Posts tagged dogfish

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Milton, DE

URKontinent Belgian-style Dubbel

8.0% ABV

Dogfish Head keeps cranking them out, I keep drinking them up.

URKontinent is a collaboration between Dogfish and, of all people, Google, who set up a forum of sorts on their website to crowdsource ingredients to brew with. What they came up with was wattleseed from Australia; toasted amaranth, an herb from South America; green rooibos tea from Africa; myrcia gale, a flowering plant from Europe; and honey from Google’s own farms in California. It’s kind of like Pangaea - sans Antarctic water - insofar as it’s a worldly beer, and fitting for two worldly companies.

The beer pours a s lightly hazy deep brown color, kind of a murky dank-looking color. There’s a finger of head that’s gone pretty quickly, leaving behind a nice film of small bubbles. Good lacing and decent alcohol legs as well.

The smell is a class dubbel. Those big sweet plum and fig notes are really present on the nose. There are bits of coffee notes and chocolate as well. There’s a sweetness from the honey, a slight bread note and a little bit of an herbal touch as well. Interesting slight twist for a dubbel

Toward the front and middle of the mouth, it’s a classic dubbel. You get those big sweet fig, raisin and plum notes that linger nicely. But on the back end, there’s this big burst of herbs and honey. The herbal notes really shine through on the back as well. The rooibos really gives it a tea taste.

While Dogfish has the expected laundry list of ingredients, they don’t do anything too crazy with this one, much like they did with Positive Contact. They could go make something crazy and over the top, but instead they find ingredients that work well with the base style and add subtle little touches that make it really enjoyable and tasty. 

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Milton, DE

Pangaea Belgian Pale Ale

7% ABV

And again we go back to Dogfish Head, this time for one that’s been around a while, but I’ve never gotten to try.

Pangaea is a Belgian pale ale originally designed to be a way to unite people during the holidays as one would unite the continents before they shifted into the world as we know it. And of course, with it being Dogfish, there’s nothing simple about this beer.

The beer is brewed with an ingredient taken from each contient, including: Australian crystalized ginger; Asian basmati rice; Africa muscavado sugar; South American quinoa; European yeast; North American maize; and - my favorite - water from Antarctica. Again, another mouthful of ingredients.

(Note: The particular bottle I had was bottled in 2010 and has been in my cellar for about a year. Results may vary if you find a younger batch.)

The beer pours a really nice deep orange, almost brown in color. There’s a slight haziness to it which fades as it warms. Topped with a finger of bubbly head. Not much lacing but some surprisingly strong alcohol legs.

Ginger’s the first big thing on the nose, and that’s backed with a musty sweetness and a big bread quality. The mustiness is a bit off-putting, but the honey does an interesting job of balancing it. The grains definitely give it kind of a fresh-baked bread quality. Overall, it’s a big, thick, funky and bready beer.

The honey and ginger are the first tastes that really pop on the tongue. There’s a nice medium body along with some slight carbonation. As it settles on the back, it’s as if eating a spoonful of honey. Very thick and syrupy sweetness with a bit of caramel to it. A slight hop bite as well. That big bread note is very present as it warms and pops up on the end, lingering along with the sweeter flavors. Big grain quality and big rich somewhat cloying sweetness are what’s the most noticeable.

While not one of my favorite Dogfish beers, Pangaea again sticks with the trend of who-the-hell-thought-of-this style with interesting, unique and generally tasty results. The bread characteristic and sweetness are a nice touch, and the ginger definitely adds a pop to it. 

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Milton, DE

Positive Contact Wheat Beer

9% ABV

It’s no secret I’m a fan of Dogfish Head. Just search for the brewery and you’ll find plenty of glowing reviews of their beers from me. But I will admit, the lengths Sam and the DFH folks go to to make beers can be a little intimidating at times, and the results aren’t always as good as you’d hope they would be. Nonetheless, a lot of their recent brews have been pretty awesome, with Positive Contact being one of the best.

As with most DFH beers, Positive Contact has a pretty extensive background story and list of ingredients. The beer is another entry in the brewery’s Music Series, along with Bitches Brew, Hellhound on my Ale and Faithful Ale. The brewery teamed up with Dan the Automator of Deltron 3030 (and Gorillaz) to craft a brew that the renowned producer could call his own.

What they ended up with was a 9% beer/cider hybrid brewed with wood-pressed Fuji apples; roasted farro, a type of grain; cayenne peppers; and cilantro, all of which is bottled in packs of six 22 oz. bottles, a 10-inch vinyl LP and recipes that include the beer.

Admittedly, I was iffy going into the beer. The mix of ingredients was bizarre, more so than most DHF beers. But the result was music to my mouth.

The beer pours a super clear orange color. There’s a gorgeous pillowy head that lingers for a good long while. Incredibly strong lacing and some decent alcohol legs round it out, making the beer just absolutely beautiful.

Given the laundry list of ingredients, it was surprising to find wheat the only big discernible character on the nose, although there was a good hint of apples present as well. There’s a kind of sweet bread note with a bit of a mild hop on the back, and maybe a very slight hint of cayenne and herbs, too. But overall, it smells like a straight-up wheat beer.

That all changes in the taste. It’s very smooth on the tongue and rest of the mouth with a very slight carbonation. The wheat is very present, there’s a slight earthiness and a very slight pinch of cayenne. But as it warms, the cayenne becomes much more noticeable. It doesn’t burn or anything, but gives more of a nice slight heat. The apples are there, but I got just a very slight touch of cilantro. It’s incredibly drinkable, and for 9%, you don’t taste the alcohol at all.

A lot of my friends write off Dogfish as a gimmicky brewery. To be fair, I admit that they’re  a bit out there as far as breweries go. But as I’ve said before, I really do appreciate the lengths they go to and the risks they take. Lately, they’ve been on a role, and they’re showing they’re not a brewery you should be so quick to write off.

Stone Brewing Co. - San Diego, CA

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - Milton, DE

Saison Du BUFF

7.7% ABV and 6.8% ABV, respectively

My recent beer-related journeys have helped me procure the Stone and Dogfish Head batches of Saison Du BUFF, thus completing the collection. I was really impressed with the batch brewed at Victory and expected nothing less from the other two variations. They were all equally as good, but as I mentioned in my previous review, each had their own small twist which helped them stand out.

Both variations have the same crystal clear pour, with a deep orange color and yellowish tints around the edge. There was only about a finger of head on the top with tight white bubble on the DHF batch, but Stone’s had a much larger head. Both dissipated fairly quickly. The lacing falls off fast but alcohol legs are surprisingly strong.

Dogfish’s had an incredibly sweet yeasty nose. There was a rich, bready sweetness with that fistful of herbs also very present. that saison funk is there, too, but it’s coated in this really rich, sweeter note.

Stone’s, on the other hand, was very funk-forward with a much more present herbal note. The spices are a bit more subdued as well. Not as sweet as Dogfish’s and not as spicy as Victory’s.

The taste on the Dogfish batch was sweeter compared with Victory’s offering. The yeast was very noticeable but the herbal notes were still very strong on the front of the tongue and back of the throat. But between those is this really smooth, full-bodied beady sweetness. Big notes of juicy melon and a slight funkiness were also present. Not as spicy as Victory’s either.

On Stone’s - as I would expect - the hops were very present on the front, but not in an unbalancing way. The funk is also very forward as it was on nose. You still get that bouquet of herbs on the back, and it all still settles nicely.

While it might just be my mind playing tricks on me, I really did get some variation on each batch depending on the brewery it came from. Stone’s was hoppy, Dogfish’s was sweeter and Victory’s leaned heavily on the herbs. I wish I had the chance to try them all side-by-side-by-side, but giving the palate time to settle between batches is a good way to see the intricacies of each.

Victory Brewing Co. - Downingtown, PA

Stone Brewing Co. - San Diego, CA

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - Milton, DE

Saison Du BUFF

6.8% ABV

What do you get when you cross three of my favorite breweries with one of my favorite styles of beer?

Pure liquid awesomeness.

The idea of Victory, Stone and Dogfish Head collaborating on a beer dates back to 2003. As the story goes, the three owners got together to form Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor (BUFF) it an attempt to highlight the importance or working together and showcase what could arise out of collaboration.

In 2010, the put out Saison Du BUFF, a 6.8% saison brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme that they brewed again for release this year. Each brewery had its own batch brewed in house, so there was a little bit of variety in each batch. This particular bottle is from Victory’s batch. (I picked up Stone’s attempt the other day, so I’ll have a review of that down the line.)

The pour is a gorgeous super clear sunset yellow color that you can see straight through. It’s topped with about two fingers of a foamy head that dissipates quickly. Some nice lacing and light alcohol legs. A beautiful saison.

The herbs are huge on the nose. You definitely get the whole bouquet of what went into the brewing process. There’s a huge spiciness and pepper to it, but there’s a great sweetness to it, too, like a melon or a candied fruit note. An absolutely fantastic smelling beer.

All those herbs explode on your tastebuds, too. There’s a huge crisp wash of rosemary, thyme, a bit of pine and black pepper. It’s like inhaling a spice rack, but mixing it with the sweeter notes makes it insanely enjoyable. The herbs fade away on the back of the throat and are replaced with this sweet lingering orange and melon flavor. Great body, great carbonation to clean your palate.

And now, I try to resist the urge to open the other bottles I have in my fridge …

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Milton, DE

Burton Baton Imperial IPA

10.0% ABV

One of the earlier Dogfish Head beers I remember having was the Burton Baton, an imperial IPA blended with an English-style old ale and then aged in oak tanks for around a month. Before my palate really developed, I was turned off by the oakiness and sweeter notes from the beer. But as I grew to appreciate it more, Burton Baton has become one of my favor offerings from DFH.

The beer has a very hazy appearance to it. There are hints of amber, orange and brown coming through the glass and a huge head on top. It’s about three fingers worth and lingers for a good time. I wouldn’t expect that from a 10% beer. Of course there’s nice lacing and some strong alcohol legs, too.

On the nose: oak, oak and more oak. This bottle had been in my fridge for a few months and the sweeter old ale characteristics - sweet caramel, toffee, dark fruits - were coming through a lot stronger than the hops. There’s a bit of a toasted vanilla note to it too from the oak barrels. The hop profile is a bit muted, but it’s still got a slight bite to it. 

The taste is very smooth on the front of the tongue. The hops come through a bit more in the middle and back of the palate. It’s topped off with a crisp hop bite. The old ale definitely comes through more with age. I got big toffee and vanilla notes and definitely a woody character from the oak aging. It really shines through after a couple months. There’s kind of a cloying sweetness on the back as well.

Burton Baton is one of those beers you can have now, later and way down the line. The hops are much more prevalent when it’s fresher, but the mellow in flavor of a richer flavor after a couple months. I have one in my cellar, so I’m interested to see what a year or two of age will do to it if it’s this good after only a couple months in the fridge.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Milton, DE

75 Minute IPA

7.5% ABV

Back to Dogfish Head for their newest release. Previously available only at their pub and tap houses, 75 Minute IPA is a blend of their staple 60 and 90 Minute IPAs - both of which are some of my favorites - dry hopped with Cascade and bottle conditioned with maple syrup. There’s nothing about this beer that doesn’t sound amazing.

It pours a hazy light copper color. You can almost see through it, but still a slight bit of a haze. There’s an absolutely insane amount of head on top due to the bottle conditioning. It’s About 4-5 fingers worth and it sticks around. Awesome lacing, too.

Hops are prominent on the nose, but kind of glazed over by the maple syrup. It gives off a really mellow sweetness. It makes the hops a bit more resinous smelling. Good bit of tropical fruits from the hops. Peach, papaya, a little pineapple.

There’s a light hop bitterness on the front of the tongue. The carbonation scrubs the palate pretty well, expected for bottle conditioning. The maple sweetness kicks in pretty prominent toward the back. The bitterness comes through a bit too on the way back and lingers. The maple syrup definitely becomes more prominent as it warms. While there’s a good bit of malt in 60 and 90 Minute to balance the continual hopping, this has more of a pronounced sweetness than that bready maltiness.

This is an incredibly well-balanced beer. The sweetness and hoppiness work together so well and blend to form a really drinkable and enjoyable beer. DHF says its cellarable, but the dry hopping is something to be enjoyed fresh. It’s pretty sought after, so grab a bottle or two if you see it.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Milton, DE

Aprihop India Pale Ale

7.0% ABV

I’m a creature of habit when it comes to seasons. As soon as it starts to cool off, I can’t get enough stouts, porters and barleywines. But during the spring and summer - especially when the humidity reaches levels that make you feel like you’re swimming as soon as you step outside - I tend to lean toward the lighter fare. For me, that means mostly IPAs.

Last spring was the first time I got to try Aprihop, Dogfish Head’s spring seasonal. At 7%, it may seem like a bit heavier IPA for springtime, but it’s perfect for porch weather. While it is brewed with apricots, giving it that nice tart sweetness, there’s a strong malt character that gives it kind of a chewiness, and it’s pretty aggressively hopped. DHF’s Sam Calagione described as “a fruit beer for people who hate fruit beers,” so it pleases both ends of the spectrum.

Aprihop pours a really dark orange color, almost verging on a copper or brown. It’s crystal clear when you hold it up to the light, and there’s a good two fingers worth of a rocky head on top. A bit of lacing, but nothing drastic.

The apricots are really pronounced on the nose. But again, there’s that malt character that gives it a bready quality. There are also the mango, pineapple and papaya notes you’d expect from an IPA.

The hop character on the front is sweet and a bit biting. At first, the apricot flavor punches through, along with hints of orange, a bit of lemon and other citrus flavors. As that dissipates, the malt characters shine through, giving way to a really nice, chewy mouthfeel. There’s a slight hop and bitterness on the back of the tongue as well. 

This is easily one of my favorite spring beers. It’s extremely well balanced, super drinkable and has a lot of great flavors and characteristics. It’s sweet enough to please fruit beer fans, but hoppy and malty enough to make everyone else happy.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Milton, DE

Noble Rot

9.0% ABV

As I mentioned in my previous post about Dogfish Head, the brewery has usually been a hit-or-miss brewer for me, with more misses than hits recently. Their Faithfull Ale was bland, flavorless and boring, and I’m passing on Ta Henket because I haven’t heard a good review about it. But I had heard some really high praise for Noble Rot, so I figured it was worth a shot.

The brewing process for Noble Rot - classified as a saison of farmhouse ale - is really intriguing. Unfermented grape must from viognier grapes is infected with botrytis, a fungus that when harvested at the right time imparts a really great sweetness from the grapes. Pinot gris grapes are added to the mix along with pils and wheat malts and additionally fermented with Belgian yeast. The result is part beer, part champagne, part white wine.

The beer pours an absolutely gorgeous crystal clear straw yellow. There’s about a finger to a finger and a half of a bubbly white head that dissipates fairly quickly.

The smell is of a peppery white wine with that crisp champagne bite. The Belgian yeast and the grapes give off a slight sweetness, but it’s closer to a white wine than anything.

The taste is pretty phenomenal to me. There’s that sharp carbonated on the front that helps pop open the taste buds, followed by that richer white wine and champagne flavor that’s coupled with a slight peppery quality and sweetness. It finishes dry and clean, but the sweetness really lingers on your mouth.

It’s crazy that this is technically a beer. If you had someone do a blind taste test, they’d likely say it was a wine or a champagne. This was the first win from DFH in a while.