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 - Pork'n out on beer

Hubby and I have a standing date night every week.  Most times we go to our favorite bar . . . Porky’s Café in Shelton, CT . . .  because they have the best hot wings around, awesome pizza, and the staff is cute & friendly.

For all the years I’ve been going there  . . .  at least 10 years . . . they’ve had pretty much the same beer on tap.  Mostly your run of the mill big commercial brewers:  Guinness, Bass Ale, Budweiser, Bud Light, Coors Light, Blue Moon, Miller, Sam Adams.   But recently I’ve noticed a new trend towards seasonal beers and a rotating guest tap.

I’m really happy about this development because the guest tap is most often a little guy craft brew . . . my kind of beer!

Some of recent beers were new to me and I absolutely LOVE trying new beer! 

A recent tap featured Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale.  Dogfish Head is a favority brewery of mine so there was no way I was going to let this one slip by untasted.  I liked it a lot.  There was the hoppiness of an IPA that I love so much along with subtle caramel notes that add delicious complexity.  The bitterness of the hops is balanced nicely with a light sweetness.   I would definitely recommend this beer!  Delish!  (7.2% ABV)

A couple weeks ago they had a Founders Rye PA . . . mmmm.  Hophead alert!! This one is for you!  Very hoppy and grapefruity . . . my fav!  The malts contribute a light sweetness that makes for an amazing beer. A lot of hops and a touch of caramel . . . oh my sweet heaven . . . YUM!  (6.6% ABV)

And just this past week Lagunitas A Little Sumpin Wild Ale.  A fairly strong beer (8.7% ABV) with big flavor.  There’s plenty of hoppiness . . . so, I’m not complaining . . . with an interesting array flavors: spice, fruit and candy.  No, I’m not insane.  I’m not sure of everything I was tasting in this complex flavorful beer but I know I detected some banana and, dare I say, bubblegum.  That’s right!  I said it!  Bubblegum.  Just the barest hint and it wasn’t at all bad.  As my favorite Vulcan would say . . . fascinating.  Really quite good . . . scrumptious, in fact.  Give it a whirl . . . you won’t be disappointed.   

New Brew Thursday - A Pumpkin Beer Trifecta

The season for spiced autumn beers is here.  So in celebration of this most awesome time of year I did a sampling of three pumpkin beers.  There are so many to choose from but these are the ones I selected:  Dogfish Head Punkin, Saranac Pumpkin and Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin.







Dogfish Head is one of my favorite breweries so choosing Punkin was a no brainer for me.  Punkin is a spiced brown ale. It pours a reddish golden color reminiscent of fall foliage.  The flavor?  Well, it pretty much tastes like pumpkin pie in a glass . . . pumpkin (obviously), nutmeg and cinnamon are prevalent. It's slightly sweet but not overly so.  Frankly speaking . . . it tastes like fall.  Yum!  (7% ABV )

Saranac an another brewery that hasn't disappointed me so picking up a jug of their Pumpkin Ale wasn't a difficult decision to make.  This ale isn't as pumpkin-y as the Dogfish Head Punkin but it's still a pretty tasty pumpkin beer.  This beer has a mellow pumpkin taste that is accentuated by cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg with a hint of sweetness.  There is nothing overpowering here . . . simply a good pumpkin beer.  (5.40% ABV)

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale was the biggest of the three.  It poured a rich golden red with a thin head.  The pumpkin pie spices were forefront to this beer followed by the pumpkin itself.  Not as pumpkin-y as the Dogfish Head but spicier and more alcohol-y than both the Dogfish Head and Saranac.  There was a definite boozy quality to this brew and a slight metallic taste.  This was my least favorite of the three but that doesn't make it bad . . . just not my favorite.  Overall good. (8% ABV)

New Brew Thursday - Dogfish Head Double Tap

As I was browsing my favorite beer store I spotted a lonely bottle of Dogfish Head beer.  Not knowing a thing about this particular brew but liking the Dogfish Head beers I have had in the past it was a no brainer . . . I popped that little $10 a 12 ounce bottle into my basket and went on my merry way.


What I ended up with was World Wide Stout and was nothing short of WOW.

Here's the low-down . . . the label declares it to be a very dark beer brewed with a ridiculous amount of barley.  First brewed in 1999 it was, at the time, the world's strongest dark beer.  This Dogfish Head beer comes in at an astounding 18% ABV!


This is a seriously BIG beer . . . strong, rich and very intense.  Definitely NOT for the casual beer drinker.

WWS pours an inky blackness with a only a swirl of foam. Don't expect a lot of bubbles; the low carbonation creates a creamy, smooth mouth feel.  The heady aroma is a pleasant combination of chocolate, coffee and fruit.  The first sip was incredible;  dark malt, rich molasses, bitter chocolate and a nice boozy warmth.  Very interesting for a beer and not at all unpleasant.

Swirl it in the glass like a fine cognac . . . allowing it to warm only intensifies the already amazing flavors.


Don't be put off by the high price tag or the high alcohol content.  This is truly an excellent beer.

The second Dogfish Head beer was a surprise.  The first surprise was that it was on tap then second was a flavor that was entirely unexpected.  Again, I knew nothing about this beer other than that it bore the Dogfish Head name and thus was willing to give it a try.


I ordered the Black & Blue and when my beer arrived at the table the first thing I noticed was the color . . . a berry red color.  The first sip was was . . . well, it was a surprise.  Again with the berriness.  

At this point I whipped out my handy dandy tablet to find out exactly what it was I was drinking.  Ahh . . . now I get it . . . black and blue.  Black and blue berries.  


Black & Blue is a Belgian-style golden ale fermented with blackberries and blueberries. Real berries give this beer a very berry flavor.  This is a fruit beer but it's not overly sweet.  The sweetness is nicely balanced the hoppy bitterness.


This is a strong full flavored, full bodied ale.  Sip it and enjoy.  (10% ABV)




Visit Dogfish Head at their website  or on Facebook 

New Brew Thursday - Double Tap . . . Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA and Rogue Yellow Snow IPA

If you had asked me a month ago if I was a fan of India Pale Ales I would have responded with a resounding ‘no’.  If you asked me today I’d say I’ve got a hankerin’ for some of that bitter, citrusy goodness!  Really!  I think I just drooled a little simply thinking about one. Mmmm.

Why the sudden turn about?  I don’t know.  Maybe IPA’s, like beer in general, are an acquired taste and perhaps I’ve acquired the taste.  Or, maybe I never had a good IPA and I’ve recently had a few very good ones.  Perhaps, it’s a combination of the two. Whatever the case I thinking I’m liking IPA’s. 

Let me introduce you to a pair of IPA’s that have reversed my opinion of the hoppy brew.

The first is Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA.  Dogfish Head Brewery is based in Milton, Delaware and gets its name from Dogfish Head, Maine where the brewery’s founder spent his childhood summers.

 

As the beer poured into the glass the bright golden color really caught my attention . . . it was very rich looking . . . very appealing.  The grapefruity aroma as I took my first whiff of the 60 minute was mouthwatering.  

The first taste was equally lip smacking.  The beer is citrusy and as hoppy as I would expect an IPA to be with a bitter finish.  Overall I didn’t think the hoppiness was overpowering and the tart fruit flavors were refreshing.  A very drinkable and yummy beer. 

6% alcohol by volume.

Visit Dogfish Head at their website  or on Facebook 

The second is Yellow Snow IPA by Rogue Ales.  Frankly, I picked it because of the fun label and a name that couldn’t be denied.  The fact that I’m not (or wasn’t) and IPA drinker didn’t matter . . . I had to try it!   All I can say is the Yellow Snow was gooooood and didn’t not disappoint.

 

Rogue started out as a brewpub and is headquartered in Newport, Oregon.  It is a small but growing brewery with a variety of craft beers that are distributed throughout the United States.  I know this because I live all the way on the other side of the country and it seems like there’s a new Rogue beer to try every time I visit my local package store.

Unlike its namesake, Yellow Snow is immediately inviting . . . it is a deep gold color with bright fruity aroma of grapefruit with a hint of pine.    The beer has a cloudy, unfiltered appearance and pours a big head.   It’s hoppy, but not in-your-face or over the top.   It rolls over the tongue with a hint of caramel and spiciness that fully compliments the citrusy, bitter goodness.  Yellow Snow is truly a good brew . . .two thumbs up! 

6.2% alcohol by volume.

Visit Rogue at their website  or on Facebook 

I still aver that I am not a hophead, but I appreciate these citrusy bitter beers more and more as I have better and better ones.  Bring on the IPA!