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.

Victory Hop Devil

Brewed by: Victory Brewing Company

Brewery Location: Downingtown, PA

Style: American IPA

ABV: 6.70%

As I have made painfully clear, I am an IPA drinkin’, bitterness-seeking hophead. When my local distributor started carrying Hop Devil by Victory Brewing Company, I immediately added it to my list of beer to purchase in the very near future. The day finally came; I purchased a six-pack and sat down to a brew that I had been waiting to drink for a few months. If I would have know what was waiting for me, let’s just say I would have reworked that “to purchase” list and moved Victory a bit up the alphabet.

I poured into a tulip glass and was greeted by a clear and dark amber appearance. There were a significant amount of carbonation bubbles, which excited me, because hell, this beer just looked crisp. There was a significantly larger than usual head which hung around for a while, only increasing an already pleasant appearance.

Like several other IPAs I have reviewed, the most dominant smells were citrus and hops. The citrus was predominantly grapefruit, with perhaps a hint of orange. The hoppy smell was almost spicy, which in combination with the appearance, only backed up my theory that this guy was going to be crisp.

Upon first sip, I could tell that my suspicions were going to be confirmed. I immediately noticed a very hoppy flavor, which had an incredibly piney forefront. What was most interesting about the taste is that while it was very hoppy, it wasn’t overly bitter in the slightest. The grapefruit was still able to shine through, which complemented the pine flavor rather nicely. Also interesting, the Hop Devil has some malt tones in there as well, which made for a very unique experience.

Don’t get me wrong, I am an absolute sucker for an IPA that is bitter from start to finish, but wow this was a very good beer. The fact that the malt, hops and citrus were able to punch through to my palate is sign of fantastic brew craftsmanship. I could drink this on a very regular basis and never look back. Great brew, Victory.

Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball

Brewed by: Lagunitas Brewing Company

Brewery Location: Petaluma, CA

Style: American Ale

ABV: 9.00%

I haven’t had much experience with the Lagunitas Brewing Company, and I have to admit that I bought the Hairy Eyeball on a complete whim. I had only had their IPA before this, and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with that was effectively a completely random purchase.

Per usual, I poured into a traditional pint glass and was a bit blown away by the color that made an appearance. A deep brown, with a hazy red tint, greeted me. This bad boy is dark, and had about a half-inch head that displaced rather quickly.

Upon first smell, it was apparent that the Hairy Eyeball definitely had an alcoholic bite to it. It smelled a bit boozy, with hints of deeper fruits, like grape and plum. There are also some deep undertones of coffee and malt, but they laid in the background and really let the dark fruits shine through.

The taste followed suit with the smell perfectly, which in this case was a very good thing. The fruits were the forefront players, and left a pleasant aftertaste. There were some malt and coffee traces, but the most apparent tastes were definitely fruit and booze. It almost tasted like a barley wine.

Like I said, for being a completely impulse purchase, I was very happy with this beer. It’s a bit too heavy for me to designate it anything more than a once-in-a-while drink, but if I was ever presented with the opportunity to drink it again I most certainly would. If the Hairy Eyeball and the IPA are any testaments towards the quality of the Lagunitas Brewing Company, I will certainly be trying more of their brew.

Dogfish Head Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew

Brewed by: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Brewery Location: Milton, DE

Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 9.00%

Ah, yes. Who could forget this classic 1970’s album? I was fortunate enough to pick up a bottle of brew inspired by it, which was designed by Sam Calagione, of Dogfish Head Brewery. I didn’t really know what to expect from this beer, but I must say, as I am with most of Dogfish’s brews, I was pleasantly surprised.

I poured into a traditional pint glass, and was greeted with an incredibly dark appearance. This bad boy has one creamy head, which hangs around for the majority of the drink. There is a decent amount of lacing for a stout.

Upon first smell, I picked up on some serious chocolate and caramel notes. There were hints of coffee as well, but it smelled a bit sweet, which I believe is due to the honey undertones that were present. I’m not the biggest fan of stouts in the world, but I was pretty excited to tear into this jazz classic.

The taste followed suit with the smell rather beautifully. It tastes a bit boozy, and gives off some serious chocolate, molasses, and honey flavors. You can certainly taste the 9.00% ABV, that’s for sure. There isn’t anything particularly outstanding about the taste, but it is simply a very solid tasting, dark as night imperial stout.

I am very impressed with this brew, and would definitely purchase it again if given the opportunity. Being a limited release, I definitely wish I bought more than one bottle. It is a great tribute to an absolutely groundbreaking album.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

Brewed by: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Brewery Location: Milton, DE

Style: Imperial Pale Ale

ABV: 6.00%

As I’ve stated before, I am a huge fan of the beer that Dogfish Head brews. And with IPA’s being my favorite style of beer, I knew I was in for a treat with this one. Luckily, and not surprisingly at all, I was not disappointed in the slightest. The 60 Minute IPA is a very well balanced, and delicious brew.

I poured into a tulip glass, and was greeted with a deep gold and amber color. There was not much head at all, perhaps a half-inch or so. It is definitely a fairly clear brew, with only carbonation bubbles clouding it up.

The 60 Minute IPA has a very distinct aroma to it, which left me very excited to take my first sip. It has a very piney smell to it, along with a variety of fruits. Citrus played a huge role in the design of this beer, with lemons and oranges providing very subtle undertones to the more apparent hoppy aroma.

The taste follows suit quite nicely with the aroma. I thought it was going to be a bit hoppier, but was actually pleasantly surprised to be sipping on a smoother IPA. I was a bit amazed at how easy it went down. The same citrusy notes apparent in the smell were made very clear in the taste as well.

I’ll be completely honest; I could drink this everyday and be pretty content. There is nothing absolutely incredible that stands out about it, but it is a very solid, very drinkable IPA. I may not have enjoyed your Raison D’Etra, but good job on this one Dogfish. Next up, 90 Minute… 

Stone Ruination IPA

Brewed by: Stone Brewing Company

Brewery Location: Escondido, CA

Style: Imperial IPA

ABV: 7.70%

I have been waiting for a beer like this for quite a long time. India pale ales are absolutely my favorite style of beer, and it is my opinion that the hoppier and more bitter they are, the better. I dug into this beer with fairly high expectations, and was not disappointed in the slightest.

I poured into a traditional pint glass, and poured the expected amber color. I had a bit of a strong pour on this brew, and was greeted with a very thick head, and a phenomenal amount of lacing throughout the drink. It has a very deep look to it.

Upon first smell, I was barraged with an aroma of different smelling hops. There was certainly an upfront pine smell, followed by a bit of citrus…perhaps lemon, or grapefruit? Either way this bad boy smelled like it was going to pack a punch.

Upon first sip, there was a wave of pine and malt flavors. The citrus that was apparent in the smell makes an appearance in the taste as well, which was very pleasant. The most noticeable thing about the taste, however, is the beautiful bitterness. At 100+ IBUs, it seemed a bit overwhelming at first, but it settled into a very nice finish, with serious drinkability.

This is absolutely one of my favorite IPAs, and I could certainly drink it on a regular basis. However, for those not familiar with the more aggressive IPAs, be warned, because this is one bitter mother, and everything else will taste bland for a while after!

Victory Prima Pils

Brewed by: Victory Brewing Company

Brewery Location: Downingtown, PA

Style: German Pilsner

ABV: 5.30%

I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Victory Brewing Company from friends and fellow brew-junkies, and finally thought to give one of their beers a try. I am a fairly adamant fan of a good pilsner, so I decided to give the Prima Pils a try. Turns it out was a fantastic choice.

I decided to enjoy this beer in a tulip glass. The Prima Pils pours like a traditional German pilsner, with a cloudy and golden pale color, with a decent amount of head. There was a surprising amount of lacing throughout the entire drink.

This beer was a very nice smell to it. It has hints of citrus, malt, and even a bit of grain. It smells like a fairly complex beer, and left me very excited for the first sip.

The smell of this beer predicted the taste rather nicely. It is a slightly bitter beer, and bit hoppier than other pilsners. It has a malty and lemon taste to it, which balances out the hoppiness quite well.

Like I said before, I am a big fan of pilsners. I was genuinely impressed with the Prima Pils, and would certainly purchase it again in the future. I am looking forward to trying more beer from the Victory Brewing Company, that’s for sure. Next beer from Victory: Hop Devil!