Dogfish Head Raison D Etre

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

Bottle 12 fl.oz. @ chris_o’s Pre-GBBF Shindig 2008.
Hazy medium red amber color with a virtually none light beige head. Aroma is moderate to light heavy malty, moderate yeasty, acidic - sour. Flavor is moderate to light heavy sweet, light light acidic and moderate bitter with a average to long duration. Body is medium, texture is watery, carbonation is soft. (020808)

Bottle. Poured chestnut colored with ruby highlights, capped with a small off-white head. Aroma of caramel, peat, raisin, earth, and brown sugar. Flavor is similar, with raisin, caramel, candi sugar, tannins, fruit esters, and some spice. Very drinkable and a nice compliment to food.

This was actually better than I was expecting. Pours a clear copper with a very thin off white head. Nice aroma of caramel, sugar, and raisin. The 8% is well hidden. Very good.

Bottle. Vintage 2005 and it was worth the wait. Average heard with off-white color, good lacing, and amber color. Aromas of raisin, brown sugar, and wine. Sticky texture and long duration of aftertaste. One of the best!

[Bottle] Pours a clear brown with a moderate off white head. Aroma is, well, raisins, with some caramel and a hint of alcohol. Flavor is really nice, hardly any alcohol detected, lots of raisin, caramel, toffee, and a nice residual bitterness.

2006 Vintage... Raison D’Être = "Reason for Being"

9/27/2008: Dogfish Head Raison D’Être has a wonderfully sweet and rich aroma that excites the senses with vanilla and char, caramel, and golden raisins. The color of this beer is copper-like, quite clear, and there is a thin frothy head. The flavor is also pleasingly sweet with caramelized raisins, chocolate nibs, dark brown sugar, creamy caramel with a splash of vanilla, and a great wood smoke/char characteristic lingering in the background. Excellent! Absolultely no alcohol in the flavor and no burning sensation. Actually, the aroma and flavor profile kind of reminds me of a weak scotch. The mouthfeel is smooth, mellow, and creamy. This beer is medium to medium-full in body and coats the mouth well and is a pleasure to drink. The aroma and flavor are complex, but not intimidating. This is a very well-crafted beer that seems to get better with age. This is a great beer!

12 fl. oz. bottle (Bottled on 03/29/06, 8% Alc. by Vol.). Rating #1537 for this beer...

Mohagony amber color with dense off-white head that left nice lacing. Sweet caramel aroma, slightly smokey. Strong belgian candy sugar sweetness, caramel and again, slightly smokey. Alcohol is present. A fairly full-bodied brew.

I didn’t enjoy this one as much, I had it at the brewery in Milton. I don’t like the date-like malt flavor, it’s too cloying to me and it seems like I’m drinking mollasses. I don’t want to knock the brewery, Dogfish Head is fantastic, I just don’t prefer that flavor, bu lots of folks do. That’s why we don’t drink budweiser.