Dogfish Head Au Courant

Formerly brewed at Dogfish Head Brewery
Style: Fruit Beer
Milton, Delaware USA

Totally clear, dark golden pour. Mammoth head is lasting. Aromas of fresh fruits, apples, pear, berries (raspberries?). Body is light and lively, almost fizzing with carbonation. The berries come in late in the flavor and dance away laughing as they’re chased off by hops. Sort of garden/earthy as it finishes. Not great but I don’t love fruit beers.

Re-Rate: 12.18.04
Original rating of 6,3,4,3,10 Holy crap this looks like a glass of foamy cran-raspberry juice. I certainly don’t remember this beer looking like this, or smelling like this. Complete 180 on firt whiff as this brew coyly sports notes of barnyard, muffin dough, rotten berry. Not at all appealing to sniff and somewhat shocking. Big, sour, somewhat medicinal flavor of sour grapes, musty, pleasant to drink and the aroma begins to fit and fall into place with temp. This is a wild experiment by DFH and I can’t imaginethey’re still making it in 04....at once berry and flat and slightly astringent. This beer should be applauded for originality, then spit down the drain. But, for some reason, I can’t stop sipping. So sour with grape-skin goodness. Wierd.

Rerate: Upon trying this again I was a lot less impressed. I think I get too excited when I try a new beer especially from dogfish head that I assume will be excellent. I am now even more dissapointed in this beer. I pour a 12 oz bottle into my glass, and it is very spritzy and the small head fades in less than a minute. What gives? The color is kinda cloudy copper color and just doesnt look too appealing. The aroma is of currants and maybe a slight bit of malt. Flavor is kinda bland. Honestly this beer isnt worth the $12 a 4 pack. Spend it on a good beer like 90 minute IPA.

Bottled. Bright translusent orange coloured body. Sweet firmented appricot aroma. Sticky, sweet palate, with a late popcorn flavoured twist. Flavour lingers around on the gums for an age, really stressing the palate by the end of it.

Pours a clear ligh copper colour, not too impressive. Nice thick head. Smells rich of a bucket of fresh picked red raspberries. Sweet, tart, and full of berries (or beeries as it were). Flavor is crisp, light, some candy like malts come in and of course the berries are there but not a whole lot to this one. Finish leaves a lot to be desired. Mouthfeel is fairly thin and as light as the smell and taste. Drinkability is good as I plow through this one.

Aroma...odd...smelled like a skunky pilsner...combined with honey and some berry...color was golden, and hazy... flavor was uh, well, sweet ... any currant was well hidden, which is unfortunate. Decent for a golden ale but I expected at least a bit of currant flavor.

color is lightly hazy deep golden. head is medium frothy white, but quickly diminishing. aroma is berry, and metallic as hell. flavor is wheaty, and berries, also it has a lively mouthfeel, and it's lightly spicy.

Head is initially small, frothy, off-white, mostly diminishing. Body is light amber. Aroma is lightly malty (cookie, toasted grain), lightly yeasty (cobwebs), lightly hoppy (flowers, lemon), with light notes of cherry and cassis. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter, slightly husky. Light to medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation, slightly metallic. Flavor is a bit unbalanced, aftertaste seems a bit grainy and metallic, and the aroma isn't all that enticing. Lackluster and instantly forgettable.

If anything, Dogfish needs to work on getting their beer labels a little more symmetrical (see pic at left). Nice apple/currant aroma followed by a mild berry flavor but mostly just golden ale taste. To its credit, Au Courant has a darker and cloudier body than I expected. A little on the tart side (moreso upon retasting), and lacking much complexity. I'll pass on this in the future, as it's only mildly refreshing.