New Brew Thursday - Now wait a just minute or 60 or 90 or 120

One of my favorite go-to IPA's is Dogfish Head's 60 Minute IPA.  It's a great middle of the road IPA . . . not too bitter, not too hoppy, and very refreshing . . . pretty much IPA perfection.

So, as a natural matter of course it's predictable to assume that I'd be curious to try the 90 Minute and 120 Minute IPA's.  A fair assumption and an accurate one.

I went to my favorite beer store and scored a four pack of the 90 Minute IPA and a bottle of the 120 Minute IPA (it's only sold as a single).  The plan . . . to enjoy them in succession and compare all the Dogfish Head Minute IPA's.

Before I get into the individual reviews of each of these beers I'd like to say that neither of theses beers were anything like I anticipated them to be.  Not in a bad way . . . just different than I expected.

See my review of 60 Minute IPA here.  Like I said before, an excellent example of an India Pale Ale.

As the name sort of indiciates, 90 Minute IPA is hopped for 90 minutes, is 9% ABV and has 90 IBUs.  Think of it as the big bro to the 60 minute . . . it's a bigger beer for sure.  

It pours a lovely golden color but somehow has a reddish tint when the glass is full.   It has full but quickly dispating head the leaves a good lacing on the glass. It's got a maltier aroma than I expected . . . I was expecting a nose full of bitter hops.  It's also sweeter than I thought it would be . . . 

caramel and malt keep the hoppiness at bay . . . again I expected more bitter hoppiness.   What makes this beer so interesting to me is that although it has sweet malty characteristics it has the citrus hop backbone that compliments and enhances the overall flavor profile.  It is certainly an interesting and unique IPA . . . smooth and delicious . . . a beer to be sipped and enjoyed.  Overall . . . excellent.

The 120 Minute IPA was even more surprising to me.  Admittedly, I anticipated a big beer and in that aspect I was not surprised or disappointed.  There is no doubt that this a very big beer . . . big flavor, lots of alcohol, mucho everythingo . . . a whopping 15-20% ABV and 120 IBUs.

It pours an amber color with almost no head.  It's smells of booze, sweet malt and hops.  The taste?  Nothing short of amazing.  

However, there's no disguising the alcohol content in this brew . . . it's there and you can taste it . . . but, like a fine brandy, it doesn't bury the rest of the flavors.  This beer is strong and smooth and nicely effervescent.  Seeing that this beer is hopped for two full hours I expected a more hoppy flavor but was instead I tasted caramel, sweet malt combined nicely balanced with a citrussy hop undertone.  This beer is mildly sweet, barely bitter . . . it really is comparable to brandy or cognac.

I recently spied 120 Minute on the beer board at our favorite pub . . . 4 ounces for $8.  Cha-ching considering I can get an 12 ounce bottle for $10 to $12.  However, I wanted to sample this fine beer straight from the tap . . . I wasn't disappointed.

A word of advice . . . don't rush through this beer; savor it, contemplate it.  There's a whole hell of a lot going on here and it is simply amazing.  Overall . . . awesome!

Visit Dogfish Head at their website  or on Facebook 

New Brew Thursday - Coronado Brewing Company IPAs

While I was searching my local beer store for something new-to-me, I came across this trio of IPA's  from Coronado Brewing Company.  The brewery is located in . . . of all places . . . Coronado, California.  Shocking, I know.  

The mermaid on the bottle grasping a mug a frothy beer is what initially caught my attention . . . after all, who doesn't love a drunken fish girl?  Oh, come on, admit it, you do . . . we all do.  Or maybe its just me . . . whatever.

Anyhoo . . . being the hop loving, bitter beer guzzling chick that I am I felt compelled to give these fin tailed ladies a try.  So I did.

Hoppy Daze is a spring seasonal offering in the style of an unfiltered Belgian IPA.   Brewed with Belgian yeast, it is a bit different than the IPAs I'm used to drinking.  

It pours a hazy golden color with a medium-ish white head.  It is clearly unfiltered . . . I like that because it adds character to the beer. Immediately discernible are tropical fruits . . . pineapple especially . . . that are an interesting contrast to the bitter hops and the toasted malt.  It's sweeter than I would generally prefer in an IPA but not bad.  The hops lend a citrussy flavor that compliment the fruity sweetness and balances the whole thing out.  Hoppy Daze finishes crisp and clean with a pleasant lingering bitterness.

Although it is a bit sweet for my taste there are plenty of hops to enjoy.  It's a very refreshing, drinkable brew that I wouldn't mind revisiting. (7.3% ABV)

Islander IPA . . . wow!  Good beer!  It pours a rich golden color with a thick frothy head.  It's got plenty of that grapefruity, piney hoppiness that I love so much with a touch of tropical fruitiness that is simply complimentary without a lot of overt sweetness.  But what stood out the most was a wonderful caramel flavor that made Islander oh-my-goodness yummy!  It's a fairly strong beer, 7% ABV.  There is a noticeable boozy quality that doesn't detract from the beer at all, but it is clearly there.  It finishes light with a touch of bitterness . . . mmmm, makes me want to go for more.

Overall, this was my favorite of the bunch . . . this mermaid has it all going on.  Really and truly quite delicious.

Last but not least is the Idiot IPA . . . it's okay, I've been called an idiot a time or two.  This one is an Imperial IPA and it's a big beer . . . as an Imperial style beer should be (8.5% ABV).  It's strong, it's hoppy and it's gosh-darned good.  


It  pours amber with a white frothy head.  I was immediately struck by a wonderful piney grapefruity aroma . . . I love that!  If you like hops, then this is it . . . plenty of bitter hops with some citrus fruit and earthy spice and balanced by a mellow sweet maltiness.  It finishes crisp with a touch of bitterness that is quite nice.  Very  will done . . . not too bitter, not too sweet . . . a very good, strong Imperial IPA.  








Three cheers for Coronado Brewing Company!  I look forward to trying their other beers.  YUM!

Visit Coronado Brewing Company's website or check them out on Facebook!

New Brew Thursday - IPA Double Tap . . . Goose Island IPA and Ghandi Bot

The first IPA is Goose Island IPA . . . It's served on tap at our Wednesday wings-n-beer hangout and it's a good honkin' beer.  

This is my second Goose Island review (see other review).  Goose Island was once a little upstart company but is now Anheuser-Busch.  A downside in my book but I still like the brews.



Goose Island’s IPA is an English-style IPA. Although this is an English IPA it is brewed with Centennial and Cascade hops along with a pair of English style hops, four varieties total. It's the Centennial and Cascade hops that give Goose Island IPA a distinctly American flavor.  

The beer is a rich golden color with a white head that hugs the side of the glass leaving very nice lacing behind.   This is an earthy tasting beer with piney, floral, almost grassy flavor with a kind of citrussy pineapple finish.  


It's a pleasant beer to drink, it's perfectly carbonated, medium bodied and refreshing.  Goose Island has very good IPA taste with out being overpowering; not bitter and nicely balance.  


Overall, a good IPA and fits the bill when I'm looking for a little extra flavor.  5.9% ABV






Visit the Goose Island website for more information on this or their other offerings.  Be sure to check out their Facebook page, as well.

The second IPA is Gandhi-Bot which is brewed by New England Brewing Company (see my other NEBC review).


Gandhi-Bot is a heavy hitter as far as IPA's go . . . it's an Imperial style double IPA.  It packs quite a wallup in both flavor and alcohol content (8.8% ABV)

Gandhi-bot pours an amber color.  The full, long-lasting head grabs the glass.  Layer after layer of lacing appears sip after sip.  It looked like a strip mine excavation in my beer glass.


The aroma is OMG hoppy with the flavor to back it up.  My first reaction to the first taste of this beer was "WOW!"  and then "wow!".  Then I settled back and very much enjoyed this brew.

The very piney, very grapefruity, slightly sweet flavor was incredibly well balanced and smooth.  The intense of flavors . . . not for the light weight IPA drinker . . . finish with a lingering hoppy bitterness that begs for another sip.  And then another.

A seriously good IPA.  NEBC has out-done themselves with this one and I'll be keeping a few on hand for an IPA emergency.

I really, really like this one!  Grab yourself a pack and prepare to be wowed!

For more information check out NEBC's website or visit them on Facebook.

New Brew Thursday - Laughing Dog Tripleheader

Whilst out searching for new brews, I came across this trio of pups.  I couldn't decide which of these I wanted take home so I took all three . . . which is exactly the reason I never go into a pet shop.  


The canine inspired labels are what drew me to the bottles, the hoppy contents are what put them in my basket . . . I felt a need to quench my IPA thirst.  And, these puppies did the trick.


The Laughing Dog Brewery is located in Ponderay, Idaho . . . the land of potatoes and beer.


Inspired by Ben the dog and a love for good beer, the brewers aim for simplicity in their beers . . . in nearly all the Laughing Dog brews water, barley, hops and yeast are the only ingredients.



Their motto: "Fetchingly Good Beer"!


As we sat down to enjoy this trio of India Pale Ales we decided to go in order from lightest to strongest.

We started with Rocket Dog Rye IPA.  I'd never had a rye IPA, so I didn't know what to expect.  It poured a light golden color that was fairly cloudy with a decent amount of head.    Reading other reviews of this same beer, I expected it to smell of rye bread and a hint of orange . . . it did not . . . not at all.   Frankly, it smelled awful and it was tough to get past that.  But, I held my nose and took a sip.  

Of the three this was my least favorite, but at least it tasted better than it smelled.  It was hoppy but not overly so, citrusy and a little bitter with another flavor I couldn't quite identify . . . perhaps the rye.  


Again, other reviews I've read rate this beer much higher and describe a much better flavor than I experienced.  I'm thinking that maybe I got a bum bottle.  I'll have to try it again sometime.    



Rocket Dog . . . 6.9% ABV





Next up was the Dogzilla Black IPA . . . this was one way better from the get go.


As its name would imply, it is pretty dark for a pale ale.  This beer poured a dark reddish brown color with a seriously big rootbeer-like head.  It smelled citrussy, piney . . . mouthwateringly hoppy.  It was an interesting mix of grapefruit, bitter chocolate and roasted malt . . . balanced and delicious. 





If you like a bitter, hoppy beer you won't be disappointed . . . I wasn't.


Dogzilla Black IPA . . . 6.9% ABV

Last but not least, my favorite of the group . . . Alpha Dog Imperial IPA.  Strong and hoppy  goodly amount of head.  I drool just thinking about it.


It pours a bright gold fluffy head that diminishes quickly leaving a nice amount of lacing behind.   Citrus, pineapple, and pine infuse the aroma.  The taste hops, hops and more hops . . . wow.   From the nose to the palate . . . lots of grapefruity goodness, lemon and a touch of sweetness to finish it off.

 I could definately taste the alcohol but it didn't detract from the overall flavor of this beer.  Nicely carbonated, lightly sweet and smooth.  


Yum.


Alpha Dog Imperial IPA . . . 8.7% ABV

Visit the Laughing Dog at their website or on Facebook.