Dogfish Head Raison D Etre

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

12oz bottle obtained in Goodyear, AZ. Enjoyed in a hotel room on July 4th 2009. Dark, murky brown brew with a smallish offwhite head, little lacing. Big fruity aroma of gewurtztraminer, raisins, muscat grapes, some spiciness like clove--heavily malted. Mouth is medium-full with creamy carbonation. Flavor is very fruity, very sweet, with big alcohol-infused raisin flavor, some spiciness, honey, fairly complex. This beer made a big impression on me, and my first of the night.

Bottle. This is a tasty beer. Sweet malty flavor. Dark rich color. Sweet fruity aroma. Can’t say anything negative beer. Highly recommended. Will drink again.

6th June 2008. Rich malty brown beer. Undertone of rich fruit is well integrated. No obvious raisin flavour. A bit different!

A reddish-brown beer with little to no head. The aroma was sweet malty. The taste was sweet with the alcohol showing up more as you get to the bottom of the glass. Too sweet.

Pours a deep mahogany red/brown with a thick off-white head that is light and dissipates quickly. This is a nice looking brew. The smell is sweet, sugary, and raisin-y. That’s after you get past the slightly off-putting alcohol smell. There also seems to be a bit of maltiness there, as well. Sweet malts are followed by (over?)ripe fruit flavors. Some chocolate in there and a touch of coffee and roasted malts. Raisins and very green earthiness on the back end. Tastes of burnt fruits at various sips. The alcohol, while indeed warming, is suprisingly well hidden to the tongue. This feels average, at best. Slightly watery and thin. You can tell that it’s trying to be more full-bodied, but it just can’t pull it off. It is a decently drinkable beer, but I think that I’d wind up reaching for other ones before this one half of the time.

From a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours a copper brown color (very nice) with one finger of thick, creamy head and minimal lacing. Aroma is of sweet raisins and malt. Taste is of sweet plums, cherries, wine and other fruit. Yeast is definitely present, as is alcohol. Overall, it’s way too sweet and boozy to be drinkable. The flavor’s decent but not really what I’d expect from a Belgian. Dogfish continues to experiment and blend styles, this one just doesn’t do it for me.

Pours a mahogany color with a smallish head but some very nice lacing... Sweet pseudo-belgainy aroma of yeast, but with a very noticable sweetness, grapes are also quite present.. An initial generic maltiness throws me, but the faint sweet raison/grape flavor and subtle spiciness bring it back nicely.. Somewhat dry finish, not at all bitter, lively medium bodied with a touch thin finish for the abv...

Serving: 12 oz. bottle. Appearance: Pours a clear, deep amber color with a small, foamy, off-white head. Lots of effervescent action. Aroma: Lots of ripe fruit in the nose. Plum, raisin, molasses, alcohol, date, and dust. Flavor: Fruity and rich on the tongue. Lots of dark caramel, fig, date, plum, raisin, brown sugar, paper and dust. This one might be a bit oxidized. Palate: Medium-high, soft carbonation with a sticky, medium-rich mouthfeel, and a long, sweet finish. Overall: A tasty brew that is a tad on the sweet side. While I remember this one being a tad better in the past, it is still a solid brew. Recommended.