. . . and I don’t mean in a “tears in my beer” kind of way. This magic elixir was SO GOOD I was compelled to share it with everyone I know who might be a beer drinker.
For years I have been looking for a really good 120 minute IPA (India Pale Ale) and heard great things about Dogfish Head’s offering of said beer. I have enjoyed their 60 minute and their 90 minute IPA many, many times. Many, many times I have checked Whole Foods and various spirits establishments hoping to finally come across the elusive 120 minute version.
Tonight, in Whole Foods, at long last, I found it. Not available in 6-packs or even 4-packs . . . only as individual 12 oz. bottles.
The color reminds me of Obsession cologne — a clear orange-caramel that brightens to a deep amber at the edges, then gold on the rim. If you hover your nose over this beer and inhale you will be greeted with aromas of apricot, toffee, cookies, fresh cut grass/ wheatgrass juice, and fresh baked wheat bread. Sound good? Wait until you put it in your mouth. Your palate veritably GLOWS with flavors of dulce de leche, wheatgrass juice, toffee, dried apricots, peach pie, butterscotch and raw sugarcane.
This is the muscat of beers.
This beer is like rolling around in ecstasy in a giant mound of hops. After I finish this I imagine I could need a cigarette.
I would pair this! I would pair this with vanilla ice cream or angel food cake. Then again, it’s rich enough to be dessert on its own.
Let me share the bottle label marketing pitch for you — it says it all:
“What you have here is the holy grail for hopheads. This beer is continually hopped over a 120-minute boil and then dry-hopped every day for a month. Enjoy now or age for a decade or so.”
Yyyyesssss. I think I may ACTUALLY like this better than chocolate. If you can find this, buy it and try it.
Omigod now I have to find this: http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/seasonal-brews/aprihop.htm . Now if only ANYONE carried their Barleywine.
