I have been hearing a lot about Dogfish Head’s 90 Minute IPA over the last several weeks. With the acquisition by Boston Beer Company, Dogfish Head has lit up social media. Some fans accuse them of selling out, while others are pleased that their favorite beer will soon have a further reach with the expanded distributing abilities of the larger conglomerate. I’m mostly indifferent about the acquisition, other than an ever-present interest in rooting for the little guy, but I can certainly offer an opinion about the beer itself.
Up against the Dogfish Head offering, I have a Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA. This beer was part of a variety pack I purchased awhile ago, and, while I haven’t tried it yet, it’s definitely my favorite label in from the pack. Let’s see how this one goes.
HopDuel Survey
| Better label | Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA |
| Better aroma | Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA |
| Better taste | Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA |
| Better finish | Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA |
| Winner | Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA |
Tell us about it
It turns out all the talk about the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA was true, this might be the ideal IPA. The hoppy, sweet malt aroma is classic IPA perfection, and the finish is surprisingly smooth for an IPA, blending just the right amount of malt, hops and bitterness. It lingers for a good while after you gulp it down, revisiting your taste buds and serving as a reminder that you just enjoyed something outstanding!
The Ruthless Rye was less ruthless than I was expecting. Despite the cool label, the beer really lacks the punch the name led me to believe I was about to drink. Sierra Nevada has several truly fantastic beers, so I don’t want to sit here and bash the brewer too hard. This one just wasn’t for me. Let me know what you think about it in the comments below.
HopDuel 