Aprihop - Dogfish Head

Aprihop
India Pale Ale (f. Apricots)
Dogfish Head
Milton, DE

2 posts in 2 days! 2 seasonal brews! And a 2nd post on Dogfish Head! What a coincidence. The double entendre in the name of this beer - A brew made with real apricots, and released around April. It's a warm weather drink for sure.

Apricots have been used in all sorts of styles and fashions since before anyone could ever remember. Some estimates say Apricots reach further back than 3000BC! Alexander the Great brought them to Greece, Egyptians dried them and turned them into sweet drinks, and Dogfish Head puts them in beer. While I might not see eye-to-eye with the apricot, its fair to say that I can respect all of its wonderful accomplishments.

I don't think I have ever eaten an apricot before, outside of one that I mistaken pulled out of a bag of trail mix while hiking in 7th grade. Popping what I thought was an oddly shaped huge cashew into my mouth left a gross impression that kept me away from Apricots for a while. (Full disclosure - I though it was a dead larva.) I've always had a hard time picking out fruit at a grocery and since I'm too afraid to ask for help, I have stayed away from fruits that aren't apples and bananas.

In my mind, beer with fruit has a negative connotation - Corona and Blue Moon never did it for me. It seems like a bad excuse to make a boring beer more interesting - like a guy who wears novelty t-shirts to parties. I'd rather just have a good tasting beer.

If I can point to a single beer that defies that notion, its this. Aprihop is surprisingly fun! The bitterness and sweetness play off each other really well. The smell and first taste is almost all hops - business as usual for Dogfish Head. But as the taste lingers, the fruitiness starts to take over. The aftertaste leaves me with what I can only equate to sweet Banana Breath. The flavor sticks around for a while, and it's so good that I don't think of my unfortunate past! This is a classic case where more is better - a concept that DfH has down. Hops and 'Cots are pushed to the max in this brew.

Something I'm starting to learn about seasonal brews - I don't think they have staying power for me. Its probably best this is served in a 4-pack. I don't know if I could spend a long night with this beer, but it is a real treat to throw into the mix!