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Thanks to a professor scheduling conflict, I got the afternoon off. I got home about 1:45 (I had a meeting that run long over lunch). I turned on the game and popped a frozen pizza in the microwave oven (ya, I am lazy, but you know what they say about pizza...) Anyhow, I pulled out what I expected to be my favorite beer- a dogfish head 90 minute IPA, only to find it deficient by about 30 minutes. Ya, looks like I decided to save the 60 cents and got the 60 minute IPA NOT the 90 minute IPA. Although, both of them are regularly sold out when I go to my local brew store, so maybe the 60 minute was the only choice.
But enough with the extraneous details, on to the BEER! Dogfish head 60-minute IPA is, obviously, an IPA. I get it for $1.99 from toast, where they let me buy individual bottles without a markup for breaking a sixpack. They call it "build your own 6-pack." The alchohol content is 6%. You can check out all the details at beer advocate.
I poured this beer into a pint glass (really the only beer glass I own, so to me, its the right glass for all beers!), and got basically no head. Typically I got a decent 1/2 to 1 and 1/2 inch head on this beer, but this time I got nothing but a little foam around the edge. Weird.The first taste started somewhat watery, and had a hard, almost bitter hops taste. Maybe I was still expecting that smoother maltyness of the 90 minute IPA, or maybe this bottle was getting a little old, I dunno. Fortunately, as I progressed through this bottle, the taste really evened out and got smoother.
After eating some cheap pizza and giving my beer some time to mellow out, I started to taste more of the familiar flavors in this beer. This beer has a fairly bold taste to start with a very hoppy finish that I would describe as "piney." I have no idea why, but it tastes like I would expect pine hops to taste.
I was pretty tired from the week, and watching basketball combined with the alcohol was just enough to put me into a dazed coma, and I fell asleep sometime near the end of the 4th quarter of the celtics game. When I woke up I had about an inch of beer left. The final swig was the best.
The 60 minute IPA is my second favorite sub $2 IPA (after Great Divide Titain IPA). This particular experience was not as good as some of my others, but it was still enjoyable, and left me wanting more.
Hmm... that's weird about the lack of head. The 60 is a moderately carbonated beer. Was there lack of carbonation in the mouthfeel, as well? How do you wash your pint glasses? Dishwashers are a no-no -- especially with Jet-Dry, which can decimate the head on a beer.
ReplyDeleteIf you were expecting a 90, I can see why the hops would be more pronounced and a bit bitter. The 90 is more of a DIPA, with a fuller malt bill. The 60 tends to be the perfect weekend summer afternoon beer.
One last point: what temp is your fridge set at? If you have a second smaller fridge, try using that for your beer and keeping it at ~45. (Or just let the beer warm up a bit before drinking...) Sounds like you "warmed up" to the beer over time.
I wash my pint glasses in the dishwasher, and I attempt to use jet-dry, although I don't think it actually works (we never have to re-fill the reservoir). Thanks for the tips, I will start washing some by hand and keeping them aside for beer drinking only.
ReplyDeleteI really like the DIPAs for the most part. That is my ideal kind of beer. As for regular IPAs, the dogfish head 60 minute is pretty good, but I think that the great divide titian IPA is a bit better (and costs the same). I had 1 stone IPA, which gets great ratings, but the jury is still out for me. It is at the very least competitive in my mind, and possibly as good/better than the titain IPA.
As far as temperature- now you have me wanting to get a beer fridge. I already have a problem with too much of our refrigerator being occupied by beer, and now you go and give me another great reason to want a second fridge. I bet I could fit it out in the garage. Anyone have and extra fridge they are trying to get rid of?