AGED Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA ....

Tonight I am going to try something different.  I pulled out a 16 month old bottle of 90 Minute Imperial IPA from Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales.  At 9% ABV and 90 IBUs, this beer would seem like a good candidate for aging.  It has been kept in a closed beer case in my pantry, at room temperature, since purchase.

There was a small amount of fine sediment in the bottom of the bottle.  When poured, the head seemed a little more creamy colored than the bone-colored head on the 90 Minute I sampled 2 months ago.  Beer color is a copper, which also might be a little darker.  But it could be the different batches, so who knows?  The aroma has some nice lemon or orange to it, and seems to have a little less citrus sharpness than the fresher beer.  I am also not getting the hints of higher alcohol that were in the other sample.  As far as taste, the strength of the malts and hops seem to have mellowed some.  You can still get some taste of the higher alcohol, but probably not as much.  The bitterness has a little more of a sour note to it, which is something I have noticed in other older beers.  Not getting as much spice.  This is definitely smoother and more mellow - both are good, and I would probably have a hard time saying which is better.

 

Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales

Milton, Delaware

www.dogfish.com