 JMerritt (1107), Macomb, Illinois, USA
Mar 14, 2008
Straight amber in color with a small white head that is mostly diminishing down to a thin ring. Aroma is sugary sweet - honey abounds - with an underlying sweet herbaliness and lilac (perhaps the Hawthorn fruit, but not knowing what that smells like, I am just guessing). Aroma has a delicate pepperiness, light ginger or radishes come to mind. Rather malty flavor, alcohol is prevalent but not abrasive, and honey lends a clean, sugary sweetness. Finish is cleansing, herbal and effervescent - reminds me slightly of eucalyptus. Carbonation level is a bit higher than I prefer - I think if this were a bit flatter, it would work better. Overall, a very interesting beer - if this is what they were drinking back in 7000 B.C., our ancient friends didn’t have it half bad.
Dogbrick (2228), Columbus, Ohio, USA
Aug 29, 2008 Updated: Aug 30, 2008Sample at the Dogfish Head/Cheese tasting at Blacklick Wine & Spirits on 08/21/08. This beer is a light orange color with Champagne-like bubbles and a medium frothy white head that dissipates quickly. Spotty lacing. Vinous aroma with touches of yeast and honey. Medium-bodied with a fruity character. Flavors of malt, honey and yeast. The finish is grapes and sweet honey with a lingering earthy fruit aftertaste. Interesting overall but not necessarily something I would come back to any time soon.
JCB (1012), Durham, North Carolina, USA
Aug 27, 2008 On draft at RFD, D.C. Despite the bartender’s outright skepticism, I wanted to give this one a go. Dogfish’s experimentalism is hit and miss, of course, as is the nature of such things. But you’ve gotta try the stuff, right? Golden color, well settled with very little carb. My initial thought was that this was related to mead, which wouldn’t be at all surprising given the pedigree of the recipe. The mouthfeel was very smooth, and the dominant flavor initially was honey, and lots of it. Some slightly tart notes emerged in there as I got further with it, along with a slightly harsh note that I couldn’t place (ginger?). Again, not much body to the thing and I found that the flavors didn’t cohere as well as they could have. A noble failure? Maybe not, but certainly not for me.
BrotherGrendel (140), San Diego (La Jolla), California, USA
Aug 23, 2008 Purchased at Tops Liquor in Tempe last winter.
Appearance is a super-clear bright orange hue, white layer of light head dissipates quickly, minimal lacing.
Smell is light fruits (apples and pears) with sweet honey, grassy/earthy tones, range of spices (cinnamon, allspice, vanilla).
Taste is very sweet, initial dominated by sugary sweet honey and fruits, grassy hops linger with spices, finishes dry and sweet.
Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, thick and viscous texture, prickly carbonation.
Drinkability is fair, this tastes like a hybrid between a mead and a cider with the focus on honey and fruits, interesting in small doses, better suited for after-dinner sipping than social drinking.
allfreej (290), Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Aug 17, 2008 Bottled. Poured dark yellow, with a fizzy white head. Nose was spicy, vinous, lots of grape. Flavor was wine-like as well. Tart, spicy, with a little honey flavor under it all. The finish was rich with a slight alcohol warmth. Not as bizarre as I thought it would be. I can’t speak to the hawthorn fruit part, as I have no idea what they taste like.
Vas19 (215), Maryland, USA
Aug 5, 2008 Pours orange with minimal white head. Aroma of white grapes and green apples. Tastes like carbonated white grape juice with a touch of honey. Very strange beer. This is almost really good, but something about it is bothering me.
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