Dogfish Head Black and Blue

Brewed by Dogfish Head Brewery
Style: Fruit Beer
Milton, Delaware USA

Location: 750 ml bottle from Gilly’s, 6/13/09

Aroma: Smells like it is going to be pretty sweet, a nice mix of the berries as the label would suggest, not overly sweet though, and well mixed
Appearance: Dark copper color, with some red and brown color mixed in as well, little bit of whitish pink head
Flavor: A nice flavor, starts off with some fruitiness the tartness is there as well, and there is just enough hops there for balance
Palate: A nice mouthfeel here, very little alcohol bite, just drinks nicely
Overall Impression: I’ve probably walked by this one a few hundred times and said "That looks interesting," but I’ve never actually bought one, then a friend picked one up today and we drank it, and it was pretty darn good. Doesn’t taste like a 10% beer at all.

I’ve had the chance to have both a bottle and from the tap. I’m happy to say that it is a perfect match. It’s a pink color beer with a white head. The taste is of berries with a smooth finish and it has a very fruity aroma. Very good dessert beer.

It pours a dark brown, almost copper color, with a white foam ring as a head. The aroma of this brew is exactly as intended: black berries, blue berries, and hints of other fruity aromas which are too overpowered by the black & blue. The taste is quite good, bitter blueberries with a lingering alcohol and sweet fruit flavor.

Clearly the aroma of a Belgian, spicy, coriander, orange peel, wheat. But following closely behind is an enticing aroma of berries, mainly blackberries. Slight alcohol on the nose. The appearance is amber/purple, white/pink head. Not as strongly colored by the berries as I thought. The flavor is sweet berries, with the accompanying begian spicyness. The finish has a subtle hop balance to the fruit sweetness, and some spicyness. Medium smooth mouthfeel. Enjoyable. The fruitiness of the berries goes well with the Belgian ale, imho. I took my wife with me beer shopping, and wouldn’t you know she picked out this beer! But to tell the truth, it’s not bad at all.

bottle, from carny77, Good aroma, sweet, like it says raspberry & blueberry, sugary. Clean brownish orange color, good head that faded quickly, ok lace. Sweet flavor, fruity with a bitter sour streak about it. medium body, oily viscous mouthfeel, sweet kind of dry finish. Well I was liking it most of the time, nice aroma, looked good with initial pour. Sweet, but not overbearing, but I would get this odd taste, kind of woody, but not as straight forward, I dunno, wasn’t able to place it, but it was on the finish.

On tap at Quivey’s Grove - Pours ruby-copper with a crisp white head. Smells of grapes, raisins, and oak -- it’s sweet and perfume-ey. Taste is slightly sour grapes -- almost like a marraige of a white wine and a belgian golden. It reminded me of Allagash Victor but, you know, good. Finish is a bit tart with some apple flavors. Funny -- I really didn’t taste the blackberries and blueberries at all -- it was all grapes. It’s smooth, syrupy, and medium-full bodied. Tastes dry with not a lot of carbonation. Man...after reading the commercial description, I wonder if I drank the same beer, but I taste what I taste, I guess. Whatever the case, I loved this one.

Aroma is richly fruity and somewhat malty with an undertone of yeast. It pours a clear coppery amber with a fairly thick but not persistent head. Flavor is more like a good apple cider than a beer, and has a decided alcohol bite. There are hints of molasses and raspberry as well. Texture is rather edgy and a little fizzy, and aftertaste is a little tart.

Cloudy reddish hues with pinkish head. Spicy hop aroma and mild fruitiness. First taste is tart and fruity. Sour like a lambic. I’m not sure if I like it right away, but it does have nice warmth like a good wine. Hops are hard to pick out, but the yeast gives it a nice spiciness and dry finish. The fresh fruits are somewhat concealed, although the blackberry seems to be more prominent than the blue. Carbonated texture, full-bodied. This is more wine-like than any other beer I can recall.