90 Minute IPA, Meatloaf and Mamacita's

I don’t drink much hard liquor for a reason: I’m not fond of it. Frankly, this beer is something like hard liquor to me and working my way slowly though a pint glass of the stuff reminds me of a little place in Juarez, Mexico.

You wouldn’t know it to look at me today, but I served four years as a Cavalry Scout in the United States army. Most of my duty was spent in peaceable pursuits on the Texas/Mexico border. One evening, another 3rd Cavalry trooper and I made a reconnaissance of Juarez, Mexico and landed smack dab in the middle of a dark little place called Mamacita’s (to be honest, my companion had already reconnoitered the joint and I suppose I was simply along on the second mission to provide cover fire). At any rate, the trick at this place is to order a rum and Coke. When you ordered a rum and Coke at Mamacita’s in those days, they brought you a bottle of room temperature coca-cola and one of those tall plastic Tupperware glasses filled to the rim with rum and ice. Now, obviously this drink doesn’t start out as a rum and Coke; you have to drink down a good deal of the rum in order to begin adding the Coke. Well shucks, by then you’re so far along it hardly matters.

So, drinking a pint glass of Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA strikes me a bit like trying to drink down that Tupperware tumbler of rum so I could have some of that precious Coca-Cola!

The Tasting

Strong smell of grass in the bottle. Smells mildly fruity and very hoppy in the glass. Pours a nice color with a medium head. Bitter, acidic taste, most liquor-like. Definitely a sipping beer. Taste and mouth feel improve as the beer warms in the bottom of the glass.

The Dogfish Head web page for 90 Minute is here:
http://www.dogfish.com/brewings/Year_Round_Beers/90_Minute_IPA/11/index.htm
Funny, they list some swanky food pairings for this beer, like escargot, frites, focaccia and Silton cheese. I wonder if the frozen meatloaf dinner I had with mine falls into the category of suitable food pairing. I also see that again, I used the “wrong” type of glass to drink this one. Shucks.

The fraternity at Beer Advocate rated this one a strong “A.” (Almost 1,500 people have rated this one folks!)
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/64/2093

I think as a representative of a certain style of beer, this beer warrants high marks, however if that particular style of beer isn’t one of your favorites (in this case an Imperial IPA) then it won’t matter how well the beer “represents,” indeed that may work against the beer in some cases). I probably won’t get this one again, except perhaps if I see it available on draft and know I’m not the one driving home!