Dogfish Head Aprihop

I bought a 4 pack of this a few months back.  Tried one and the rest went in time out in the back of my fridge for a long, long while.  I did NOT like this beer when I first tried it...it was a very good example of 'go home and try again'.  Let's see what a little time out can do for it...

12 fl.oz bottle poured in glass

Appearance

Pours a very clear, dark amber with a two finger head.  I could pour this from a third story window and I don't think I'd get much more of a head.  Disappears quickly, it's almost gone as I'm finishing this sentence.

Smell

Upfront citrus smell with a bit of hops added in.  A slight malty undertone to it as well, it just cuts through enough to pick up. not as hoppy as I thought it would be considering it's an IPA, and no real apricot smell, either.

Taste

A slightly sweet, very citrusy (that IS a word.....) taste that blasts me right away. Like I just bit into a grapefruit. Reminds me a bit of some of the lambic beers I've tried.  I very dry finish with just a hint of alcohol. There's a distinct 'bitterness' to it that I don't care for...while I've never tried it, I'm almost thinking this is what straight fruit extract tastes like...it's kind of like apricots, but without the sweetness. For an IPA I was disappointed in the lack of hops.  Maybe that's the aging toning it down a bit...or maybe it's that nasty faux-apricot taste overpowering it.

Mouth

Average body with a decent amount of carbonation.  It's acidic at first then warms up a bit with the alcohol aftertaste.  Reasonably balanced, I don't have many complaints here.

Overall

It's...OK.  It's a step up from the first one I had, that's for sure.  I just really can't get around that nasty fake apricot taste.  Then again...I did say I hated fruit beers...this will not be an exception to that rule. This seems like a far deviation from a traditional IPA.  Props to DFH for doing something different...but perhaps they should switch directions with this one. I'm always up for a new style or deviation thereof, so it's a good thing brewers are still trying...even if the results are less then desirable. 

I'm halfway through right now, and I'll finish it just to say I finished it...I might have to try it on tap to see if it's any better, or maybe try a different batch.  Maybe you can still have a case of the Monday's at a brewery...I give it a 0.5/4.0