A craft beer icon: Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

 This past December, O’Bannon’s scored a pony keg of the much sought after Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA.  When it was first brewed, this was the strongest IPA on the market (the crazy bastards at BrewDog have changed that). A hop heads dream, this beer clocks in at an astonishing 120 IBUs.  I could only imagine that a beer with such a high concentration of alpha acids would be completely unpalatable.  Add to the fact that the beer usually contains 18% alcohol by volume but still retains the qualities of a beer.  DFH only bottles the 120min. several times a year, so when they hit shelves in select locations, they disappear pretty fast.


The O’bannon’s keg release party was set for 8’o’clock, but around 7:45 there was already a packed house.  I saddled up to a table to wait for my buddy John, but since a line was already forming at the bar, I walked up to wait.  I had no idea there were so many beer lovers in College Station; I was glad to see it. I learned the bar was selling half pints for $8.50. Then I was really amazed; not only were there a lot of beer lovers in College Station, there were a lot of people willing to pay so much for so little.  There were so many people trying the 12omin.  they ran out of their half pint glasses before I got one, so I waited a little while extra for mine.

Comparable to the actual line... ok, maybe not

When I sat back down I couldn't help myself, and instead of waiting for John, I went ahead and tried it.  The color was a reddish orange with about a finger of white head.  The beer only left a few blotty spots of lacing.  The aroma was full of grapefruity, citrusy hops, but I didn’t waste much time smelling the beer because I was too excited to taste it.  While I expected it to be intolerably bitter, it wasn’t.  It was deliciously sweet at first, with juicy grapefruit, and then finished with spicy peppery hops; somewhere in the middle, I tasted green grapes. I expected a little alcohol warmth or harshness on the swallow but there wasn’t any at all.  I also anticipated the beer to be astringent and drying but it was slightly wet.  It left a tingle on my tongue; I think my taste buds were very happy with my purchase.

I wish this were in my hand right now

I couldn’t force myself to rate Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA less than a 5 out of 5.  It was amazing, a necessary experience for any craft beer lover.  The only knock on this beer would be the price and low availability, but who cares really?  It’s not supposed to be a beer you drink every day, it’s a beer to be enjoyed on a special occasion.  It’s not a beer you chug down, it’s a beer you savor and fully appreciate.  There’s a video of a guy downing an entire bottle as a joke.  It almost makes me cringe, such a terrible waste.