Dogfish Head Dragons & YumYums Review

Name: Dogfish Head Dragons & YumYums
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 6.5%
IBUs: 25

The last time I did a Dogfish Head review, distribution had not yet reached Minnesota. Yet during my absence, they FINALLY decided to set up shop here and now I no longer have to make the trek across the border to Wisconsin to get my Dogfish Head fix.

Anyways, today I’ve got their Dragons & YumYums Pale Ale. This beer is a collaboration between Dogfish Head & The Flaming Lips: one of my favorite bands from when I was a freshman in college and was fortunate enough to see them live during that time. Who am I kidding, even now I still listen to them! This is a beer made with passionfruit, pear, dragonfruit, black carrot juice & yumberries (yes, they’re a thing).

Appearance - Mildly clear orange/magenta color with some mild carbonation. The head itself is pretty thin and the lacing itself is rather spotty.

Aroma - Toffee malts & citrus hops upfront with some pear and passion fruit notes. I'm also getting some light earthiness in here too that reminds me of apple skins.

Taste - Potent pear and toffee maltiness upfront, with some vibrant passionfruit & mild citrus hops in the middle. There is a bittersweet fruity taste and tartness in the back, which becomes more prevalent as the beer warms up.

At first I wasn't too sure, but the flavor gets way more complex the more it warms up and I like it! It's not a pale ale for everyone but if you want something different, then this beer is for you!

Dogfish Head Burton Baton Review

Name: Dogfish Head Burton Baton
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 10%

It's been a couple of months since I've had any beer from Dogfish Head, so I've decided to take it upon myself to check out their Burton Baton, Despite having the word "Burton" in its name, this isn't a Burton Style Ale but actually an oak-aged Imperial IPA. It is a comparatively stark contrast to Dogfish Head's 120 Minute IPA, which clocked in at 18% ABV.

Seeing as how I'm a history geek of sorts, there is usually a story behind a name of a beer from Dogfish Head and it turns out the name comes from the town of Burton, England. It is from Burton that the India Pale Ale was first conceived. Back when India was a British Colony, there was a demand from British Soldiers for beer from back home. However the beer would spoil on ships making their way to India, so extra hops were added to help preserve the beer, and thus, gave birth to a new style of beer and has gone on to become a staple of the craft brewing industry.

Burton Baton pours a hazy orange color with no visible carbonation. It possesses a very thin khaki colored head but comes with some pretty good lacing.

In the aroma, I'm getting some strong citrus hop & grapefruit notes paired with some oakiness. Following up with that is some rather caramel & toffee maltiness with a slight hint of smoke.

With the taste, it is quite grapefruit & piney hop heavy upfront, followed by some strong oakiness & caramel malts. In the aftertaste I'm getting some very strong hop bitterness and light roastiness.

Needless to say, this is an Imperial IPA that provides the hop fix that fans of the style so desperately crave. Plus I'm a sucker of sorts for oak-aged beers, but even if it weren't oak-aged, I would still highly recommend this!

Dogfish Head Burton Baton - 9.25/10

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

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA Review

Name: Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 18% According to BeerAdvocate, 15-20% per Dogfish Head

Tonight I have a special treat for you guys. Just a couple of weeks ago, Dogfish Head became available in our area much to the delight of craft beer drinkers here. One of the most highly anticipated beers to arrive on the store shelf was their 120 Minute IPA, which is considered to be one of the most highly sought after Imperial IPAs in the country, ranking up it there with the likes of Heady Topper and Pliny the Elder.

Back when I lived in Chicago, Dogfish Head was fairly easy to find; Even the little convenience store which was right around the corner from me, a place that you would never guess even had craft beer, had it in stock. However the "Yeti" of the Dogfish Head beers was always the 120 Minute IPA, with rumored sightings of it at the various liquor stores around Chicago but it was nowhere to be seen when I went to look for myself. Somehow my co-worker always seemed to find it and loved to boast about it whenever he found it.

That is why I consider myself very fortunate and lucky to have finally found a bottle of this after 2 years of waiting. In fact, this beer was even listed on my beer bucket list that I made last year. Now the ABV of this beer is subject to speculation because BeerAdvocate lists it at 18% while Dogfish Head throws out a guesstimate of 15-20%. Either way that makes this the highest ABV beer that I have tried to date.

120 Minute IPA pours a very hazy dark orange color. The head is very thin in appearance and I'm not picking up on too much in terms of lacing. It's also too cloudy to see if there is any carbonation at all in here.

The aroma extremely strong, like you have a knee-jerk reaction to reel your head back from the sheer power of the nose. I'm picking up on some freshly peeled oranges, and candied caramel malts which borderlines on smelling like actual candy. Interestingly enough, I'm also not picking up on any booziness and if there is any in here, it's very well hidden. No matter how you look at it, the nose is very overwhelming and strong.

Upon taking my first sips, the flavor actually is very malt forward at first but then the hops and booziness rush in and proceed to just punch you right in the face. It starts out with some strong candied caramel malts and brown sugar but the hop profile opens up in a big way to some piney hops, grapefruits and robust citrus hops along with the said booziness. As for the aftertaste, it's got an extremely bitter hop flavor that lingers around. It's also worth noting, however, that as it warms up, the boozy kick that's present in the front of the flavor actually goes away. I'm not sure if it's the warmth or my palate getting used to the power of it but it becomes a lot more bearable the further in you go.

The palate is very heavy and quite thick but thankfully the carbonation is very light, which is a good thing because the flavor profile is already strong enough as is.

Despite the sheer power of this beer, it has a lot more balance to it than Evil Twin's Molotov Cocktail (the strongest Imperial IPA I've had up until now). The big difference here is that while it does taste boozy, it's masked by the other flavors which are equally as strong, if not, stronger. I think it goes without saying that this beer is definitely not for everyone and may be too intense for some; After all, the first time sipping this I was coughing! So would I say it's worth checking out? If you are a hop head that is looking for an absolute monster of a beer that will leave a lasting impression, then this beer is for you!

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA - 9.25/10

Dogfish Head Sixty-One Review

Name: Dogfish Head Sixty-One
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 6.5%

When I got this beer originally, I wasn't exactly paying attention to what I was getting. I knew I was grabbing a Dogfish Head beer but I thought I was getting a bottle of 60 Minute IPA. Now imagine my shock when I looked at the bottle and realized I ended up grabbing a bottle of Dogfish Head Sixty-One.

Now Sixty-One is, in fact, an IPA but keeping in with Dogfish Head's tendencies to explore uncharted territory, this is brewed with Syrah grape must which is just another term for "grape juice." According to the brewery's website, Sixty-One was created as a test batch at the Dogfish Head brewpub last year and it actually uses the same type of hops that is used in 60 Minute IPA and an addition of dry hops.

Sixty-One pours a hazy orange color with a pinkish tinge with a foamy white head that also has a light pink shade as well. Light visible carbonation and good lacing. I really can't say that I've had a beer that has been a pinkish color before. I guess there's a first time for everything

The nose has moderate aroma of citrus hops but it's lightly masked a a distinct grape and berry scent. It smells like you took sparkling grape juice and poured it into an IPA.

The citrus hops are a bit more prominent in the flavor but the grapes and berries are still quite noticeable. It does possess some resiny bitterness and also a distinct muskiness, particularly in the aftertaste. The palate possesses a fairly heavy body with some mild carbonation.

I have very mixed feelings about this beer. On one hand, it's a totally different IPA that is trying to bridge the gap between wine and beer which I think is awesome! On the other hand, I think the execution is a bit sloppy and somewhat imbalanced when it comes to the flavor.  I enjoy trying out beers that to go off the beaten path into uncharted territory. I have found several beers that have absolutely floored me with how great they taste but Sixty-One just didn't cut it with me.

Had this been a heavier style of beer like a Dubbel, Abbey or Barleywine, I think the outcome could've been a lot different. With that said, it's a decent beer that's worth checking out if you're looking for something truly unique and I feel that people are either going to love or hate this beer. For me, at the end of the day I'd rather have a 60 Minute IPA instead of this.

Dogfish Head Sixty-One - 7/10

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA Review

Name: Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 9%

There are few craft breweries in America that have become household names like Dogfish Head Brewing has. Based out of Milton, Delaware, you could find this beer in places around the Eastern United States and even parts west of the Mississippi River. That was until 2010 when Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head, started his own TV Show called Brew Masters, which focused on the brewery discovering new & different styles to make.

Though the show was cancelled after 5 episodes due to lack of ratings, it created enough buzz for the the brewery that they had to pull back distribution to the East Coast because the demand had grown tremendously. In fact, it wasn't until last year that the brewery started redistributing westbound again and last week, I received word that Dogfish Head was coming back to our area, which I'm extremely excited about since Dogfish Head was one of my goto breweries while I lived in Chicago a couple years back.

While I was down in the Twin Cities a couple weeks ago, I grabbed some Dogfish Head while I was over in Hudson, WI. The first beer I'm going to take a look at from them is their 90 Minute IPA, which is highly regarded as one of the best Imperial IPAs on the market and considered by some to be their flagship beer.

90 Minute IPA pours a rather hazy dark amber color with a thin foamy head that has some decent retention. Visually I'm not picking up any carbonation and the lacing is somewhat sparse but still there.

The nose has starts out fairly malt heavy with caramel sweetness and a light hint a of chocolate. This is followed up by a strong mix of floral & piney hops and some grapefruit notes.

The flavor on the other hand pretty much levels the playing field. You've got a nice robust floral & piney hop profile matched with a solid caramel malty backbone, and a slight chocolate and toffee sweetness. The aftertaste is on the maltier side with notes of caramel and a slight grapefruit flavor.

This beer possess a heavier body that also quite thick, giving it an almost chewy like quality. However since it has very mild carbonation, it comes across as very creamy and smooth on the palate.

90 Minute IPA's robust flavor profile and easy drinkability make this beer standout. Anyone whose into Imperial IPAs that has not checked this out yet owe it to try it out. You will not be disappointed, I promise!

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA - 9.5/10

Top 10 Beers I would like to try out (Part 1)

Today was a pretty long day so I don't feel like doing any reviews tonight. Tonight it's just me, some Spotted Cow and Sinatra on Pandora. So instead of doing a review I would like to put together a list of the Top 10 beers I would currently like to get my hands on. Please note that one of these entries has not been released yet.

10) Murree's Classic Lager

"Huh?"

That's probably what you are thinking right now. Well there's a couple different reasons why I chose this. First of all, Murree Brewing is one of the oldest breweries in Asia, at least to my knowledge. It was formed in 1860 during the British Occupation of India to meet the needs of thirsty British Soliders stationed over in the Indian Subcontinent.

That is not the main reason why I'm eager to try it out. The main reason is because it was established in Rawalpindi, India back in 1860. Well, a little thing called the Partition happened in the Indian Subcontinent in 1947. Suddenly Rawalpindi was no longer in India, but was now in the newly formed country of Pakistan; Yes, THAT Pakistan!

Due to Islamic law, Muslims are not allowed to purchase alcohol in Pakistan...not legally anyways. It can only be purchased by Non-Muslims and is only available in Pakistan at this time; So the chances of getting my hands on this are pretty slim.

Yeah, I want to try this out is mainly because it's from Pakistan; Let's be fair, the first thing that pops into our heads when we think of Pakistan is terrorism and not beer. When I first heard about this brewery, I was curious about it's existence but now I'm interested not just their beer, but their Single Malt Whiskey, Gins, and Spirits, which I heard are excellent. Maybe one day Murree Brewing will be allowed to distribute internationally 

9) Surly Seviin

I've never had any of Surly Brewing's Anniversary beers before and would love to try at least one out. This year I will try getting my hands on Seviin, which will be a Belgian Strong Ale to commemorate their 7 years of being in business and is supposed to come out next week at the time of writing this so hopefully watch out from a review in the near future.

8) Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

One thing I miss about Chicago is Dogfish Head Brewing, you could find it in many liquor stores, grocery stores or even tucked away in a seedy little convenience store that you would never guess had a good craft beer selection. I had a wide variety of of their beers but one always seemed to elude me, and that was their 120 Minute IPA. I have had their 60 Minute IPA & 90 Minute IPA but never their 120 Minute IPA. Later this year, I hope to go back to Chicago to finally get my hands on this but until then I can only hope they start distributing to Minnesota.

7) Three Floyds Dark Lord Imperial Stout

And the award for most badass looking beer label goes to......

The other beer that reminds me of Chicago is.....well, not from Chicago but about 25 minutes away in Munster, IN; I'm of course talking about Three Floyds Brewing. I recently did a review of their Dreadnaught Imperial IPA and it was amazing! There's one release I've always wanted to get my hands on and that is their Dark Lord Imperial Stout. 

We here in Minnesota have our own Surly Darkness and I've heard Surly Darkness is better than Three Floyds Dark Lord while I've also heard the argument the other way around. Hell, they even have a Darkness Day for Surly and Dark Lord Day for Three Floyds. As long as it's good, I don't care who's is better. Likewise, availability is very limited and looks to stay that way for the foreseeable future.

6) The Alchemist Heady Topper

Whenever I see pictures of beer hauls, pictures of a beer someone is drinking or a beer trade on either Beer Advocate or the Beer-related Subreddits on Reddit, The Alchemist Heady Topper is one of the beers that somehow happens to be in EVERY other picture. 

I've come to the conclusion that either half the beer drinkers on the internet live in Vermont or they have good connections. Either way, I wouldn't mind getting my hands on this but I won't be going to Vermont anytime soon.

That's the end for Part 1, if you've made it this far and wish to continue, click here for Part 2!