120 Minute IPA
"The Imperial India Pale Ale"
18% ABV (36 proof)
~$8 per bottle
A quick non-whiskey review. Living in Delaware has a few perks (tax-free shopping, Joe Biden, ...), but none better than a full complement of Dogfish Head beer at pretty much every liquor store. Their 120 Minute IPA is very well-hyped (along with their World Wide Stout), so I picked up a 4-pack to age in my basement. Figure I'll do the same with the stout next month, and then taste again in a year or so to compare as they age.
Color: very whiskey-like. Ruddy light brown, hazy with a creamy head that settles down into a sticky film.
Smell: Hoppy (obviously), but really not anywhere close to as hoppy as I expected. Quite sweet on the nose - lots of tropical fruit (pineapple, mango) and even bubblegum over a malty core. It's similar to some really big Belgian beers (Chimay et al.) to me.Taste: damn, this is nice. Mild carbonation hits upfront, along with loads of tropical fruit sweetness. The hops bring in a slight (but only a slight!) bitterness on the midpalate, and the finish imparts relatively mild malty sweetness.
Overall: this is a fun beer to drink. It's well-balanced and, frankly, much sweeter than I anticipated - I was bracing for the most bitter, pine coney IPA imaginable. If anything, it's a little overwhelmingly sweet on the finish...similar to a dessert wine in that sense. Anyhow, I highly recommend trying some if you get an opportunity. It's fantastic stuff, and unlike almost any other beer I've ever tried.
