Blue Dot Double IPA
July 10th, 2006Style: Double India Pale Ale
Brewery: Hair of the Dog
Availability: Special Earth Day release
Beer Advocate Rating: 85
Rate Beer Rating: 3.8/5 (95th Percentile)
Although I live in the Pacific Northwest, I haven’t always been a big fan of India pale ales. However, they’re quickly growing on me and so I decided to give Hair of the Dog’s Blue Dot double India pale ale a shot. I’m a big fan of Stone’s hoppy-as-hell Ruination double IPA, so bring it on.
A first for me is this is my first brew from Hair of the Dog. I’ve heard great things, but never actually got around to picking up a bottle. I guess I’m just a sucker for 22oz bottles and this is the first 22oz bottle I’ve seen from Hair of the Dog. According to the Belmont Station Beer Forum, this brew was distributed at Hair of the Dog’s Earth Day event, whilst the rest went on sale for a limited time.
Appearance: Instead of describing what it looked like, have a look for yourself. I was surprised at how little head this brew had. What was there quickly dissipated. Normal for a double IPA? Leave a comment and let me know because I honestly don’t. Dark amber color that’s slightly cloudy.
Smell: Uh oh. I know this smell. This brew smells like a Belgian.
Taste:Yup, tastes like a Belgian. Very citrusy as well. Definite hues of lemon shine through with slighter hues of oranges or tangerines. This really surprised me because it tastes absolutely nothing like Ruination. Creamy mouthfeel as well.
The Verdict: Well it’s well known that I’m not a fan of Belgians, but I did enjoy the strong citrus hues that shined through. The biggest barrier between this beer and me liking it is I was really in the mood for an Indian pale ale. I made the mistake of assuming a double IPA would taste similar to a regular IPA. If you’re a fan of Belgians and you’re already a fan of Double India pale ales then I see no reason why you wouldn’t enjoy this brew. It’s only around for a limited time though, so snag a bottle while you can.
The lesson I learned is never treat two double IPAs the same. If I was to pick between this or Ruination, I’d easily pick Ruination.
-Rick
