Brewed By: Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware
Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014
Style/ABV: American IPA/Fruit Beer, 6.5%
Reported IBUs: 60
I was at the liquor store the other night, as I'm wont to do, and I saw the Piercing Pils and Sixty-One sitting in the fridge. I figured it was time to try these two beers, and maybe if I drink beer intended for warmer weather then we will get some warmer weather. About Dogfish Head:
Reported IBUs: 60
I was at the liquor store the other night, as I'm wont to do, and I saw the Piercing Pils and Sixty-One sitting in the fridge. I figured it was time to try these two beers, and maybe if I drink beer intended for warmer weather then we will get some warmer weather. About Dogfish Head:
Dogfish Head is a craft brewery based out of Milton, Delaware. The brewery was founded by Sam Calagione back in 1995.The brewery began as a brewpub (the first in Delaware) called Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, and was originally located in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The initial brewing setup included three kegs and propane burners. They brewed 12-gallon batches of beer three times a day, five days a week. In 1996 the brewery began bottling their beer, and by 1999 they had distribution to around a dozen different states. In 2002 the company outgrew their Rehoboth location, and moved to Milton, Delaware. More info can be found HERE.
The Sixty-One is a twist on Dogfish Head's 60 Minute IPA, which oddly enough I haven't reviewed on here (maybe I'll get to that someday). The 60 Minute IPA is one of those classic IPAs you can recommend to anyone and pick up whenever you need an IPA. It's good and it's a classic and yeah. The Sixty-One takes the 60 Minute IPA and adds syrah grape must from California. The beer was inspired by founder/president Sam Calagione when he poured some red wine into the 60 Minute IPA. The end result is this beer.
The beer pours into a surprisingly red wine-esque body, even showing some hints of red in the head foam. The body of this beer is dark amber with shades of red and orange, and the beer produces a finger of white head with amber and red tones. There is a nice cauldron effect/sea foam thing going on as the head drops off, and there is lacing. The beer appears to be transparent (and probably filtered) with spotty mid-sized carbonation. It's a good looking beer, all things considered, and you probably wouldn't peg it as an IPA straight up.
The aroma smells a lot like the 60 or 90 Minute IPAs. It has a very distinct...Dogfish Head aroma. It's hard to explain, but you know it once you've quaffed enough 60 and 90 Minutes. I'm getting big pine, sweeter citrus, Amarillo, orange, tangerine, peaches, and big grapes and grape must. The grape must is a standout aroma, and it isn't embedded into the hop profile like a Nelson Sauvin aroma would be. There is some citrus zest and white pepper on the aroma as well, with some white wine, Syrah, and grape-apricot fusion. There are some hints of biscuit malt and bread in the backdrop as well.
Contrary to a lot of people who dislike this beer, I think this beer is a really nice blend of hops and grape. You get a nice meld of resinous pine, citrus, grapefruit, lemon zest, white pepper, and grass....with big grape must, Syrah, white wine, gooseberry, and apricot. The finish is dry with lingering hops and grapes. There's a hint of bread/cracker on the backbone, with some suggestive caramel sugars popping up here and there.
The carbonation and mouthfeel for this beer is spot on. Palate depth is outstanding, and complexity is okay. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied. You wouldn't know this was 6.5% based on how drinkable it is. I really like this...I don't know if it's world-class or the best IPA you can buy, but how many IPAs are brewed with Syrah grape must? Up front: resinous pine, white pepper, citrus, dry white wine, big grapes, Syrah, grape must; the mids roll into orange, tanginer, and Amarillo against big grapes; the back end features gooseberry, white wine, and apricot-grape goodness. The finish is dry and clean, with lingering grapes and hops.
Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)
I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is a super drinkable, super refreshing, fun beer. It really is the perfect meld of grapes and hops, and you couldn't pick a better vehicle than the 60 Minute IPA for the combination. What a fun, tasty brew. I'm happy that this is going to be part of Dogfish Head's annual lineup, and I look forward to picking this up to drink in the future. Food pairings: chocolate, grilled meats, chicken, and warm weather. I miss the warm weather.
Random Thought: We are about to get pounded with a snow storm....the only silver lining is it looks like we are supposed to reach the mid-30s by the end of next week.
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| Dogfish Head Sixty-One |
The beer pours into a surprisingly red wine-esque body, even showing some hints of red in the head foam. The body of this beer is dark amber with shades of red and orange, and the beer produces a finger of white head with amber and red tones. There is a nice cauldron effect/sea foam thing going on as the head drops off, and there is lacing. The beer appears to be transparent (and probably filtered) with spotty mid-sized carbonation. It's a good looking beer, all things considered, and you probably wouldn't peg it as an IPA straight up.
The aroma smells a lot like the 60 or 90 Minute IPAs. It has a very distinct...Dogfish Head aroma. It's hard to explain, but you know it once you've quaffed enough 60 and 90 Minutes. I'm getting big pine, sweeter citrus, Amarillo, orange, tangerine, peaches, and big grapes and grape must. The grape must is a standout aroma, and it isn't embedded into the hop profile like a Nelson Sauvin aroma would be. There is some citrus zest and white pepper on the aroma as well, with some white wine, Syrah, and grape-apricot fusion. There are some hints of biscuit malt and bread in the backdrop as well.
Contrary to a lot of people who dislike this beer, I think this beer is a really nice blend of hops and grape. You get a nice meld of resinous pine, citrus, grapefruit, lemon zest, white pepper, and grass....with big grape must, Syrah, white wine, gooseberry, and apricot. The finish is dry with lingering hops and grapes. There's a hint of bread/cracker on the backbone, with some suggestive caramel sugars popping up here and there.
The carbonation and mouthfeel for this beer is spot on. Palate depth is outstanding, and complexity is okay. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied. You wouldn't know this was 6.5% based on how drinkable it is. I really like this...I don't know if it's world-class or the best IPA you can buy, but how many IPAs are brewed with Syrah grape must? Up front: resinous pine, white pepper, citrus, dry white wine, big grapes, Syrah, grape must; the mids roll into orange, tanginer, and Amarillo against big grapes; the back end features gooseberry, white wine, and apricot-grape goodness. The finish is dry and clean, with lingering grapes and hops.
Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)
I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is a super drinkable, super refreshing, fun beer. It really is the perfect meld of grapes and hops, and you couldn't pick a better vehicle than the 60 Minute IPA for the combination. What a fun, tasty brew. I'm happy that this is going to be part of Dogfish Head's annual lineup, and I look forward to picking this up to drink in the future. Food pairings: chocolate, grilled meats, chicken, and warm weather. I miss the warm weather.
Random Thought: We are about to get pounded with a snow storm....the only silver lining is it looks like we are supposed to reach the mid-30s by the end of next week.
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