Dogfish Head Raison D Etre

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

Tasted this at the brewpub in Rehoboth. To be honest, I couldn’t decide if I really liked it or liked it not so much. That’s a tribute to the complexity of this beer. With every taste, you can identify something going on that you didn’t notice before. It’s just a weird beer. Ah, hell, I’ll just go with I liked it. It is Dogfish, after all.

12 oz bottle pours a carmel ruby liquid with a small quickly fading tan head. The aroma is big - hops and sweet brown sugar that lingers in the nose. Flavor is lightly bitter but medium sweeetness of again brown sugar, malt, and dark dried fruit. The alcohol is very present, warming and inviting. There is an almost brandy-like flavor that is surprising. Medium body, creamy and with a very pleasant lasting brown sugar and carmel note, nice slight touch of hops too. Complex, surprising, warming, tasty!

Location: Have had this one numerous times over the years: tap and bottle

Aroma: Highly complex nose, some fruity, some earthy, hard to pin them all down, but they mix well
Appearance: Sharp, dark reddish color, thinnish off-white head
Flavor: A sweet beer that just works
Palate: Really nice mouthfeel on this one
Overall Impression: One of the first beers that got me excited about trying great beers. These guys really know how to make different, but great beers.

I hated this beer. I love Dogfish Head Brewery, I do. I have the Dogfish snifters , pint glasses and I’m planning on making a trip to the brewery this year. This beer is godawful. The smell was that of a Belgian Dubbel with raisins, very similar to that of Lost and found from Lost Abbey. The pour was nice, small amoutn of head, and a nice color. The taste, was AWFUL. My friend and I both tried it, and had the same reaction (two different bottles). Just tasted overly sweet and not enjoyable. I would not recommend this beer.

i struggled to identify the aroma from this beer even after repeated tastings then settled on the fact that it shares many characteristics of a scotch ale: very round and juicy mouthfeel, flavors reminiscent of wood and a wonderful brown color. however even the juiciest scotch ale ive ever imbibed cant compare to this, bursting with the flavor of dark carmelized fruits, perhaps grilled plums. some sweetness makes this one of the most unique beers around, and par for the course from DFH.

Bottle. Clear amber colour. Nose of yeast, caramel malts, and fruits. Flavour is malty, yeasty, fruity. Nice one.

Nutty, malty, brown sugar aroma. Mahogany color, with off-white head, thin appearance. Lightly bitter, medium sweet. Medium body, thin texture, almost flat carbonation. Short, bitter finish.

Pours a dark amber, very clear, with a little tan head. Musty, somewhat sweet aroma. Flavor sweet like brown sugar with some bready yeast, spices, and fruit, and not bitter at all. A very interesting and pretty tasty beer.