Ballast Point Dorado
If Ballast Point Brewing have proven anything throughout the years, it’s that they know how to craft one hell of an IPA. From their year-round Big Eye to the recent Sculpin varieties, the company has been able to showcase hops in all their fruity, bitter glory. So when I finally crossed paths with Dorado, their bit double IPA, it was a no-brainer to snag a sixer and hit the road.
Weighing in at 10% ABV and 90 IBU, Dorado is not a beer for those that shy away from hoppy brews with a big bitter bite. But for those of you that love that stuff, this is the beer for you. I’m happy to have finally come across the beer on shelves and will most certainly be purchasing more as soon as I can find it.
Appearance
A large, rocky stack of off-white foam sits proudly atop the golden amber Dorado.
Aroma
You can smell the juicy, fruity hops a mile away upon cracking the bottle open — grapefruit, tangerine and other tropical notes surround the beer like a hoppy aura. A moderate amount of pine and a hint of bready malts fill in behind.
Taste
I’ve noticed through my drinking escapades that no matter how amazing a beer smells, the flavors fail to follow suit. That’s not the case with Dorado. Luscious, tropical fruits, tangerine, pine, resinous notes, soft malt and leafy hops surge smoothly and gracefully over the tongue. The bitterness is fairly aggressive, but a moderate level of malt sweetness does it’s best to keep everything from becoming one-dimensional. The big beer features a long lasting, warming finish.
Overall
This is my kind of Imperial IPA. Dorado features everything you want in a big beer like this, but doesn’t overwhelm or wreck the palate for later use. It carries huge fruit flavors and a solid bitterness that any hop head in their right mind would want in their fridge. Just leave some for me.
Rating: 4.25/5
