The Perfect Disguise
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Delaware, United States 🇺🇸
IPA - Imperial / Double Rotating|
Score
7.14
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On the surface, The Perfect Disguise looks like a straightforward Kölsch with a crisp Kölsch yeast and traditional German malts and hops … but things aren’t always what they seem. With a quick sniff and a slight sip, you’re greeted by a creamy mouthfeel and full body thanks to the addition of a unique German chit malt - the first hint that this beer may be somewhat different.
Hiding deeper behind that German disguise is the double dry-hopping of an American Double IPA, with nearly 4 lbs. of German and American hops per barrel. It brings tropical flavors of citrus, tangerine, mango, gooseberries and peach.
The artwork for The Perfect Disguise was brought to life and designed by 2019 Off-Centered Art Series artist Michael Hacker. The name ‘The Perfect Disguise’ was the inspiration for the illustration design as it’s a play on words with whether or not the beer is actually a Kölsch or an American IPA.
Hiding deeper behind that German disguise is the double dry-hopping of an American Double IPA, with nearly 4 lbs. of German and American hops per barrel. It brings tropical flavors of citrus, tangerine, mango, gooseberries and peach.
The artwork for The Perfect Disguise was brought to life and designed by 2019 Off-Centered Art Series artist Michael Hacker. The name ‘The Perfect Disguise’ was the inspiration for the illustration design as it’s a play on words with whether or not the beer is actually a Kölsch or an American IPA.
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4.5/10
Tried
from Draft
on 21 Mar 2019
at 19:35
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
Bottle from Jeff Bezos Whole Foods: pours golden with a white head. Aroma is fruity, citrusy. Taste is sort of sweet, light bitter, fruity. Not as perfect disguise as they purport. Good nevertheless.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Mar 2019
at 14:55
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Fairly clear golden and peach coloured body with a nice and perfectly topped three centimetre tall off-white head. Aroma of citrus, grapefruit, oranges, light hop bitterness, a touch of grain and a little bit of alcohol - very well balanced, at least in the nose. Medium to perhaps slightly Full-bodied; Strong grapefruit and orange/citrus flavours at first that give way to a bit more defined and resinous hop backbone that shows some pungency towards the alcohol and lightly astringent notes that all show the hops well and strong. Aftertaste shows some good malt backbone with a light grainy flavour and a touch of the softer citrus sugars and sweet notes that come from the finish. Overall, a pretty well-balanced 'Imperial' IPA that borders on a traditional IPA, but the hops show nicely and the other tangentially related notes are smooth and soft without much astringency or pungent notes throughout. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Whole Foods in Pentagon City, Arlington, Virginia on 31-January-2019 for US$3,49 sampled at my house here in Washington on 07-March-2019.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Mar 2019
at 08:56
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
12oz bottle foggy dull golden pour into teh glass....coarse off-white head. Muted slightly earthy citrusy hop aroma. Firm but not obnoxious hop flar and bitterness. A little caramelized sugar sweetness. Easy drinking for a double
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Mar 2019
at 05:45
9/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Mar 2019
at 20:06
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
12 ounce bottle. Honey gold pour. Foamy beige head. Subtle citrus hop nose hints at pineapple. Sharp citrus hop flavor upfront. Complex earthy malt and spicy hops are balanced nicely. Bitter hop finish has resiny pine notes.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Feb 2019
at 05:22
8.5/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8
Bottle from Total Wine & More in Reston, VA Aroma: citrus, tropical fruit, bread Appearance: clear golden with a white head Taste: medium bitterness, medium sweetness Palate: lively carbonation, slick feel, medium body, long finish Tasty
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Feb 2019
at 16:32
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
12 ounce bottle into signature tulip glass, bottled on 1/21/2019. Pours fairly crystal clear medium golden/amber color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, blueberry, gooseberry, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, cracker, lightly toasted biscuit, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of huge tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, blueberry, gooseberry, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, cracker, lightly toasted biscuit, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, blueberry, gooseberry, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, cracker, lightly toasted biscuit, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and bready malt flavors; with an awesome malt/bitterness balance, and no lingering hop astringency after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy/sticky, and fairly crisp/resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is fantastic. Minimal warming alcohol for 8%. Overall this is an outstanding DIPA. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and bready malt flavors; dangerously smooth and fairly crisp/refreshing to drink with the modestly bitter/resinous/drying finish, not overly aggressive. Feels like a lot of Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic hops; along with German noble varieties. Very juicy, vibrant, and fairly dank/earthy hop complexity; a great balanced clean bready malt backbone. Minimal residual sweetness from crisp resin dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding style example. One of their best new IPAs in a while.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Feb 2019
at 18:08
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 10
Overall 7.5
Not sure what all this “kolsch” business is about, but damned if Perfect Disguise isn’t a tasty IPA. Starts with a burst of grapefruit, orange, and mango, followed by floral notes and a mineral bitterness on the back end. White bread, candied lemon zest, and crackers on the fade. Citrus nose, pretty gold pour with a hint of haze and good lacing. Nice beer.
Tried
from Can
on 08 Feb 2019
at 01:17
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Sampled from a bottle this beer poured a hazy apricot color with an enormous foamy orange-white head that lingered and left decent lacing. The aroma was sweetish with fruity hops. The flavor was fruity, perfumey and citric hops with sugar, yeast and a bit of pine underneath. Medium length finish. Moderately full bodied.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Feb 2019
at 00:50