Hellhound On My Ale

17 Nov

I drove down to New Paltz the other day. Tiny little hippy town outside of Poughkeepsie, NY. I have friends that go to college there, and I was somehow lured out of my apartment to go drink out of a keg in a dusty basement. I mention this, as Evan is a graduate from SUNY New Paltz and Marena is currently attending. While the traffic was terrible all weekend (Seriously they need more than three roads in that fucking place), and I drank more Red Bull than beer at the aforementioned kegger, I did happen to come across a little gem.

While getting the keg, I started to mosey around the store to find Dogfish Head Hellhound On My Ale. The name of the beer is an homage to the legendary blues musician Robert Johnson, who allegedly sold his sold to the devil at the crossroads in exchange for being able to play the guitar. It was released on what would have been Johnson’s 100th birthday. The style of beer is an imperial India pale ale, brewed with lemons. (The lemons are included as a nod to Blind Lemon Jefferson, who influenced Johnson.) Now, this can go one of two ways. As with most Dogfish Head offerings, you’re likely to either hate it or love it, and it’s certainly strong. (My girlfriend tried it and reacted as if a meteor had hit her palate.) As I read the label, I thought to myself, “I really hope this doesn’t taste like there’s dishwashing detergent in my beer.” Luckily, the lemon flavor really doesn’t show itself until the finish. The beer has all the hoppy, citrusy aromas commonly associated with an imperial IPA, but again more lemon than grapefruit. The beer was meticulously brewed to revolve around the number 100, such as the IBU rating is 100 and the alcohol content is 10.0%. Having said that, the beer is remarkably drinkable. As always, imbibe responsibly. Dogfish Head has become a brewery where I’ve had far more of their seasonals and rarities than I have their year round brews. If you happen to be out at the store and this catches your eye, you won’t be disappointed.