The choice for Dogfish Head’s Aprihop was certainly a seasonal one.  I always enjoy a beer that matches the season, so a fresh, crisp sounding Aprihop sounded like a delicious break from the rich spiced beer that accompany winter.

The beer poured a pretty orange color.  It actually reminded me a bit of the color of a dark apricot.  The head was minimal, and judging by the continual streams of petite bubbles that supported and fed it, I was guessing this beer was dry and more than sufficiently carbonated.

The smell of Aprihop was certainly unique, and difficult to dissect.  To be honest, it smelled sort of…err…funky.  I am not opposed to seemingly unpleasant aromas emanating from certain beers; in fact, at times I thinks it bodes well on what is to come.  If one is expecting a fruity apricot balm from this beer, look somewhere else (maybe Pyramid’s apricot ale).  Citrus notes, mixed with grapefruity hop smells, and a distinct but not overwhelming apricot aroma pretty much cover up malt undertones, but they are there.

The taste, like the smell, is odd.  It is not what I expected.  It is here that some caramel and nutty malts can be picked up on, but only briefly, before your taste buds reel in confusion.  Like most IPAs, you are expecting a pleasent bitter hop flavor to compliment said malts, but in this case there are two competing flavors.  The apricot flavor is far from sweet.  In fact it is quite sour.  I do believe I may have wrinkled my face a bit as if I had just bit into a lemon.  This is not necessarily a bad thing for me personally since I enjoy sour flavors.  But having to process this alongside some bitter citrusy hops made for a unique drinking experience.

The feel of the beer in my mouth was pleasant.  Mildly dry and pleasently carbonated.  It cleanses the palate.

The finish of the beer is sour.  There is a lingering sour flavor that hangs around until you choose a different beer to drink.  It almost tastes like you just took a bite of under-ripened fruit.

Overall, this ws a fun beer.  It is not something I would rush out to buy, but it was not sink worthy by any means.  I understand why this is a seasonal beer.  I do not believe it would sell strong al year long!  I am curious to hear what anyone else thought.

Nate’s Rating

Overall Satisfaction: ★★☆☆☆ 

Among other IPA's: ★★¼☆☆ 

Among other Fruit Beers: ★★★☆☆