Dogfish Head Red & White

Tonight, my wife and I shared a bottle of Dogfish Head's Red & White. Since I've become a light-weight drinker now that I'm 50, there was no way I was going to drink this 10% abv, 25 ounce bottle myself. Dogfish Head advertises this as a cross between a Belgian Wit and a red wine - hence the name "Red & White". It poured a beautiful pinkish orange with a small white head. The head evaporated almost immediately, which didn't surprise me considering the higher gravity of the beer. This is an unfiltered beer, and there was a lot of sediment in our two glasses. Sediment doesn't bother me, as long as it doesn't feel like I'm drinking pulpy orange juice. This is a fine marriage of a wit and a red wine - they complement each other perfectly. It had the orange/coriander presence from the wit, and the grapes gave it the vinous quality I expected. It was quite sweet and refreshing. I'm glad I didn't attempt to finish the bottle on my own though; the alcohol content was quite obvious after drinking the first half of the glass. This is a teriffic specialty beer from my favorite Delaware brewery! Check it out!

Dogfish Head Burton Baton Imperial IPA

I've been saving this bottle of Dogfish Head Burton Baton in my fridge for a while, but decided to give it a taste test tonight. The bottle describes it as "An oak-aged Imperial India Pale Ale". It's a mixture of two different IPA's. One is aged in French Oak, while the other is their traditional 90 Minute IPA. They blend the two together to come up with Burton Baton. Due to its 10% alcohol level, this is best enjoyed as a sipping beer. It poured a deep amber, with a large off-white head. Mouthfeel is medium to heavy - some may consider it syrupy. The initial taste is sweet malt, with a strong hop influence to balance out the malt. It also has some port-like characteristics, and a warming alcohol finish. This is a beer that is to be enjoyed 1 at a time, possibly as an after-dinner beer. At $4.00 a bottle, I won't be drinking a lot of these, but I wish I could!

Dogfish Head Immort Ale

Had I known that this was a Barley Wine when I took it out of the fridge, I probably would have made another selection. Not that I have anything against a particularly strong and sweet beer - since I have brewed plenty of them myself - but I think another variety might have worked better with my dinner. Dogfish Head in Rehobeth Beach, Delaware is one of the finest breweries in the country, and this is a perfect example of why I feel that way. This ale is brewed with maple syrup, vanilla, peat smoked barley, and then fermented and aged in oak barrels. At 11% alcohol, it is a sipping beer. It poured a deep amber, with almost no head. The first sip told me that smoked barley was one of the ingredients. I like a smoked beer, and this was a nice subtle touch. I could also tell that there was maple syrup involved, since I brew with that particular ingredient quite frequently. This is a sweet beer for sure, and definitely would be nice as a winter warmer in front of a fireplace, in a snifter. Oh well, I'll drink the next bottle of Immort Ale the correct way.

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

The first sip of this ale sent me back to the kitchen, to examine the label on the bottle. Wow - 12 % alcohol. Dogfish Head has released a new high gravity ale, called Palo Santo Marron. The unique thing about this ale is that it was fermented in barrels made from exotic Palo Santo wood, which Sam Calagione got from Paraguay. Just looking at it in the glass tells you that it's a rich flavorful ale. It poured a deep brown, with black cherry colored highlights. The small head was also brown, and did not last long. This tasted like a port wine, with some vanilla coming through. The label referred to this beer as a brown ale, but this is more of an after-dinner beer, and could be a winter-warmer if it was winter. It definitely warmed me up inside. Dogfish Head must be committed to this beer, since they built a number of 10,000 gallon fermenting tanks to make it. Sam's new ale is a winner with me, although I'll drink it for dessert next time, instead of with pasta.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

In my mind, there is no better beer to go with a real NY style pizza than an IPA. A good IPA is the only beer that can really stand up to a salty, spicy pizza. Pilsners and lagers are more popular, but they get lost in the sauce. Dogfish Head makes some of the best IPA's in the country, if you're a hop-head like me. Next time you have a pizza, try a Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA and see if I'm right.

Dogfish Head 120 Minute Imperial IPA

At $8.00 for a 12 oz bottle, Dogfish Head's 120 Minute Imperial IPA is a rare treat - at least in this house. Dogfish Head is one of my favorite breweries, which is why I splurged on this bottle over a year ago, saving it for a special occasion. It poured a beautiful honey color, with a small white head. I don't think I would describe this as a typical IPA. It's hoppy, to be sure, but it's very sweet, with an alcohol content somewhere upwards of 15%. I found it to be somewhat syruppy, and is certainly over the top. This is a beer for after dinner, an aperetif, or nightcap. It is definitely designed to be enjoyed all by itself, with no other distractions like food. In my book, Dogfish Head can do no wrong, but I do think I prefer the 90 Minute IPA over this one. The 60 Minute is excellent also!