Dogfish 120 Minute Imperial IPA

So I don't know what the hype is all about. I did not find this beer the least bit enjoyable and I love hops. I all honesty I dumped half my pint. I found it to be just too overwhelming and alcoholy and the overly sweet finish just repulsed me. For the price I would have been better of getting a bottle of Bigfoot. Just my opinion.

Anyone else with me here?

I don't think it's necessarily geared towards hop heads. It's an IPA as it has a ton of hops and IBU's, but its bitterness is almost unnoticeable with the amount of malts that are used in the beer.

I'm not a HUGE fan of IPA's and I like the 90 minute much better than the 60 minute just because I feel it's more balanced and less bitter, even though it has more hops and higher IBU's. Much like many hop heads I know like the 60 minute better.

It's much closer to liquor than it is beer. Think about it, it's 40 proof.

I like it, but I don't think of it as 'beer', I think of it has hoppy liqour.

It's more like drinking port. I wouldn't finish a pint either, but would love to split one with someone.

The 90 minute is my favorite.

60 is too malty and 120 is too overwhelming.

Edit after looking up stats:

Sweet jeebus 15%-20% booze and 120 IBU. I don't think you can call that a beer...

I just tried this for the first time last night and I liked it. It was served in a 5 oz glass, though, which I thought was the perfect amount. I don't know if I would want to drink a whole pint.

I love 120! Its marketed wrong though. Not for hop heads, but for those of us who like malt malt malt!!! Yes, there is a ton of hops in this guy, but the malt and alcohol is the star here! To each there own, but I like it!

I enjoyed it on tap, but I probably wouldn't order it again. There is so much residual sugar left in it, that it is nearly impossible to balance it with bitterness. Also, a lot of hop flavor gets lost in it as well from all the sweetness.

Tastes like hopped malt extract cut with vodka. Way too sweet for me.

I gotta agree with all the 90 minute people here. Bye far the best. I'm no prejudiced against malt either. Love me some imperial stout but I just think that some styles should take malt to the extreme.

Just drank a Brooklyn black ops the other day and I believe that was at 12% but balanced perfectly.

Just picked up a bottle of Life and Limb one of the Sierra Nevada and Dogfishead Collaborations. Let me tell you. This is what a strong beer is supposed to taste like. If you get your hands on one of these bad boys take advantage.

When this beer is young, it's a bit much. It's everywhere, big hops, big malts, booze all over. I recently was lucky enough to go to a dinner hosted by Sam Calagione at the Gingerman in NYC, vintage beers & stinky cheese or something like that, and had a 120 from 2006. This beer ages beautifully. As we all probably know, given time, hops recede, malt comes forward, and beers balance. I'm trying to get my hands on some to go in the cellar as we speak.

I actually love 120min. It's one of my all time favourites. I do agree with what others have said, though - it's not for everyone. I'm a big barleywine/strong ale person so this beer appeals to me quite a bit.

If you guys like 90min, by the way, track down Burton Baton by DFH > it's incredible.

Ya, the clone I brewed I'm planning to stash away for a very long time.

ivorytowerbrewco said:

If you guys like 90min, by the way, track down Burton Baton by DFH > it's incredible.

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This is quite true!

I bought a 6-pack of 60minute, and a 4-pack of 90minute a couple weeks ago so that I could critically taste them - and I found both vastly overrated and unimpressive. I won't buy them again, that's for sure.

I am not a big fan of any IPA from DFH, but the punkin is grrrreat! Then again, I am a hop head. I have not found many other east coast IPAs that really thrill me either, though there are a few that are very good. I think that the water out here is best suited for malty beers. I'm not sure if nano or micro breweries mess with water salts much, I have no large scale experience. But for me, I have to add a bunch of gypsum and some other minerals in order to get the nice sharp and dry finish of a good west coast IPA. Its that, or I don't like the yeast strains being used out here, or maybe they are just mashing too high. To me, a good IPA or IIPA should taste/smell hoppy and finish dry.

I've tried the 120 minute once at the GABF and found it to be OK, as far as novelty goes. Wouldn't get a bottle of it for myself.

I do love the 60 minute, however, I think that's a very well-balanced IPA. And finally, I really dislike the 90 minute. Too malty and thick for my tastes. Had one last week after a Bell's Two Hearted, and couldn't finish the 90 Minute. I just wanted my money back to get another Two Hearted.

I think 60 minute is actually pretty good...

HopDevil by Victory is a good east coast IPA.

And finally, I really dislike the 90 minute.

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Have you had it fresh? It's actually really good when it's only a couple weeks old. Anything past that and it turns into a malt bomb; sticky, sweet, kind of a raisin like flavor.

I had a bottle of 120 minute. As a beer, I wasn't too impressed with it. It was overly thick and malty with strong raisiny flavors in it. The bitterness was fine and I don't mind the fact that it was high alcohol, but the mouthfeel just didn't really do it for me. 90 minute is still one of my favorites.

flatfour64 said:

I am not a big fan of any IPA from DFH, but the punkin is grrrreat! Then again, I am a hop head. I have not found many other east coast IPAs that really thrill me either, though there are a few that are very good. I think that the water out here is best suited for malty beers. I'm not sure if nano or micro breweries mess with water salts much, I have no large scale experience. But for me, I have to add a bunch of gypsum and some other minerals in order to get the nice sharp and dry finish of a good west coast IPA. Its that, or I don't like the yeast strains being used out here, or maybe they are just mashing too high. To me, a good IPA or IIPA should taste/smell hoppy and finish dry.

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I used to be like that, especially when I was first getting into craft beer. I started off with Arrogant Bastard, then moved on to the IPA's. If it wasn't hoppy or above 8%, I wasn't interested. I also hated sweeter beers like most DFH and the sweeter Belgians that didn't have a dry finish.

I started sampling beers with a sort of informal beer club here in Vegas (Khoury's Fine Wine and Spirits every Wednesday). My pallet has grown leaps and bounds in the last year. I now appreciate sweeter beers (as long as they are not too sweet) and low alcohol beers; even styles that I couldn't previously appreciate. DFH is one of my favorite breweries now. I am still not a huge fan of Belgians, but I can identify the really good ones and enjoy them.

The DFH 120 is an amazing beer if you just look at it from the craft/brewing perspective. I have had other 18%+ beers, and they are all pretty disappointing to me. They taste like a shot of hard alcohol. The 120 is by far the best 18%+ beer I have ever had. In comparison to other huge beers, it actually still tastes like a beer. It may not suit your pallet, but as homebrewers we should all appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into this one.

Cheers!

If anyone here has a chance to try a brand called Terrapin take advantage of that. The brewery is about 15 min from where i live in georgia and it is my favorite commercial brand of beer. A few of their best include Rye Pale Ale, Hopsecutioner, and the winter release called Wake and Bake which is an oatmeal coffee stout. They make a superb beer.

Willbrew said:

If anyone here has a chance to try a brand called Terrapin take advantage of that. The brewery is about 15 min from where i live in georgia and it is my favorite commercial brand of beer. A few of their best include Rye Pale Ale, Hopsecutioner, and the winter release called Wake and Bake which is an oatmeal coffee stout. They make a superb beer.

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FWIW, I believe they had to change "Wake n Bake" to Moo Hoo. It's awesome. I like Terrapin stuff a lot, although they're not in my top tier.

Piratwolf said:

FWIW, I believe they had to change "Wake n Bake" to Moo Hoo. It's awesome. I like Terrapin stuff a lot, although they're not in my top tier.

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Thanks for the update, I loved this stuff when I had it last year, now I know what to look for.

I am hoping to get some 120 this weekend. What do you guys think about cellaring it? My beer fridge is kept at around 45 degrees and my basement doesn't usually go much above 70 in the summer. Should it be cellared in the beer fridge or just the basement?

beernut70 said:

I am hoping to get some 120 this weekend. What do you guys think about cellaring it? My beer fridge is kept at around 45 degrees and my basement doesn't usually go much above 70 in the summer. Should it be cellared in the beer fridge or just the basement?

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Proper cellaring should go into the fridge, but this beer is pretty hardy.

This is my second DFH beer, first was 60 minute, and I'm not really impressed. It's intense, but I don't care for the flavor that much. The bitterness seems to be a weird mineral like taste, like an English Ale I brewed and added gypsum salts to and shouldn't have. It's also almost completely flat. It's lacing really nicely in the glass, but I don't know, for almost $10 for a 4-pack, I'm rather disappointed.

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one that doesn't like the 120. I thought it was pretty undrinkable myself. The 90 tastes way too sweet to me, but I love the 60. I recently went to the DFH pub in Rockville, MD and had a mixed pour of the 90 and the 60 (the call it 75 something) I thought that was outstanding!

g-love said:

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one that doesn't like the 120. I thought it was pretty undrinkable myself. The 90 tastes way too sweet to me, but I love the 60. I recently went to the DFH pub in Rockville, MD and had a mixed pour of the 90 and the 60 (the call it 75 something) I thought that was outstanding!

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I wasn't all that impressed with the 60 min either. I just have had much better IPAs at better prices. It's cool they do wild stuff with their beers, but when it comes to a straight forward IPA, DFH has not impressed me.

jtkratzer said:

This is my second DFH beer, first was 60 minute, and I'm not really impressed. It's intense, but I don't care for the flavor that much. The bitterness seems to be a weird mineral like taste, like an English Ale I brewed and added gypsum salts to and shouldn't have. It's also almost completely flat. It's lacing really nicely in the glass, but I don't know, for almost $10 for a 4-pack, I'm rather disappointed.

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90 minute is 10 a six around here!

kpr121 said:

90 minute is 10 a six around here!

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Maybe it wasn't $10, but either way, I bought it at the PX in Bethesda when I was down there for the followup on my surgeries.

jkratzer - where do they have the 120 for 10 bucks a four pack in lititz?- im on my way there right now! I personally love the 120 - at the bar around the corner, they tap they kegs (when they get them) at 1:20 PM and we play hooky to be there, or we won't get a drop. i would not describe myself as a hophead, and think the hoppiness of the 120 is very different than "hoppy" beers that i am used to (and drink but am not really thrilled with). It seems like it's a more intense but subdued hoppiness- less immediate pungency and more deeply floral. I was pleasantly surprised the first time i tried it.-
sorry - didn't read that last one - thought i was at the end of the thread- guess i will have to send my brother down to the naval hospital...

I like the 60 minute IPA for a nice easy drinking warm weather IPA, and enjoy the 90 minute when it is a bit colder outside.

I have had the 120 minute a few times, and really feel that it needs to age a bit. I picked a up a few bottles recently and intend to age them for at least a year before I try them again.

The 120 minute needs some age. Although I enjoyed having it fresh on tap, I think it'll really shine with some time to mellow. I have two bottles waiting for me in my beer cellar.

I finally found some 120 in Texas and it was good but very strong. I had two of them and i regret it later on. It definitely a sipper and not a quick drink which i had too to go eat because of course they did not allow it in the place. For $5-6 per pint, it was the best value because your getting 3-4 beer for price of one haha

Don't like it. Could have had it on tap last Friday...said no thanks. But I guess it's something everyone should try at least once. But hey, to each his own.

A local store here had some but would only sell one bottle per person. I bought a bottle and thankfully watched Sam's video on it. The wife and I shared the bottle after letting it warm for a bit, about 50 degrees.

It is very much like a liquor. I enjoyed it but I certainly wasn't my favorite thing to drink. I definitely wouldn't want to consume it in mass quantities. The 6 ounce portion was perfect. I would like to get another 2 bottles, drink one now and age the other to compare.

120 min is a beer meant to be aged. I had 2011 Bigfoot and personally didnt think it was that good. 2010 is drinking good now, and 2009 is unbelievable.

If you decide to buy a bottle of 120 min, do it justice and age it at least a year.