DFH vs. ST

bujubanton · Post by **bujubanton** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 6:44 pm

Obviously, it's good to have both beers on the shelves....
but which beer do people prefer?

After having a DFH 60 today...and then a ST....
I have to say that I prefer the ST.
It's got more zing...more back end flavour.

The 60 actually seemed a bit bland to me. And too much caramel taste. Good...but not as good as ST. Maybe the DFH 90 would be better.

Let's take a tally...which one wins the tasting poll on this forum?

Raptor2023 · Post by **Raptor2023** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:23 pm

What's this? A bujabanton post that doesn't flame for once. Haha, I just happened to pick up a sixer of the Dogfish today just when the LCBO were about to close. I still have yet to try it, but when I tasted the ST a few months back, I was really blown away by it. The ST is going to be hard to beat for me...

JesseM · Post by **JesseM** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:27 pm

Dogfish Head 60 Minute, by a lot. Much more malty goodness to compliment the abundant hops. That is my opinion.

Torontoblue · Post by **Torontoblue** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:42 pm

bujubanton wrote:The 60 actually seemed a bit bland to me. And too much caramel taste. Good...but not as good as ST. Maybe the DFH 90 would be better.

Maybe the extra 6 weeks in the warehouse has dulled the flavour somewhat?

But then the bottle I bought from Jarvis/Front had a bottled date of 4th August 08, which to me is pretty darned fresh.

JesseM · Post by **JesseM** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:48 pm

Torontoblue wrote:
bujubanton wrote:The 60 actually seemed a bit bland to me. And too much caramel taste. Good...but not as good as ST. Maybe the DFH 90 would be better.
...the bottle I bought from Jarvis/Front had a bottled date of 4th August 08, which to me is pretty darned fresh.

This is a very good point in my view, to counter the freshness complainers. With the amount of hops in this one, if it can't stay 'fresh' for more than a month or so than there's something seriously wrong with it.

And of course, don't forget the original purpose of the style was to withstand long periods of shipping. Duh.

The ST is more hop-forward in my opinion, so if that's what you're into then I guess the ST is better for you than the 60 Min, but personally I like a nice malt body to my IPA's to balance out the hops. Hops are great, but I both get headaches from an excess of them and also don't like feeling as if I'm drinking a pine tree

.

tuqueboy · Post by **tuqueboy** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:59 pm

bujubanton wrote:Obviously, it's good to have both beers on the shelves....
but which beer do people prefer?

After having a DFH 60 today...and then a ST....
I have to say that I prefer the ST.
It's got more zing...more back end flavour.

The 60 actually seemed a bit bland to me. And too much caramel taste. Good...but not as good as ST. Maybe the DFH 90 would be better.

Let's take a tally...which one wins the tasting poll on this forum?

I prefer the Southern Tier. I just find the DFH to be too much of a one-note wonder. The Southern Tier, to me, shows that you can be balanced without being bland. It's wonderfully hoppy, but it has a pretty solid malt backbone, too. On another note, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the Southern Tier will almost always be fresher when it gets here, just because of the geography.

bujubanton · Post by **bujubanton** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:32 pm

I am sure Andy Brandt is apoplectic that the LCBO is selling some good tasting beer...but this isn't about flaming anyone...

DFH is a good beer. I just found it a bit bland. And the malty-ness is a drawback.
I guess it's personal taste. I prefer the hops. ST has that...and as I said, the back end flavour (wish I could come up with a more high falutin' term than that..but basically, you get some flavour...a few seconds after that first burst..I don't get that with the DFH). ST is more like beers in Oregon.

I have only had the 90 minute a couple times...would like to try that on a more regular basis.
Another good choice is Dieu Du Ciel's "Corne du Diable...now available at Volo. It was surprisingly good. Surely some brewer in Ontario shoudl be able to step up to the plate now...to match what is done in Quebec.

boney · Post by **boney** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:59 pm

I just finished a side-by-side comparison and the ST had way more flavour and way more of an aroma than the DFH 60. However, from my recollection when I had them individually and from my tasting notes, I can say that I liked the DFH 60 a lot more. A few others have said it before, but I think that the DFH is just better balanced. To me, the ST starts in the falvour and aroma as being super malty (sweet ripe fruits and caramel, respectively) and does a very abrupt turn into pine aromas and a super, super bitter finish without much in between. Alternatively, teh DFH has isn't as extreme in either dimension, with a more restained bready malt backbone, a little less bitterness and more grasses and citrus intertwined into the piney aroma. I usually love the more hoppy IPA's, but the maltyness of the ST seemes a little out of place for the style, even with the strong hop finish. Regardless, I'm thirilled that both of them are on the LCBO's general list.

esprit · Post by **esprit** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 3:37 pm

buju, I promised not to ever respond to your postings but Andy Brandt retired about 2 1/2 years ago and, other than his pension, could care less...why do you bother to post when you don't have a clue what is going on? Your constant ravings about the LCBO make even the most cynical of us defend them...I don't like doing that but you should post intelligently if you're going to post. There, my last response to a buju post...I swear...oh, "and more zing"...what a great analysis of ST which I'm sure all bartowellers will appreciate as "zing" is what we are looking for...thanks for the contribution.

esprit · Post by **esprit** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 3:46 pm

tuqueboy...a truckload of beer from Buffalo takes one day to get here...a truckload of beer from Delaware takes one day to get here...please explain your freshness theory...and again, as someone has previously mentioned, IPA's are made to last...if you want fresh, drink Russian kvas on the street in Moscow or Kyiv some morning. No disrespect but your comments are rather ill-informed...go to the brewery and drink from the spigot if you want "fresh". DFH60 in the LCBO is likely to be fresher than anything you can get in Buffalo, but we always need to complain about something...don't we.

esprit · Post by **esprit** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 3:52 pm

...he's back...just spent 4 days in Copenhagen with my buddies from Rubaiyat, R & R, Mclelland and Fine Beers and I'm raring to go.

Bobsy · Post by **Bobsy** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 4:03 pm

Peter - thanks for getting this one into the LCBO! Its a very enjoyable IPA, full of fresh leafy hop flavours, so it ticks all my boxes!

Regarding which one is better, I would say for me they are on the same level, and its far too close to declare one or the other the winner.

tuqueboy · Post by **tuqueboy** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 5:11 pm

esprit wrote:tuqueboy...a truckload of beer from Buffalo takes one day to get here...a truckload of beer from Delaware takes one day to get here...please explain your freshness theory....

that's why i said it was just a guess. thanks for clearing up the transport time. i wasn't actually complaining, believe it or not. that's buju's department.

but seriously though -- good job getting the 60-minute in. any idea if we'll see any other dogfish stuff in? not to push our luck or anything, but the raison d'etre or raison d'extra would be awfully nice!

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 6:01 pm

Bobsy wrote: Regarding which one is better, I would say for me they are on the same level, and its far too close to declare one or the other the winner.

I think it is all win/win.

And it's nice to have a few great West Coast IPAs reliably available in Ontario (*pinching myself* - really??? Am I dreaming?)

Much love to Esprit and Roland & Russel for the vision & persistence.

tuqueboy · Post by **tuqueboy** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 6:04 pm

Belgian wrote:
Bobsy wrote: Regarding which one is better, I would say for me they are on the same level, and its far too close to declare one or the other the winner.
I think it is all win/win.

And it's nice to have a few great West Coast IPAs reliably available in Ontario (*pinching myself* - really??? Am I dreaming?)

Much love to Esprit and Roland & Russel for the vision & persistence.

since when are delaware and western new york on the west coast?

The Bar Towel

DFH vs. ST

DFH vs. ST

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Re: DFH vs. ST

Re: DFH vs. ST