Punkin Ale

Beer Name: Punkin Ale
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
ABV: 7%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a boring glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

After dinner plans #1, #2 and #3 failed to come to fruition, Kate and I ended up at Judie's in Amherst where I was excited to see Dogfish Head's pumpkin beer on the menu. I've been meaning to give this beer a try for a while now, so that's one more check mark on my To Do list.

Punkin Ale is an dark orangey beer that poured with a light amount of head. They brought me the beer and a glass, so I was able to pour it how I wanted. Oddly, the glass was slightly less than 12 ounces, which makes me confused. You brought me a beer, so bring me an appropriate beer glass!! Oh well. The aroma is heavily pumpkin and spices at first, although the pumpkin part fades away within a couple minutes. The spices, as expected, are mostly cinnamon and nutmeg, similar to many other pumpkin beers.

This beer has a good pumpkin flavor with the spice levels balanced to keep them from overwhelming my tastebuds. Sadly, the pumpkin part of the flavor doesn't last for the entire glass. I guess you have to drink this beer a bit faster than I did. Which means don't order it to enjoy with a meal, as you don't have that kind of time frame. This beer has a bigger presence in each sip than a lot of other pumpkin beers, and a bit more carbonation.

Final thought - This is a good pumpkin beer, probably in the top 4 for this year. For our money, we still like UFO Pumpkin the best at this residence, although I know others will disagree. (For the record, the other members of the top 4 would be Pumking and the really long named one from Wolaver's.)

-Jon

90 Minute IPA

Beer Name: 90 Minute IPA
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
ABV: 9%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a pilsner glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

Dogfish Head's 90 Minute IPA picks up where the 60 Minute leaves off, adding 30 more minutes of hop additions. I'm guessing that also adds some $$ to the price.

This is a copper colored beer that came with a good half inch head that gradually faded, leaving a nice lacing pattern behind. Obviously with all the hops used in the brewing process, they are the dominant aroma. It's not all hops however, as there are also some malt hints in the background.

90 Minute IPA packs quite the hop punch in its flavor. I started my bottle with the end of my meal, and it was a great beer to pair with the spicy food I was eating. Once I was finished eating, I still had about half of the bottle to go. At this point, the hoppiness was almost overwhelming. This is a very strong beer. There is a medium amount of carbonation, and the beer has a good amount of body in each sip. The finish has some sweetness and bitterness, and it lingers on in the aftertaste.

Final thought - As a beer to drink with a meal, this one is great. But as a beer to just sit back and drink a couple, I think I would go with the 60 Minute instead. The 90 is like a full-out tongue assault, and it seems to me that it needs a little food to balance it out.

-Jon

60 Minute IPA

Beer Name: 60 Minute IPA
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
ABV: 6%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Bottled 9/2/10

I bought this beer for 3 reasons: I'm on an IPA kick, there wasn't anything else that caught my attention, and "Dogfish" reminds me of Chloe's catfish-like face on her supposedly dog body. Hee hee, pugs are pretty ridiculous. Based on the name, I am guessing that this is an India Pale Ale that uses a 60-minute boil. You know, in case you cared.

This beer is a golden color and slightly opaque. It leaves a very thin head that quickly evaporates while still leaving a good lacing on the glass. There's a citrusy hop smell, as expected from an IPA. If you let it sit for a minute or two, you can also pick up on something else, but I am not sure what. You'll have to give it a try and let me know.

The 60 Minute IPA is classic IPA. There's a bunch of hops at the beginning of a sip, and then a little bit of maltiness. It finishes a bit dry and bitter, but not nearly to the degree of something like the Celebration Ale. The light amount of carbonation is perfect for this beer. There's more of an aftertaste here than I'd like, but it's not a deal-breaker.

Final thought - 60 Minute IPA is a solid beer that will enjoy a place on my rapidly growing list of approved Fridge Fillers (trademark pending). I think even nonfans of IPAs might enjoy it since it's not nearly as bitter as most others are. But it's still a little bitter, so don't try to misquote me by telling me I said otherwise. I'm on to you!

-Jon