Dogfish Head Brewery tour

Over vacation in Delaware last week we managed to visit the Dogfish Head brewery for a brief tour. While I am fond of many Dogfish brews, clearly the 60-minute IPA is by far the most popular.

The special sauce in the 60-minute is created by "Sir Hops-a-lot," a device that circulates fresh hops on a constant basis for an entire hour post-brew. That brewery uses a heck of a lot of hops! In fact, their supplier asked them if they have a hop-theft problem. ;-)

The result is a light, crisp brew with an intensely floral, fresh hop taste. We had a fresh keg for the tasting, and while I usually favor darker beers, I definitely understand the popularity.

Other brews tried: the Zwaanend Ale which celebrates the 375th anniversary of the original Delaware town, Lewes, and the Immort Ale which is probably one of the most unusual beers I have tasted. It was peaty, with tastes of vanilla, maple, and oak. I found it intellectually fascinating, and I am glad I tried it, but the combination of tastes didn't work for me.

One of the plusses of going on vacation for a week when you have some beers on the way is that you are that much closer on the return. I will be bottling the Nut Brown this week, and I may even bottle the Alt as well. Wow, that would mean I would have two home brews available at the same time! Three, if I still have IPA left. Time for a party!