Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA Review

Name: Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 7.5%

I was planning on continuing my Three Floyds care package reviews, but they're all on my laptop which is currently without a charger or battery life until it arrives in the mail next week. The joys of having a Macbook, I tell ya! For this review I've decided to take a look at an offering called 75 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head Brewing.

Like many Dogfish Head beers, there's usually something that makes it unique which in this case, there are two. The first thing that makes it unique is that this is an IPA made with maple syrup, but that's not the thing that I found most interesting about this beer.

See the label above? Pretty awesome, right? However you're probably wondering why the man tapping the cask is wearing a Groucho Marx glasses-and-mustache. You see, this isn't the original label. Here's the original label....

It's none other than the Man in Black himself: Johnny Cash! When this beer was first released a few years back, it was known by it's nickname Johnny Cask, which drew it's name from the 15 barrel tank which the beer was originally made in. I'm guessing it was probably changed due to the risk of a lawsuit from the Cash Estate. Being a huge Johnny Cash, I think it's an excellent way to honor his memory.

75 Minute IPA pours a fairly hazy dark orange color with a white thick albeit soapy head. Nothing really much in terms of lacing and the visible carbonation is very mild.

The nose starts out with a very citrus hop and grapefruit forward scent. The maple syrup is initially very mild and blends in with the toffee & caramel malt sweetness, but it becomes more prominent as the beer warms up.

Mirroring the nose, the flavor starts citrus hop and grapefruit forward as well as some resin pine bitterness. The back end of the flavor is fairly malt heavy with caramel, toffee and maple syrup sweetness. The maple syrup isn't as noticeable compared to everything else but it doesn't taste artificial (which is good) and it blends seamlessly with the rest of the flavor.

The palate is pretty heavy in terms of body weight and has a bit of thickness to it. The carbonation is fairly moderate but it doesn't interfere with the overall drinking experience and it still allows you to enjoy the flavors that this beer has to offer.

I think 75 Minute IPA is a very flavorful and well-balanced IPA. Even though it doesn't play the biggest role in the overall taste, I think the maple syrup is an excellent addition to this beer. I would definitely recommend checking out this beer should you get the chance.

Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA - 9.5/10