Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

Brewed by Dogfish Head Brewery
Style: American Strong Ale
Milton, Delaware USA

Beer is a very, very dark black color with hints of dark red and a thin tan head First aroma that hits you when pouring is a strong alcohol and roasted barley but upon closer sniffing you get a very dark prune nose and some light woody notes as well. Flavor has alcohol and prune up front with the roasted malt middle and ends with a Merlot flavor. Beer is very thick but smooth and I noticed it’s very sticky when you get it on your hands. Alcohol is definitely there and the flavors really work well together with the heavy, thick brew.

12oz bottle. $4.99. Julio’s Liquors. Wow, I really gotta start looking at the ABV before cracking open my dinner beer. Thought I was opening a british style brown ale but, oh, this is so much more. The color is darker than many stouts. Dark head. Very strong though if I looked at the label would have noticed that it was a whopping 12% ABV. Better to drink this one slowly and savor. Probably a good one to age as well.

surprisingly dark. Black, in fact. With a tiny rim of head. Smells of wine and wood, imperial stout. Lots of alcohol. I dont know what style this is going into the rating, but it’s pretty chocolatey, dark fruitish, a bit chalky, and very, very winy. Very hot. Fascinating. Very chewy and thick. Wow, the first DFH i’ve loved in a long time. So alcoholic

Bottle. Pours a very thick brown red with a small head. Smells of fermented dark fruits, like peach, apricot, grape, and plums. tastes of dates and plums, any dark fruit. A very sticky and thick brew.;

Happy Valentine’s Day to me, with some left over for steak & BJ day tomorrow! Not sure how this is considered brown, because light sure has a tough time getting through it. And the deep mocha/tan head doesn’t stick around long. Thin, but leaves a nice bubble ring around the top of the beer. Vanilla, wood, and dense caramel aromas are very up front and nicely complex. Light chocolate with alcohol spice that seems a slight bit gingerish. Very light hints of roast. The malt character is also lightly toasty and has a touch of freshly crushed malt. A touch of solventy alcohol as it warms, but adds a bit of complexity along with some red wine fruitiness. The palate is much the same as the aroma with deep caramel complexity and vanilla woody flavors most dominant. Sweet up front, but semi sweet finish with a dry aftertaste that is from the alcohol. Winey fruitiness, chocolate undertones and a light alcohol. Some roasty notes add lighty to the complexity. Mouthfeel starts out velvety, then dries out from the alcohol. Low level of CO2 and medium full body. I like it now, but I think this will be incredible as it ages. I’ll see how long I can keep myself from drinking the rest of them. Very tasty stuff!

On tap at Gallo’s. Pours black with a medium light brown head. Nose consists of wood, bourbon, malt and chocolate. Strong vanilla bourbon flavor up front with wood and a bit of hop on the finish. Amazing stuff. Tastes more like a bourbon aged stout than a brown ale aged devoid of outside alcohol influence. One of the better DFH brews without a doubt.

Amazingly different beer. Almost opaque in color poured slowly and let off the chocolate coffee aroma. Great wood flavor almost like an oak aged wine. Alcohol was a little to much but overall great beer.

Near black in colour with a thin tan coloured head, light lacing. The aroma was quite hoppy, some chocolate and coffee, wood, lots of sweetness. The flavour was a bit alcoholic, hoppy, some citrus, chocolate, caramel, wood, sugary. Hot mouthfeel, medium body, medium carbonation. Finishes long, warm, a bit peppery.

Pretty hot. Alcohol dominates at times. I usually find Dogfish beers to have a bit better balance then this one did.

Bottle at Mondial 2008, Montreal, Quebec.
Sampled on May 30, 2008.