Dog Head

Last week, while on a very short business trip to Colorado, I finally had a chance to enjoy a brew from the much-touted Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware. Why Dogfish Head is seemingly quite widely available in Colorado, but not at all in Minnesota is still something of a mystery. In any event, I picked up a four-pack of 90 Minute IPA at a liquor store near my inn. It's been described as the "best IPA in America" by some and I was anxious to judge for myself.

The verdict? It's a very good beer. Tons of delicious hoppy flavor which went down smoothly despite the noticeable heat (9.0% ABV). But not the best IPA in America. Out of a possible of 19 points, I'd give it a 17 which is still rarefied air. Bell's Hopslam is a superior beer and if I had to choose between a Surly Furious and a Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Furious would get my nod (homerism perhaps). Again, that's very good company to be compared with and I'd certainly love to have the chance to purchase Dogfish Head locally at my friendly neighborhood liquor store. Until then, I'll have to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.

Just to make sure I was being perfectly fair in my evaluation, I enjoyed another Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA on tap at DIA while waiting for my flight home. I even started a bit of a trend as some of the other airport bar patrons--their curiosity piqued by hearing the unusual name of the beer--also decided to give Dogfish Head a go. I'm sure they were as happy with their choice as I was with mine.