I’ll give them credit: Ballast Point Brewing has managed to surprise me again with their Dorado Double India Pale Ale. After all, I’ve tried countless DIPAs and Imperial IPAs (the same things), so what could these guys do that somebody else already had not? Brew up a very tasty and very different Double IPA, that’s what. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this beer in the bottle to be honest, but as I was sitting at Taco Mac one fine Tuesday evening in early April, they had it on tap, so I went for it.

This is a year round brew from Ballast Point, and a quick search of Total Wine’s website shows it’s not currently available here in Georgia or South Carolina. We’ll soon see what I thought of it flavor-wise and stylistically, but what I find very different is the herbal, aromatic quality of the hops that abound here. The beer is named for the dorado, a river fish native to South America.

From the brewery website:

A huge, hoppy brew that will test your sea legs.

Our Dorado Double IPA immediately hooks you with massive hops that never stop. Mash hopping, kettle hopping and dry hopping makes this beer a serious hop lover’s prize catch. It’s an amazingly drinkable, award-winning beer that’s as beautifully balanced as it is big.

Ballast Point Dorado Double India Pale Ale has an alcohol content of 10% by volume with 90 IBUs. I paid $7 for an 11-ounce glass at Taco Mac.

That glass of Ballast Point Dorado Double India Pale Ale arrived a hazy orange amber color with a very thin head of foam and red berries and herbal tea in the nose. A sip reveals some chewy caramel malt up front followed by more of the aromatic big herbal tea notes from the dry hopping. They really permeate the beer, making it leafy and delicious and quite earthy indeed. A long dry lingering bitterness at the last and a dose of alcohol warmth round this beer out nicely.

The more I sipped, the more I liked Ballast point Dorado. It’s not resiny piney DIPA, nor is it a modern thin malty fruit loopy one either. Instead, it reminds me of a classic English IPA on steroids. It gets high marks from me, and I will definitely look for this one again.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 

 

 

Home