Dorado Double IPA is Ballast Point’s original big-game double IPA, a beer the brewery describes as a prize catch for serious hop lovers. It has been in the lineup since the brewery’s early days, and it remains one of the boldest expressions of the West Coast double IPA style: huge hops, a real malt backbone, and enough alcohol to make its presence known.

The basics

• Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Company (San Diego, CA)
• Style: Double IPA
• ABV: 10%
• IBU: 90

What to expect

Dorado pours a hazy golden orange with a modest head. The aroma leads with hops first: herbal and leafy notes from heavy dry hopping, backed by citrus and pine. Underneath sits a chewy caramel malt character that gives the beer weight and keeps the hop assault from running thin. The brewery hops it three ways, in the mash, in the kettle, and in the dry hop, and that layered approach shows in the glass.

On the palate it is full and assertive, with citrus peel and pine resin riding over toffee-like malt sweetness before a long, dry bitterness takes over the finish. There is a gentle alcohol warmth at the end, which is no surprise at 10%, but the beer stays balanced enough to invite another sip. This is a slow-sipping double IPA, best suited to hop fans who want intensity without a one-note bitterness bomb.

Our rating

7.0/10

Rated by Nick (7). Nick puts this one at a 7, and that score fits a beer that delivers exactly what it promises. The hop character is massive and layered, the caramel malt gives it real structure, and the dry bitter finish keeps it from turning sweet. It loses points only because its sheer size makes it a commitment rather than an everyday pour, but as a classic San Diego double IPA, it earns its place.