Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

Brewed by: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Brewery Location: Milton, DE

Style: American Double/Imperial IPA

ABV: 9.00%

I am a very big fan of the beer that Dogfish Head produces, and the 90 Minute IPA proved to be no different. I have to follow up that statement with another, though: this is one of the weirdest damn IPAs I have ever tasted, and it differs pretty significantly from the 60 Minute, and of course from the 120 Minute. I went it expecting a similar taste, but was actually pleasantly surprised to be tasting something completely different.

Upon first pour from the four pack I purchased, I was greeted by an attractive clear red, with hints of orange as well. It had a fairly small head, which was maintained throughout basically the entirety of the drink. Right off the bat I knew I was in store for something different.

After taking a deep smell of the brew in front of me, I was absolutely blown away by the sweetness and malt that assaulted my nose. There were hints of citrus, and definitely a hoppy smell as well. However, the uniqueness of this smell is that the roles seemed to be completely reversed. I am so used to a citrusy and piney forefront, yet here they were sitting in the background, allowing the sweet malts to dominate the smell. Different, for sure!

After sipping, that balance did not shift in the slightest. I was instantly bombarded by a very large and malty sweetness, which eventually faded a bit and let the citrus and hops make an appearance. It is slightly bitter, and just as it started, it ended with a pleasant sweetness.

This is one hell of a unique IPA, and one that I am very glad I tried. It is so different than the IPAs that I generally drink, but this one has me thinking that I should be expanding my palate a bit more to another spectrum. With the exception of the Raison D’Etra, Dogfish has a fantastic track record in my book.