Dogfish Head Sixty-One

Oddly enough, I enjoyed a 355mL bottle of Dogfish Head Sixty-One during the same week that my father celebrated his 61st birthday. This handsome ale comes from Milton, Delaware, where it's brewed by the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery.

According to the label, this 6.5% alcohol beer is "The continually-hopped India Pale Ale brewed with Syrah grape must". It's a hazy, copper-coloured ale that has a distinctly rosy hue when held to a light source and which wears a bright white hat of head. The nose is metallic and hoppy, with a glimmer of sweetness chilling on the front porch. Like all of the Dogfish Head brews that I've tried, this stuff is vehemently hoppy. If the label hadn't mentioned the Syrah grape must, I'm not convinced that I would have readily identified the fruity, slightly acidic notes as wine-like--I don't know if I can give my palate that much credit--but wine-like it is, and pleasantly so. Each sip leaves a little sweetness clinging to the lips.

This is a charming and innovative India Pale that is definitely worth tracking down.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.