90 Minute IPA by Dogfish Head Brewing
The word ‘Imperial’ brings to mind a combination of royalty and more than enough. Imperial is reserved for the best of something. Other forms of the word imply princely orientation or supremacy. In the beer world, it implies ‘bigness’ as in this is a big beer or ‘look out, this is a strong beer’. But in the case of our focus beer this week, it suggests a brew that imparts the strength of malt, hops and quality that is reserved for the top shelf of beers. So, we take a look at the middle strength beer offering from our friends at Dogfish Head Brewing.
Dogfish Head was one of the early leaders of the craft brewing enterprise. Among their vast offerings of great tasting beers, Dogfish was the front-runner in the making of great brewing skill. Located in their massive brewery in Milton, a suburb of Delaware, Maryland, Dogfish’s owner, Sam Calagione, has over the years, created some of the most interesting and creative beer recipes that have helped shape the craft beer industry since 1995. They were the first to create pumpkin-style beer. They were also the first to innovate continuous hopping of India Pale Ale beers. Their 60 minute, 90 minute 120 minute IPA’s are still revered as leaders in the IPA craze. They cater to the hop-heads of America with their unique and interesting hopped brew sensations.
90 Minute is a continuously hopped IPA, meaning that during the brewing process, they add hops vigorously against a strong malt balance. The result is a 9% ABV beer that drinks smoothly considering the amount of hops and malt. This golden delicious treat reveals a flavorful blend of bite and sweetness, supported by just the right mix of blended grains. It is strong yet mellow. It bites back and is malty at the same time, with a medium mouthfeel and rewarding flavor profile that beckons for another visit. The reference to minutes is the amount of time they boil in production. The longer the boil, the more hops that are added. This 90 Minute IPA is produced year-round as is the 60 Minute version.
BeerAdvocate.com has officially rated 90 Minute IPA as ‘Outstanding’ and awards it a 94 out of 100 and the Bros give it 96. Other followers are rating it as high as 4.89 out of 5.0.
You can find both at Case-n-Keg in Meredith and Laconia as well as other fine beer providers. 90 Minute IPA joins its cousin, 120 Minute (if you can ever find it) in a celebration of hop goodness and tremendous flavor!
Jim MacMillan is the owner of WonByOne Design of Meredith, NH, and is an avid imbiber of craft brews and a home brewer as well. Send him your recommendations and brew news to wickedbrews@weirs.com
