New Brew Thursday- Doubleheader . . . Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA and Rogue Yellow Snow IPA

If you had asked me a month ago if I was a fan of India PaleAles I would have responded with a resounding ‘no’.  If you asked me today I’d say I’ve got ahankerin’ for some of that bitter, citrusy goodness!  Really! I think I just drooled a little simply thinking about one. Mmmm.

Why the sudden turn about? I don’t know.  Maybe IPA’s, likebeer in general, are an acquired taste and perhaps I’ve acquired thetaste.  Or, maybe I never had a good IPAand I’ve recently had a few very good ones. Perhaps, it’s a combination of the two. Whatever the case I thinking I’mliking IPA’s. 

Let me introduce you to a pair of IPA’s that have reversedmy opinion of the hoppy brew.

The first is Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA.  Dogfish Head Brewery is based in Milton, Delaware and getsits name from Dogfish Head, Mainewhere the brewery’s founder spent his childhood summers.

 

As the beer poured into the glass the bright golden colorreally caught my attention . . . it was very rich looking . . . veryappealing.  The grapefruity aroma as I tookmy first whiff of the 60 minute was mouthwatering.  

The first taste was equally lip smacking.  The beer is citrusy and as hoppy as I wouldexpect an IPA to be with a bitter finish. Overall I didn’t think the hoppiness was overpowering and the tart fruitflavors were refreshing.  A verydrinkable and yummy beer. 

6% alcohol by volume.

Visit Dogfish Head at their website  or on Facebook 

The second is Yellow Snow IPA by Rogue Ales.  Frankly, I picked it because of the fun labeland a name that couldn’t be denied.  Thefact that I’m not (or wasn’t) and IPA drinker didn’t matter . . . I had to tryit!   All I can say is theYellow Snow was gooooood and didn’t not disappoint.

 

Rogue started out as a brewpub and is headquartered in Newport, Oregon.  It is a small but growing brewery with avariety of craft beers that are distributed throughout the United States.  I know this because I live all the way on theother side of the country and it seems like there’s a new Rogue beer to tryevery time I visit my local package store.

Unlike its namesake, Yellow Snow is immediately inviting . .. it is a deep gold color with bright fruity aroma of grapefruit with a hint ofpine.    The beer has a cloudy, unfiltered appearanceand pours a big head.   It’s hoppy, but not in-your-face or over thetop.   It rolls over the tongue with a hint ofcaramel and spiciness that fully compliments the citrusy, bitter goodness.  Yellow Snow is truly a good brew . . .twothumbs up! 

6.2% alcohol by volume.

Visit Rogue at their website  or on Facebook 

I still aver that I am not a hophead, but I appreciate these citrusy bitter beers more and more as I have better and better ones.  Bring on the IPA!