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