Russian River Pliny the Elder Review

Brewery: Russian River Brewing Co. | Beer: Pliny the Elder
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 8.0% | IBUs: 100
Serving Method: 510ml bottle poured into tulip glass

Since the early days of my beer geekdom, Russian River has been a hallowed name. One of the most respected names in American craft brewing, Russian River was founded in 1997 with Vinnie Cilurzo hired as brewmaster. An innovate brewer with a passion for sours, Vinnie ended up taking control of the company in 2002.

Russian River now brews a highly praised and sought-after collection of Belgian and thoroughly West Coast beers. The most famous of these would be the duo of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger. The Elder is a Double IPA available on draft and in bottles, while the Younger is billed as a Triple IPA available on draft and often ranked as the best beer on the planet.

After much longing from a distance and a few sips at bottle shares, I finally put together a trade for some Russian River bottles that can get the full review treatment. First up had to be Pliny.

As Vinnie is credited with inventing the Double IPA style, Pliny the Elder is in many ways the definitive example of the style. Clocking in at eight percent alcohol and 100 IBUs, it's brewed with Amarillo, Centennial, CTZ, and Simcoe hops.

Russian River describe the finished product thusly:

It is well-balanced with malt, hops, and alcohol, slightly bitter with a fresh hop aroma of floral, citrus, and pine.

It's been a long wait to finally get a bottle of this in front of me for review. Let's not delay another second.

Appearance: A clear orange-copper body capped by over two fingers of off-white lace that fade slowly and leave excellent lacing.

Aroma: Plenty of dank, piney, citrusy (grapefruit and juicy orange), floral, and spicy hops over caramel malt and light alcohol. Clearly a West-coast DIPA.

Taste: Up front, a big wave of hops that are grapefruity, peppery, resinous, and potently bitter. Underneath, a more reserved husky caramel malt backbone anchors everything, but lets the hops shine in the lead. The alcohol is present in low volumes throughout, adding a pinch of spice. Grapefruity, leafy, and bitter hops, toasted husky malt, and a hint of booze in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and a little silky with smooth medium carbonation and a bone-dry finish. The alcohol adds just a bit of slickness throughout.

Drinkability: Drinks just a hair faster than the alcohol content would suggest, making it a relatively quick-drinking DIPA.

Verdict: Clearly the quintessential West Coast Double IPA, Pliny the Elder lives up to the hype for me. Compared the brash and bruising DIPAs on the shelves today, I can see acolytes dismissing this as too reserved, but the craftsmanship and brilliant character are evident for anybody looking. There are just some beers that exude a special synergy of elements that mark them as classics greater than the sum of their parts; Pliny has that in spades. Now, to find some of that scion.

Grade: A+ (4.7 out of 5 stars)

Review by Christopher Hunt

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA Review

Brewery: Dogfish Head Brewery | Beer: 120 Minute IPA
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: ~18.0% | IBUs: 120
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Now here's a beer I've been waiting to try for quite a while now. It's not that I haven't been able to procure any (in fact, I was able to squirrel away a bottle when I was but a poor intern in '08), it's just that every time that I bought some, I didn't end up reviewing it. Though I loved the other beers in Dogfish's Minute series, I just never got around to it. Perhaps I was afraid.

After all, this is a big bastard of a beer. As the name implies, it's boiled for a full two hours with continuous hopping form high-alpha hops. As if that wasn't enough, it's then dry-hopped daily in the fermented for a month and aged for another month on whole-leaf hops.

The result is a hop-monster with 120 IBUs and 15-20% ABV. Barleywine? Triple IPA? Bastard child beer liquor? You could make a good case for each.

Unlike most DIPAs, Dogfish encourage aging of the product, as it's hearty enough to positively evolve over time. I certainly have a nice collection in the cellar.

But, the time has come to finally jump in and review this beast. Wish me luck.

Appearance: A golden-orange body capped by half a finger of cream-colored head that fades in average time, leaving patchy lacing.

Aroma: Somewhat muted (almost aged) dank, piney, leafy, and citrusy hops over heaps of sticky toffee pudding malt. Plenty of spicy booze all around.

Taste: Up front, citrusy, green, dank, resinous, sappy, and bitter hops take charge. There’s a lot of peppery booze here to be sure, but it never gets to be too much. Underneath, enough caramelized malt to ground everything. It’s big, full of character, but not muddled. Leafy hops, grainy malt, and lots of spicy booze in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with smooth medium-low carbonation and a dry finish. Plenty of heat and oiliness from the booze throughout.

Drinkability: Obviously, with the bonkers alcohol content, this is a beer firmly in sipper territory. However, that said, it still manages to drink a little faster than expected.

Verdict: 120 Minute is just as extreme as billed, but it’s not just extreme for extreme’s sake; it’s a damn good (and thoroughly interesting) beer. Not just a Double IPA, this is on another planet and an experience worth having. Looking forward to finally breaking into the aged ones in my cellar to see how it evolves.

Grade: A

Great Divide 15th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA Review

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. | Beer: 15th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 10.0% | IBUs: 90
Serving Method: 22 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

As Great Divide was founded in 1994, you might have noticed I'm a little late publishing this review. Fear not though, for the notes are based on a fresh sample back in 2009. Anyway, better late than never, right?

Anniversary brews are a good time to experiment, and it looks like Great Divide took that chance and ran with it. IPAs are best fresh, so it's not very often you see one that's been aged for any length of time. Based on the company's Denver Pale Ale, this Double IPA has been aged in American and French oak to create a unique flavor profile that Great Divide describe thusly:

Plenty of malty sweetness provides a backdrop for earthy, floral English and American hops, while French and American oak round off the edges and provide a touch of vanilla.

The resulting beer (and a candidate for the longest beer name ever): Great Divide 15th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA. Whew, that's a mouthful. Speaking of a mouthful, let's crack this puppy open and take a taste.

Appearance: A slightly hazy, deep reddish-orange body capped by three fingers of off-white head that fades slowly and leaves brilliant lacing.

Aroma: Vanilla and coconut notes from the aging over citrusy hops and a caramel malt base.

Taste: Up front, it's your standard Double IPA with a wave of nicely bitter, citrusy, and piney hops over a rich caramel backbone. Towards the end though, the vanilla shows back up along with some nice oakiness to give the whole thing an added dimension. There's plenty of booze throughout, but it never steps over the line. The aftertaste is citrusy and resiny with a splash of oakiness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied with smooth carbonation and a dry finish.

Drinkability: About average for the style, this is just shy of a full-on sipper.

Verdict: A fitting tribute to a great brewery, 15th Anniversary is essentially a solid Double IPA with plenty of added complexity coming from the aging process. It's too bad this is a one-off, as this is something I'd like to throw into the rotation.

Grade: A-


Note: While the review above is being posted in 2011, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in 2009.

Avery The Maharaja Imperial IPA Review

Brewery: Avery Brewing Co. | Beer: The Maharaja Imperial IPA
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 10.3% | IBUs: 102
Serving Method: 22 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

One of the more popular Double IPAs on the market today, Avery's The Maharaja was a major score when it landed in the Texas market a few years back. Produced from March through August, The Maharaja is part of Avery's Dictator Series of imperial-style brews, along with The Kaiser and The Czar.

The Maharaja is no fey dictator, as it hits the magic 10%+ alcohol content and 100+ IBU numbers. The substantial hop bill consists of Simcoe, Columbus, Centennial, and Chinook varieties. As for the malt base, Two-row barley, Caramel 120L, and Victory are employed. Here's how Avery describe the resulting despot:

With hops and malts as his servants, he rules both with a heavy hand. The Maharaja flaunts his authority over a deranged amount of hops: tangy, vibrant and pungent along with an insane amount of malted barley - fashioning a dark amber hue and exquisite malt essence.

Sounds good to me, let's venture into this kingdom, shall we?

Appearance: A nearly clear orange-amber body with lots of sediment in solution. On top, a generous ivory-colored head that endures until the end of the glass, leaving excellent lacing (especially given the high alcohol content).

Aroma: There's certainly no mistaking this for anything but a Double IPA. Up front, a massive wave of potent Northwestern hops with the classic floral, piney, and citrusy characteristics. Underneath, a solid caramel malt base and plenty of booze.

Taste: Wow, this is big. Once again, the hops lead the charge and exhibit brilliant piney, resiny, and citrusy (mostly grapefruit) flavors. It's not a total hop-bomb blowout though, as the biscuity caramel malt backbone and brawny alcohol content are able to keep everything relatively balanced. While it's certainly a bitter beer, and I don't doubt the over 100 IBU rating for a second, the bitterness can be deceptively mellow at times. The aftertaste is strong and dominated by bitter, grapefruity hop flavors.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation and a dry finish. You can certainly feel the booze in the mouth and throat, but they are pleasant sensations. The resiny hops tend to coat the mouth, giving the bitter aftertaste lots of life.

Drinkability: With a massive flavor profile, over ten percent alcohol content, and a full body, this is certainly a "sip-and-contemplate" beer. That being said, I had no trouble whatsoever devouring all 22 ounces in one sitting.

Verdict: As I had expected, with over 100 IBUs and 10% alcohol content, Maharaja is a massive beer. This is your typical big, untamed, unleashed Double IPA with a massive hop character, but a solid enough malt backbone to keep everything in check. This is only the second Avery beer I've tried, but I have to say I'm thoroughly impressed so far.

Grade: A

Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA Review

Brewery: Deschutes Brewery | Beer: Hop Henge Experimental IPA
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 8.8% | IBUs: 95
Serving Method: 22 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Clocking in at almost 100 IBUs, Hop Henge Experimental IPA is the hoppiest beer in Deschutes' Bond Street series of hop-forward beers. It was first brewed in 2006, but has gone through a significant recipe change since then. As the name implies, this beer is meant to embody Deschutes' more experimental side and their "commitment to innovation."

As usual, Deschutes provide lots of detail on construction. Each barrel is brewed with several pounds of Centennial and Cascade hops, with even more hops employed for dry-hopping. The malt body is built from Crystal, Pale, and Carastan varieties and "creates an overall biscuity characteristic that is dense and muscular, building the alcohol base to support the monstrous hop profile."

All this hop talk has got me mighty thirsty, so let's open it up and hop in.

Appearance: A slightly hazy, burnt-copper body capped with a generous and creamy off-white head that features brilliant staying power and lacing.

Aroma: Sweet, somewhat juicy and citrusy hops and moderate alcohol character over a substantial caramel base.

Taste: Just as you'd expect from a Double IPA, there's a generous flourish of hops up front. They're citrusy, piney, resiny, and nicely bitter. That nearly nine percent alcohol content is hidden rather well with. Underneath all of this, there's a solid enough caramel malt backbone to keep it all together. Lots of resiny, bitter hops and a few wisps of booze in the finish.

Mouthfeel: A fuller than medium body with moderate carbonation and a dry finish.

Drinkability: Perhaps a little above average for the style in this department, despite the high IBU rating. Just watch out for the nearly nine percent alcohol.

Verdict: Hop Henge is a tasty and quite serviceable Double IPA, though I might stop short of calling it "experimental." A definite pickup for the hopheads.

Grade: A-

Note: While this review is being published in August, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in spring 2009.

Lagunitas Maximus Review

Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Co. | Beer: Maximus
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 7.5% | IBUs: 72
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Not quite as big as Hop Stoopid, but bigger than their IPA, Maximus is Lagunitas' "small" Double IPA. Apparently, it's a similar recipe to the IPA, but with "more hops, more alcohol and more body."

Unfortunately, Lagunitas doesn't disclose the hop or malt varieties employed, but I think it's safe to assume there are hops in here that start with the letter "C."

As is tradition here on PintLog, with any Lagunitas beer I post the lovable and sprawling madness found on the bottom of the six-pack holder:

Big beers are good and Big IPAs are even better. But it's kinda like, well, first you ride some great wheelies and then you get it in your head to try jumping stuff. Maybe you start with a ramp in the driveway and then you move on to bigger things like a real cougar and rattle snakes. It's a rush and all your friends think you're pretty cool, but eventually even that's not enough so you jump through fire, over some trucks, some Dodge's and Semi's, a fountain, and later a pile of wrecked cars. While making strong beers it's hard to screw the pooch and end up steppin' off into a rag doll boogie, but your taste buds can get bent and over time you start thinkin' that only bigger is better. Eventually you jump your beer over the Snake Canyon and end up on the news in the river with a headache. We do dig our beers big and we do dig an occasional Flip n' Whip, a solid McMetz, or a Nack grab... but balance is still the most important skill and the MAXIMUS IPA is exactly that. Ask anyone. Ride a pint. Taste the hops. Slurp the malt. Drink the Juice. Live to ride another day...

Hmmm, alright. Well, let's pour this bad boy out and "ride the pint."

Appearance: A crystal-clear clear, orange-brown body. On top, a finger of fluffy, off-white head that leaves good lacing.

Aroma: A complex hop profile that's hard to pin down: perfumey, floral, earthy, piney, and candied citrus. Underneath it all, a solid dose of caramel malt.

Taste: Much the same combination here: pungent, earthy, and citrusy hops over caramel malt. While the hop character is certainly not as big as you'd expect with the name and marketing, it's still very tasty. With everything going on, the alcohol is masked well. The aftertaste is nicely bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied and almost creamy. Somewhat dry.

Drinkability: With a milder hop profile and alcohol content, this is above average for the style.

Verdict: Despite it's name, Maximus is certainly on the lower end of the Double IPA intensity scale. If you like pungent hops in your beer, this is certainly worth trying; just don't expect a total hop-bomb.

Grade: A-

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale Review

Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Co. | Beer: Hop Stoopid Ale
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 8.0% | IBUs: 102
Serving Method: 22 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Lagunitas is a company known for hoppy beers, so when their hoppiest beer showed up here in Houston, I was thrilled. As good as their IPAs and Double IPAs had been to me, I couldn't wait to try their biggest hoppy beer was.

Apparently, the idea behind Hop Stoopid was to cram as many different types of hops into the bottle as possible. Unfortunately though, they don't list the hop bill so we'll have to take their word for it. They also don't provide any details on the malt bill, so we'll just have to guess there, too.

With Double IPAs, you usually get lots of "extreme" marketing that challenges or dares you to try the beer. Tired of all the weak innuendo, Lagunitas has thrown down the gauntlet and upped the game with the the text found on Hop Stoopid's label:

"Give it to Mikey, he'll drink anything!" Up the bomber went in toast, then to his lips, and what happened next could not have been foreseen. Hop Stoopid, a slick re-animator green fluid oozed from the bottle. When it crossed his teeth and came in contact with the bitterness flavor receptors on his tongue, his eyes rolled back in his head, he did sort of a death rattle, a cloud crossed the Sun, an all his hair fell out. A spot on the side of his cheek blistered and a little bit of juice squirted out laterally starting a small fire. The rest of his head did the Indiana Jones melting Nazi thing, and as his head drained down his shirt and into the open stump of his esophagus, a little whistling noise came from the navel, which burst open and onto his pals, one in the forehead and the other in the eye. Finally, the carcass slumped forward in a gelatinous mess, caught fire, and burned for three weeks.

Here's hoping there was some level of hyperbole in there, because I have things to do later today.

Appearance: A crystal-clear, orange-amber body that's lighter than most Double IPAs. Up top there's two fingers of creamy, off-white head that features great retention and lacing.

Aroma: Moderately pungent and citrusy hops over sweet, biscuity malt.

Taste: Up front, a hop profile of pine, pineapple, grapefruit that is mildly bitter given the style. The malt backbone, as one might predict given the hue, is notably paler than the average Double IPA. The aftertaste is mildly bitter and biscuity but trails off a little quickly.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with good carbonation and a dry finish.

Drinkability: Above average for the Double IPA style.

Verdict: Hop Stoopid is a tasty beer, but perhaps a little plain compared to other Double IPAs. Maybe it's the way the beer is hopped, maybe it's the paler than normal malt base, or maybe it's the combination of both factors, but at the end of the day this comes off as an easier drinking and slightly less bitter take on the Double IPA. Also, props for the price point.

Grade: A-

Moylan's Moylander Double IPA Review

Brewery: Moylan's Brewery | Beer: Moylander Double IPA
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 8.5% | IBUs: 90
Serving Method: 22 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Moylan's is another of the breweries that finally made a highly anticipated debut in the Houston area last year. The Novato, CA brewery was founded in 1995 by Brendan Moylan, who is also a co-owner of the Marin Brewing Company. Moylan's is known best for their monstrous Double IPA, Hopsickle, but today we're starting with their "small" Double IPA, Moylander.

These guys are particularly generous with the information they publish for each beer—I wish every brewer were so thorough. American 2-Row, Crystal 15L, Caravienna, Munich and Acidulated malts make up the backbone. The hop bill consists of Yakima's Chinook, Simcoe, Columbus, Glacier, and Ahtanum varieties. They even list the specific yeast strain employed: White Labs' #001 Chico. Here's how they describe the finished product:

Fat and resiny, with aggressive and excessive hops swinging on on an enormous malt backbone like naughty monkeys on a vine.

Mmm... monkeys.

Appearance: A slightly hazy, golden-orange body capped by about two fingers off creamy, off-white head. The head sticks around for a while and leaves good lacing.

Aroma: From the second the cap is popped, there's a blast of tropical-fruity, citrusy, and mildly piney hops wafting through the air. Underneath the hops, there's some spicy alcohol and a solid caramel malt backbone keeping things grounded.

Taste: Up front, it's all about the solidly bitter, citrusy and resiny hops—there's never any doubt that this is a Double IPA. After the hop assault starts to recede, the rich caramel malt backbone comes into focus. Alcohol is detectable throughout, though it's mild and always complimentary. The aftertaste is nicely bitter and endures well.

Mouthfeel: A slightly creamy medium body with good carbonation and just a little burn from the alcohol. The hop assault ensures a dry finish.

Drinkability: Not quite a sipper, but you're still going to have to take your time a little.

Verdict: Moylander is a solidly bitter, yet well-balanced Double IPA that doesn't disappoint—it's not quite at the top level, but it's close. After this, I can't wait to crack open the Hopsickle I have chilling in the fridge.

Grade: A-

Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA Review

Brewery: Harpoon Brewery | Beer: Leviathan Imperial IPA
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 10.0% | IBUs: 122
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

It's been great seeing Harpoon's brews showing up on shelves here in Houston. Up until this point I've only tried their regular offerings—but now I've got my hands on one of their big Leviathan Series beers. Only dating back to 2008, the series is the home for the company's big beers and experimental fare.

Leviathan IPA is an American Double IPA. The backbone is built from pale and caramel malts, with the focus apparently on the pale variety. As for hops, Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, and Amarillo varieties are employeed, and the beer is eventually dry-hopped with over one pound of unnamed hops per barrel. Here's Harpoon's almost Stone-like description of the beer:

Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA will challenge your senses and your palate. As the vibrant aroma rushes out of your glass you will notice the blend of piney and tropical fruit notes. At first sip, this big beer starts with a powerful hop bitterness up front and an aggressive hop flavor and character throughout.

I think I'm up to the challenge, so let's crack this bad boy open.

Appearance: A crystal-clear, rich copper body capped by a little over a finger of creamy, off-white head that features good retention and lacing.

Aroma: Pungent, piney, and citrusy hops over a sweet caramel base with lots of booze around the edges. Easily identifiable as a Double IPA from a mile away.

Taste: Up front, a blast of resiny and grapefruity hops that are not shy with the bitterness. Underneath, a caramel malt backbone keeps everything grounded well. That double digit alcohol content makes it's presence known, but is masked well enough to not drag the beer down. The aftertaste is thoroughly bitter and boozy with pineapple and caramel notes.

Mouthfeel: A creamy, slightly fuller than medium body with moderate carbonation and a dry finish. There's some nice burn in the throat and mouth from the alcohol.

Drinkability: With the big IBU and ABV ratings, this is about average for the style.

Verdict: Leviathan Imperial IPA is a very solid Double IPA that satisfies the itch for a big, biter, boozy beer. After trying some of Harpoon's more mainstream beers, I'm glad to see they can really step it up and deliver a high-end beer.

Grade: A-

BrewDog Hardcore IPA Review

Brewery: BrewDog Ltd. | Beer: Hardcore IPA
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 9.0% | IBUs: 150
Serving Method: 22.4 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Of all the breweries that started to show up in my neck of the woods last year, BrewDog was one of the ones I was most excited to try. The Scottish brewery was founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie with a distinctly anti-establishment attitude. It has grown swiftly into Scotland's largest independent brewery, with distribution reaching far enough to stock our shelves here in Houston.

For simplicity's sake, I've listed this as an American Double IPA, though that seems like it may be a little inaccurate. Its backbone is built from Maris Otter Extra Pale Malt. As for hops, the beer is "hopped to hell" and "dry-hopped to hell" with Simcoe, Chinook, Amarillo, Warrior varieties. Here's how BrewDog describe Hardcore:

This explicit ale has more hops and bitterness that any other beer brewed in the UK. This is an extreme beer rollercoaster for freaks, gypsies and international chess superstars.

Hopes are high here, so let's get this show on the road.

Appearance: A thoroughly hazy golden-orange capped by a slow-to-form finger of off-white head that leaves good lacing.

Aroma: Mild citrusy and herbal hops over a caramel malt base. Missing the punch you'd expect from a "Hardcore IPA."

Taste: Where in the hell are the hops? According to the bottle, this bottle will still be fresh for over six months, so I'm sure this isn't a freshness issue. Some grassy and herbal bitterness builds up as time goes on and it warms, but it never really gets much "hoppiness" going. With the hops not making much of an impression, the plain caramel malt body makes up the bulk of the flavor profile. Plenty of butteryness and unmasked alcohol throughout, making a boring profile into something unpleasant. The aftertaste is bitter and boozy.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with smooth carbonation and some slight burn from the alcohol.

Drinkability: Rather poor due to the flavor profile and alcohol content.

Verdict: Hardcore IPA is a thoroughly confusing beer; I was ready for something different, but I've never had to search for hops in an IPA. Even if you take style off the table and try to rate this beer in a style-vacuum, it's still not a very pleasing beer. When you take into account that this bottle cost me over seven dollars, this really becomes a hot mess.

Grade: D+

Dogfish Head Burton Baton Review

Brewery: Dogfish Head Brewery | Beer: Burton Baton
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 10.0% | IBUs: 70
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Originally brewed for the late Michael Jackson's Rare Beer Club back in 2004 as a tribute to America and England, Burton Baton is a 50/50 mix of Dogfish's 90 Minute IPA and an oak-aged English Strong Ale. That new Strong Ale thread is a potent and hoppy brew utilizing both American and English yeasts and a four month aging in French oak.

The end result is essentially an American Double IPA with some added complexity gained during aging and a particularly rich malt backbone. Here's how Dogfish describe Burton Baton "Citrus notes from Northwestern hops meld with vanilla notes from the oak [along with] brandied fruitcake and raisiney [tones]."

It all sounds interesting to me, so let's get going.

Appearance: A slightly hazy, rich orange body with one finger of off-white head that sticks around a good while and leaves patchy lacing.

Aroma: Lots of bright, citrusy hops throughout, with a sweet caramel base poking through. There are also lots of tropical fruity, spicy, and woody notes to be found (though some of that woodiness may be due to the power of suggestion). Definite notes of alcohol, but not quite as many as you'd expect from a double digit ABV beer.

Taste: An even more complex proposition in the flavor profile. While there are plenty of hops here, but this is hardly what I'd call a hop-bomb. The hops are citrusy, spicy, earthy, and taste almost candied. As for the generous malt backbone, it's sticky sweet caramel all the way. I can detect some nice oakiness towards the end, but it's not all that powerful. Ten percent beers are usually very happy to let you know how potent they are, but in this case the punch is hidden rather well. Overall, this is very balanced for a Double IPA, with the hops evenly matched with the rich flavors from the malt and alcohol. The aftertaste is citrusy, oaky, and slightly boozy.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and smooth with mild carbonation. Dries in the finish nicely.

Drinkability: Ten percent alcohol content and 70 IBUs may not be a recipe for a thirst-quencher, but this is rather drinkable considering.

Verdict: I went in expecting something interesting and satisfying, and that's exactly what I ended up with. While this isn't a big hop-bomb (neither is their 90 Minute), Dogfish Head have crafted a tasty and complex brew here. I'm curious to see exactly how it ages.

Grade: A

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA Review

Brewery: Dogfish Head Brewery | Beer: 90 Minute IPA
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 9.0%
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

A while back I reviewed Dogfish Head's best selling beer, their 60 Minute IPA, and gave it an "A" rating. So hopes are high for the next beer from the "Minute" series, 90 Minute IPA, which actually falls into the category of Double IPA. The 90 in the name refers to the fact that hops are added to the wort continuously for 90 minutes during the boil and that the beer clocks in at 90 IBUs and 9.0% ABV.

This was Dogfish's first continuously hopped beer and the one initially brewed using Sam's vibrating football game hopping rig (you can read more about the rig in the review for 60 Minute). The football game is gone now, and Dogfish use a contraption called "Sir-Hops-A-Lot" to keep the hops flowing throughout the boil. Once the beer is conditioning another device called "Me So Hoppy" is used to dry hop the beer.

But that's not the last gadget involved! Some lucky people are able to order their 90 Minute "Randallized," where the beer from the tap is run through a organoleptic hop transducer module (a.k.a. filter) named "Randall the Enamel Animal" that is filled with whole hop cones. The "Enamel" in the name comes from the idea that the beer that flows out is hoppy enough to make you feel that the enamel has been stripped from your teeth. Dogfish sure love their inventions, eh? You can always count on Sam and the rest of the crew to come up with something new.

Well, my bottle of 90 Minute may not be "Randallized," but I'm sure it's still pretty damn good, so let's pop it open.

Appearance: Somewhat hazy rich pumpkin body. A finger and a half of off-white head that leaves good lacing.

Aroma: As you might expect, it smells a lot like 60 Minute with the volume cranked up even further. Hoppy as hell, but backed up with lots of caramel malt and alcohol. The hop profile is of Cascadey grapefruit and pine. Very appetizing.

Taste: Still lots of grassy, earthy, ctirusy and piney hops, but there's a lot more malt in the taste. The sweet caramel malt backbone is very much up to the task of maintaining balance, not an easy feat when there is so much hoppiness. Pleasantly assertive alcohol throughout and a lovely bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and sticky with good carbonation. You can really feel the booze in your throat. Dries in the finish.

Drinkability: It's a sipper for sure, more due to the alcohol content than the flavor profile. Just about average for the style.

Verdict: Compared to most Double IPAs, 90 Minute has a lot more malt than usual, making it much more of a balanced proposition than most. While not my favorite Double IPA, 90 Minute is still very much a standout beer.

Grade: A-

Samuel Adams LongShot Double IPA Review

Brewery: Boston Brewing Co. | Beer: Samuel Adams LongShot Double IPA
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 9.0% | IBUs: ~100
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

One of the releases I look forward to most each year is the Samuel Adams Longshot pack. The pack is composed of two winning beers from the American Homebrew Contest and one beer from the Boston Beer Company employee's competition. I absolutely love that Samuel Adams has such a commitment to homebrewing, and I love the fact that some of the best homebrewer's beers make it to my local liquor store even more.

Unfortunately, due to the hop shortage last year, Mike McDole’s 2007 champion Double IPA was unable to make it to production. Mike brewed the beer as a Pliny the Elder clone that clocks in at about 100 IBUs, so you know there were a hell of a lot of hops involved. It wasn't a case of the hops simply being too expensive, some of the seven varieties in the recipe were just unavailable at any price at the time. Well, the wait (and hopefully the hop shortage) is over, and the beer is finally here. Lets see if it was worth the wait.

Appearance: A deeply hazy, dark orange body capped by a generous mountain of off-white head that sticks around a long time and leaves great curtains of lace behind. Top marks.

Aroma: Intense and pungent citrusy Cascade-like hop oil absolutely explodes from the glass. Underneath it all, there's a solid caramel malt base accompanied by a nice dose of booze.

Taste: Up front, a brilliant flourish of bitter, herbal, grapefruity, piney, and resiny hops. After the initial hop blast, there's a solid caramel malt backbone to keep the hops somewhat in check. The alcohol is masked well enough and there's plenty of bitterness in the finish. This is no slouch, but a proper West Coast style Double IPA.

Mouthfeel: A creamy, slightly fuller than medium body with good carbonation. A dry finish.

Drinkability: Just what you'd expect from a full-bodied, full-hopped, and fully-potent Double IPA.

Verdict: I've waited quite a while to try this beer, and it didn't disappoint. Congratulations Mike, you've brewed up a great beer here! I'd love to see Sam Adams base a year-round Double IPA on this recipe as the newest addition to the Imperial Series.

Grade: A

Oskar Blues Gordon Review

Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery | Beer: Gordon
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 8.7% | IBUs: 85
Serving Method: 12 oz. can poured into tulip glass

With one of the highest average scores of any brewery here on PintLog, Oskar Blues has been a very welcome addition here in the Houston market. With Ten Fidy, their Russian Imperial Stout, garnering a perfect A+ a few weeks ago, I figured it was time to look to the hoppier part of the style spectrum and give their beer named simply Gordon a look.

Initially brewed as Oskar Blues' Winter seasonal, Gordon is now brewed throughout the year as one of the company's five canned offerings. While I have listed it as a Double IPA, Oskar Blues describe it as a hybrid "somewhere between an Imperial Red and a Double IPA," so keep that in mind. Gordon is named after the late Gordon Knight, a Colorado craft-brew pioneer that passed away in 2002 fighting a wild fire.

Oskar Blues describe Gordon as "an assertive yet exceptionally smooth version of strong beer" featuring "a gooey, resiny aroma and a luscious mouthfeel." The malt backbone is built with six varieties, including Chocolate. Three hops varieties are used during brewing, and then a "mutha lode" of Amarillo hops are used for dry-hopping. It certainly sounds like another winner, so let's go ahead and pop the top.

Appearance: A rich, dark red-orange body with a two-finger tall, off-white head. Brilliant lacing.

Aroma: Tons of Cascadey hops over a solid, sweet caramel malt base. This is absolutely excellent.

Taste: An excellent wave of citrusy hops up front with plenty of sweet caramel malt underneath. This is one of the most balanced Double IPAs I've had the pleasure to try. The alcohol is hidden excellently.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied with adequate carbonation.

Drinkability: Above average for the style, but you're still going to have to pace yourself with the 8.7% alcohol.

Verdict: Balanced with a big caramel backbone, Gordon has a unique flavor profile for a Double IPA. While it's certainly somewhat less hop-centric and more drinkable than most Double IPAs, don't be fooled into thinking it's somehow weak. With another beer receiving a review in the "A" range, Oskar Blues is now poised to really dominate the PintLog ratings.

Grade: A-

Stone Ruination IPA Review

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. | Beer: Ruination IPA
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 7.7%
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Stone Brewing Company, best known for their beer Arrogant Bastard, have become one of the big players in the American craft brew scene. Based out of the San Diego area, they've developed a reputation for uncompromising big beers, usually with a healthy dose of hops. Gargoyles are featured prominently on most packaging, a perfect fit for the playfully arrogant voice of most of their marketing materials. Stone is independent and has built a reputation for being eco-friendly, both very important things to me.

While they produce a normal IPA (named simply Stone IPA), they also produce a year-round Double IPA by the name of Ruination, billed as a "liquid poem to the glory of the hop!" Stone say they chose the moniker Ruination because they believe that this is such an extreme and great tasting beer, that your palate will be ruined for anything lesser. The beer better be pretty damn good with that kind of marketing.

Appearance: Somewhat hazy, rich amber-orange body with a two solid fingers of sticky, off-white head. Good lacing.

Aroma: Pungent, floral, citrusy, and piney hops are the focus here. There is booze and caramel malt underneath, but they're very much subservient to the hop onslaught. This smells damn good.

Taste: Aggressively bitter hops take charge of your mouth from the second they hit the palate, not letting go until they say so. Not just bitter, the hops are still grassy, floral, and citrusy. It's not all one-sided though, with enough caramel malt to keep it from being an absolute blowout. The alcohol is kept in check well. There is a terrifically long bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body that coats the mouth, allowing the aftertaste to linger for minutes. Moderate carbonation and a dry finish.

Drinkability: A little above average for the style, that is to say a relatively fast sipper. There are a lot of hops to contend with, but the alcohol is hidden rather well.

Verdict: Ruination is simply a massive beer. Stone have pulled off something masterful here, by keeping a beer so absolutely drenched in hop oil still somewhat balanced. This is a must try for all hopheads, and one of the best beers I've tried yet. Arrogant bastards Stone may be, but their products walk the walk.

Grade: A+

Avery Ale To The Chief Review

Brewery: Avery Brewing Co. | Beer: Ale To The Chief
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 8.8%
Serving Method: 22 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Despite your political views, one can not deny that today is indeed an historic day for our nation. The election of an African-American as our country's leader marks a significant change in our society, and is something I will one day be proud to tell my children about.

To mark today's inauguration, Avery Brewing Company has brewed up a very special limited release beer in order to "bid a fond farewell to our current Commander in Chief and welcome a new administration."

While Avery list the style as Presidential Pale Ale, the best I can tell, the actual style is American Double India Pale Ale. The malt backbone is composed of Two-Row Pale, C-150, Dark Munich, Honey Malt varieties; while hoppiness is provided by both Magnum and Cascade varieties. They even went as far as to use the American Ale yeast strain, something they've never done at Avery.

While I usually shy from typing up the entire contents of a bottle's label, the mock preamble to the Constitution is clever enough to warrant the treatment. The bottle reads:

Ale to the Chief! - A Presidential Pale Ale to celebrate Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009. We the Brewers of Avery Brewing Company, in order to form a more perfect ale, require new leadership that can liberate us from our quagmires in foreign lands; embrace environmentally sound energy alternatives to imported oil; heal our ailing health care system; free us from tyrannical debt and resurrect the collapsing dollar. We hereby pledge to provide him with an ample amount of our Presidential Pale Ale to support in the struggle for the aforementioned goals! Hail to the New Chief!

Not an 'Imperial' Pale Ale, this is a democracy. It's Presidential! Take the all-American pale ale, a bipartisan blend of malt and hops, increase to both Avery Brewing standards, and then, of course, dry hop the result with that most quintessential of American hops, Cascades, and you get this... Ale to the Chief. A brew worthy of the Oval Office! Brewed with Rocky Mountain water, malted barley, hops and yeast.

Appearance: A rich burnt-orange, crystal clear body with a firm, off-white head on top. Lacing is good.

Aroma: As you'd expect from a Double IPA, as soon as the bottle is opened, hops flood the air. They're of the classic Cascade profile: bright citrus and pine. There's a caramel base under all the hops, but I'm not getting the amount of booze I was expecting.

Taste: Good hops up front, followed by lots of sweet caramel malt. The hops could be a bit more assertive for my tastes, but everything meshes well here. There's a long hoppy finish, with a bit of booze around the edges.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with fine carbonation and a bit of warming alcohol. Dries in the finish.

Drinkability: Double IPAs are not know for their drinkability, but I would say this is slightly more drinkable than your average example. The booze is hidden excellently, I'd never guess this was over eight percent.

Verdict: Not just a gimmick, Avery have crafted a great beer for this occasion. This is a perfect accompaniment to today's events. I only wish that I was able to source more than the one bottle I managed to find. Ale to the chief!

Grade: A-

Victory Hop Wallop Review

Brewery: Victory Brewing Co. | Beer: Hop Wallop
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 8.5%
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

On my journey through the world of beer, I've gradually become more and more of a hophead. After developing a taste for Pale Ales, I moved on their hoppier counterparts, India Pale Ales. Luckily, there's one more step down the hop road: the Double India Pale Ale. As you can probably surmise from the name, a Double IPA is an IPA with the hop volume turned up even further, making it the hoppiest beer style out there (the malt also has to be turned up as well to keep balance). Also known as Imperial IPAs, these are high alcohol, hugely hoppy, massive beers.

After enjoying Victory's standard IPA, HopDevil Ale, I was quite excited to pick up a six-pack of Hop Wallop, their Double IPA. Hop Wallop is a limited release each year, available beginning in early November. Victory describe it as their "annual homage to the hop harvest, [so] expect loads of aromatic splendor and bitter beauty." The labeling features a cartoon character by the name of Horace 'Hop' Wallop, and a little legend about how he came up with Hop Wallop. His motto, "hoppiness is happiness," is something I can get behind.

Appearance: Hazy golden-orange body with a couple of fingers of bubbly off-white head. Good lacing.

Aroma: Aptly named, this beer smacks you right in the face with citrusy and piney hops. Underneath, good malt and lots of booze. This is terrific.

Taste: Flowery, juicy, and citrusy hops explode right off the bat. Towards the end, a solid malt backbone takes command. Assertively bitter, yet balanced and smooth - everything just meshes right. Some booze towards the end, but the bulk remains hidden well. The aftertaste is of fresh hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation and a long, dry finish.

Drinkability: Considering the style (and alcohol content), this has superb drinkability.

Verdict: If you're a hophead, Hop Wallop is simply a terrific experience. While it's no doubt a hop-bomb, I find it relatively balanced and quaffable. I've only had two Victory brews, this and HopDevil, and I must say I'm already quite enamored with this brewery.

Grade: A+