expected. It tastes like beer with a shot of gin. It is sweet, but not too sweet. I like the novelty of an 18% abv beer but it isn't something that I would pick up every year. I will cellar one to see how it changes. I feel like 120 has a fan base like Fantome beers do, but I do not care for those much either.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 17:34:50 | More by XicanoBeerRun

MadScientist

New York

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Decided see what I had of intrest in my cellar so why not a five year old 120.

A: A hazy, medium copper with a deep reddish-orange hue. Some carbonation is evident in initial pour but it look fairly flat there after. The is just a small collar and a thin film of tiny off-white bubbles on top.

S: A mild citrus hops aroma is around but time has changed, I'm thinking of Tums but that could also be the moderately strong malt sweetness and moderate caramel malt aromas. Age had also brought a some moderate raisin notes and a touch of oxidation as well.

T: A rich malt sweetness with a solid hops bitterness. Note surprisingly the hops brillance has faded but there is still moderate lemon and citrus peel flavor along with a light raisin flavor. The balance is fairly bitter however there is a lot of sweetness from the malt. The finish is sweet and the aftertaste is a hops bitterness.

M: The light carbonation gives the perception is thicker than a medium-full bodied beer. Alcohol warmth is apparent

O: Even fresh this beer is has been a too sweet for my taste that sweetness has only increased as the hops have diminished their contribution. Time has mellowed the alcohols character and brought some raisin notes out from the malt.

Bottle 07/07/08

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 22:00:36 | More by MadScientist

mfnmbvp

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle, no bottled on or freshness date present. Super stoked to have landed one of these bad boys after waiting over a year to get my hands on one. Tried a friend's glass that he'd ordered on tap last year from Lunar Brewing in our hometown. Excited to try it and be able to fully appreciate it this time around. My first beer of the night, and most likely will also be my last beer of the night, it's 18.00% abv is destined to doom me.

Uncapped and poured into a Boulevard tulip.

A - Pours me a nice standard burnt sienna orange IPA color with tons of sediment and bubbles floating about, giving me a nice one and a half finger fluffy cream head. Looks great, but you wouldn't know this was the monster of an IPA that it is just by looking at it.

S - Tangy, wet, juicy, citrus hops. Fresh hop resins. Fresh grapefruit. A little bit of a alcohol pungency, but it is far from being anywhere near obvious. A fresh and lively type of smell. Would love to see what an aged version would smell and taste like.

T - Wow. Unforgiving blast of spicy bitter hops. Many different types of hop sensations to be had here. Juicy, fruity, floral. And then spicy and peppery. Definitely a beer to warm the soul on a winter's night. You would never know this beer is masking an 18.00% abv, although it is slowly working it's magic upon me. Sticky brown sugars begin to emerge as the beer starts to warm.

M - Very creamy texture to it almost, warming your throat on the way down. Sticky and resinous in the aftertaste, clinging to all sides of your mouth.

Overall, a beer that lives up to it's hype sufficiently well I'd say. Tremendous feat especially for what has to be one of the most bitter tasting IPA's on the planet, and one that ages well, no doubt. I would love to be able to snag another bottle or two to cellar away, but I don't see that happening for at least another year or so. Until then, I recommend snagging a bottle (or a case) while you can.

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA ---4/5

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 05:47:42 | More by mfnmbvp

JBMK9

4.46/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I waited for about 4 years to try this beer. Because of living arrangements, I was never in a state that carries it. I found this in Texas, and was extremely happy. The 90 minute IPA is my beer of choice. After having this, that has not changed. The biggest surprise from this beer is the sweetness. It is sweet like the Three Philosophers is sweet, with an IPA finish. Very interesting beer. Very tasty. I drank an entire 12 oz bottle to myself over a two hour period. I have three more that I am keeping for enjoyment at different times. Going to hold one for at least couple of years.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 00:57:21 | More by JBMK9

Trueant1

Minnesota

4.83/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Aged this bottle for one year.

Pours very little head as expected. Nice orange color.
Smells sweet with a hint of alcohol. Good, but not great. Aging takes away some hop smells.
Tastes of very sweet malt/alcohol duel. Malts win. Bitterness abounds but sweet sweet, medium flavored malts win here. Lightly carbonated completes the flavors. After the brew warms up, alcohol is more pronouned in the aftertaste.
Where is the 18 % Most barley wines at 12% have more alcoholic flavors. Medium mouthfeel.
I have not had a Dogfish head that has lived up to it's reputation. This brew, makes it's own reputation.
Exceptional sipper!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 06:57:58 | More by Trueant1

mooseo

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into tulip. (2012)

A - Sunny yellow-orange with a small white head. Tiny specks of sediment float freely.

S - Fresh grapefruit, citrus hops, caramel malt, slight graininess. Surprisingly, the alcohol is a bit muted here.

T - Sweet caramel malt, grapefruit, citrus zest. Slight undertones of mango and honey. A light earthy bitterness lends balance. The alcohol is present but not overwhelming. Impressive.

M - Medium-full body, creamy and oily. Average carbonation, warming alcohol, dry finish.

O - This bottle is around a year old now, and it has aged well. For a double IPA, it's pretty good. It's a tad too sweet for my taste, but still tasty. The alcohol is masked well, and is very drinkable at 18% ABV. I just wish there was a bit more complexity/depth.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 05:14:10 | More by mooseo

Immortale25

Florida

3.63/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Due South Brewing Co. snifter. Bottleneck says Bottled in 2011.

A- Pours a murky copper color and it's hard to get a head out of it. Basically just a half-full 1/8 inch layer of surface foam that immediately dissipates to a paper-thin ring around the edge of the glass. Average lacing with some alcohol legs.

S- Sweet malts infused with sharp alcohol that singes the nostrils plus some twangy hops. Notes of vanilla, caramel and brown sugar.

T- The alcohol is the first thing to sink its teeth in, followed by the toffee-like malt sweetness. Hops are there too, amazingly enough since this bottle's over a year old. Bitter and toasty aftertaste. A little bit of raisin too. Also some white grape-type tannins.

M- As said before, sharp and bitey while also syrupy causing the lips to smack repeatedly. There's actually a halfway decent amount of carbonation given its age. Medium body.

O- Not bad, but I've kinda given up hope on actually ever loving this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 02:18:17 | More by Immortale25

GhostKidd956

4.59/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I was saving this beer but we got some where i work so i couldn't help but buy 2 more :P
A - copper amber redish, even a golden amber red (Lacing on the glass is pretty decent

S - very sweet, strong sweet fruits with a after smell of hops.

T -amazing! whoa this is like a orange cognac, very sweet like a pineapple juice type deal with a hoppy finish. FIrst taste though come in almost like a orange candy type deal but that sweet sour fruit Cognac comes well though.

M - perfect :) alcohol does come out a lot though

O - amazing beer! i'm drinking it as i type it, with a IBU level of 120+ i thought it was gonna be very hoppy but is really isn't i'm thinking it had to do something with the aging procress because its a very sweet beer. well worth the 13 dollar i spent on this one

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 05:18:09 | More by GhostKidd956

Glasshopper67

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Lived within a one hour drive of the Dogfish Brewery in Delaware so I had several opportunities to have this cross between beer and a liquor. It is one of the best extreme high gravity beers you will taste with an abundance of hop aroma from the second you open the bottle. Deep rich color, smooth on the mouth and throat and finishes with a hoppy gasp at the end.

Best sipped from a brandy glass to take full advantage of the flavor. And be careful, this is more like a distilled spirit than a beer...a couple go a long way.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 22:08:31 | More by Glasshopper67

SPThirtyThree

Colorado

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Murky apricot. I let a lot of yeast into my goblet at the end of the pour. A half-finger head of yellowed creme quickly falls to an egg'shaped pool of bubbles in the middle from the etching.

S: Hoppy, but oxidized. I think this is a 2010, so this beer might be as old as 3 years.

T: Tangy pineapple. This beer is sweet and resinous. Hot alcohols yield to sticky sweetness, touched off by the fruity notes of the west-coast hops. I'm guessing Amarillo. The lemony tang is reminiscent of citra. Matliness is subtle, buried under a Belgian-candy spicy sweetness. At the finish, in the breath, there is a lot of fusely heat, but not enough to spoil the flavor.

M: Hot, astringent, and thin, but not

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 15:35:50 | More by SPThirtyThree

NSK79

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 2012 bottle, relatively fresh - I am aging another to try in a year.

A - Pours copper in color, inch thick head, slight lacing, but only lingers for a little while.

S - Sweet fruity and boozy aromas, not biting, but does almost smell like a barleywine.

T - Lots of sweet fruit notes, and you feel the heat of the alcohol just as if you are drinking a cognac or bourbon.

M - Very smooth but boozy.

O - Excellent beer, I did expect to have more of a hoppy IPA feel but instead got more of a straight alcohol feel but it was very smooth. I did enjoy this beer thoroughly and look forward to tasting my other bottle again in a year.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 03:54:28 | More by NSK79

StuporJew

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

6-month-old bottle from the June 2012 batch, appropriately poured into a DFH tulip.

A - Pours a burnt-caramel with a two-finger head that lingers about for a full 3 minutes, until the first sip is taken. HUGE amount of constantly-effervescent carbonation, proving that this beer still needs quite a bit of age to truly mellow and reach its' true potential.

S - Notes more akin to a Barleywine than an IPA, with hints of cognac-esque sweetness, and inherent fruitiness. Hops take a backseat, which is strange, but we all know that Sam does things a little differently at DFH. Also Toasty rye and barley malts and caramel, showing that the hops aren't the only star of this monster beer.

T - Creaminess and lighter hop-notes start the palate off, followed by more Cognac sweetness, and some mango and dates. I'm pretty sure that Mr. Calagione brewed some fruit into this one, on top of the candy sugar, because it's just too darned fruity to think otherwise. There is also some inherent dryness to the mid-palate, with the malts complimenting the loony shenanigans that is the whole of this beer, which, once again, IMHO, could use more age. Lucky me, I still have another bottle to hold on to for 6+ months.

M - Lively effervescence, creamy notes, and a lingering acidity round this Barleywine-like beast out well. Once again, NEEDS AGE. (The label doesn't lie...)

O - A nice treat for all the senses, at any time, holding in consideration that you don't have anything important to do, like operating heavy machinery, or taking care of a small human. And for the love of all that is holy, DON'T DRINK ONE AND DRIVE!!! Just by volume, this beer (This batch) is equal to a little over 4 Bud Lights in alcohol, or 2 shots of Jagermeister. It can do things to you, most of which are nice, if you (as previously mentioned) don't have anything pressing to do. Great with a Don Collins Rum-Dipped Cigarillo (From Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico.... Look them up online, order some of their cigars and RUM, and thank me later!), or some applewood smoked Jerk chicken. I love this beer. If you don't, you haven't had it yet. CHEERS!!!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 06:52:24 | More by StuporJew

Celtics76

Rhode Island

4.13/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2012 bottle. My last review for a while. Having a "dry" January to lose some weight and reignite my passion for craft beer.

Pours clear copper without much head, which quickly reduces to a light foam ring around the glass. Nice piney smell. Hops noted as well.

Sweet maple syrupy flavor with some pine & caramel notes. Does not taste like a pure Imperial IPA at all - there is a hop presence for sure, but not the bitterness one would expect. The high ABV is detected, but not as obvious as I thought it would be. Very heavy, syrupy mouthfeel with medium carbonation.

Dogfish Head did a good job with this but I would describe this as more of a scotch ale/barleywine/IPA hybrid as opposed to an Imperial IPA. I have to deduct points for the high cost and misrepresentation of the style. Tasty nonetheless, and one I would revisit every couple years.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 18:04:39 | More by Celtics76

TBoneJones

Texas

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a sparkling amber with thick layer of particles/ little bubbles throughout my chalice. Body looks great, but the head is short-lived.
Smells oaky, sweet malts, syrupy citrus (orange peel to me), some pine. Nice but subtle. I cant believe im not picking up alcohol here, esp. when im about to taste 18%
Wow what a big beer. This is my second time trying it, and I think I like it more this time around. There's an intense rush off the bat. A bold sweet cognac burn that becomes a smooth & bitter orange-like citrusy finish, tingly all the way. This time around I like how the hops react with everything else to create a unique feeling. Syrupy, but very well balanced overall and smoothly warming for such a strong beer. I wish somehow the hops were even more present in the taste, as I know they were in making this beer. For what this is, it is well-made. Sporadic lacing. Something here reminds me of Devil Dancer (only as far as that beer's ambition is concerned), but this has better balance with malt backbone, and better hop-interplay. I also enjoy what citrus presence is here, and again DFH does a great job balancing malt and hops on this large scale (with the Founder's example i just mentioned, I felt indifferent because it's tough for me to dig big sweet IPAs that are mainly malt forward/cloying). But 120 Minute succeeds it its attempt.
A once-in-a-while-treat (this bottle was stamped as being bottled in 2012), the few bottles I have remaining I'm going to age another year or so in order to see what might evolve.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 04:45:06 | More by TBoneJones

divineaudio

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz bottle shared with my gf. poured into a snifter.

a - pours a hazy amber color with a thin film of off white head. spotty lacing in the glass.

s - toasted bread, grapefruit, pine resin, faint astringency.

t - more of the nose, really. toasted bread malt character with notes of citrus, honey and pine resin. very boozy. in fact, the bitterness seems to come entirely from the alcohol content rather than hops.

m - full bodied, prevalent alcohol burn, finer co2 profile.

o - much better than i was expecting given some of the things i have read/heard. definitely a slow sipper, and i doubt i could do a whole bottle of this by myself. not something i would drink often, but i'm glad i got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 01:10:58 | More by divineaudio

DovaliHops

California

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012. Pours an almost clear amber color with a very small white head that disappears quickly. Scent is very sweet and malty. Good amount of hops. Floral, citrusy...and oddly enough, there is a good amount of dark fruits. I'm picking up some raisins and figs. Sweet vanilla as well. Taste is...oh so boozy! I guess I was expecting this though. Sweet and boozy vanilla flavors with pine and citrus. Figs and raisins with some sweet apricot flavor. Hop flavor, but not very bittering. Burning, stinging floral flavors. Mouthfeel is full bodied. Drinkability is fair. Overall, this beer is very interesting. I've been longing to try this beer, and didn't go into it with very high expectations. It exceeded my expectations. Great sipper beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 10:21:33 | More by DovaliHops

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Split a 2009 bottle with my brother on Xmas Eve. Poured into Duvel glasses. Not a lot of carbonation left, but decent lacing. Smell was sweet and hoppy. Flavor was pretty potent still for a beer a few years old. Very malt and hop forward. We both thought it was edging towards becoming a barleywine in terms of characteristics. Quite easy going down, so mouthfeel was good. Extremely tasty beer, but it's a tad hard to justify the pricetag. Trying it once on a special occasion is good enough for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 21:30:15 | More by morebeergood

MisterNic

Wyoming

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle/Bottled in 2012

A - Pours a hazy orange color with little to no head at all.

S - Massive hop aroma. Peach, pineapple, pine, and lots of tropical fruit.

T - Pine, pineapple, and sweet syrupy malt. I can detect some alcohol, but it's still very drinkable for an 18% abv beer. It's very sweet, but the alcohol and massive hop bitterness balances it out very nicely.

M - Full bodied, sticky mouthfeel.

O - Overall, this beer far exceeded my expectations. I was very impressed and will definitely buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 16:34:52 | More by MisterNic

chugalug06

Colorado

3.78/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

At last I try the 2012 120 Minute...

Very nice carbonation and head considering it's 18%... Brew is orange with nice clarity.

Tons of grapes, tart apricot, figs, vanilla, sugar. I fail to see the link to an IPA though...

Whoa. Very unique, not at all what I pictured... It's very robust and well rounded. Tons of suagry (but not bomb-y) fruit. grape, fig, prune, apricot, mild heat. Heavy carbonation and tough to drink 12oz. by yourself... Very unique.

It's much more of a B-wine than an IPA, per style claim. I could imagine if DFH tweaked it a bit they would have much more success marketing it as a B-wine... I would be very intrigued to see where this brew goes with 10 years in the cellar...

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 02:37:46 | More by chugalug06