Dogfish Head Raison D Etre

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

I like most of Dogfish Head’s products, but I just can’t share the love for this one. Pours an amber color with a very thin, quickly dissipating head. It has a mild aroma that is tinged with coffee, malt and raisin. Has a flavor that starts out mildly sweet but fades into a bitter taste with lots of coffee flavor. Not a bad beer per se, but I was expecting a lot more.

This poured a lovely mahogany, reddish/brown color. On top is a thick white head that faded off quickly to just a thin ring around the glass. The aroma is full of sweet roasted malts and raisins. The flavor is full of roasted malts, caramel, toast and green grapes. A light hop bitterness balances out the sweetness. Its medium to full body and soft carbonation gives it a velvety smooth mouth feel. This is a good Belgian ale that I will be enjoying again real soon.

Bottle. Pours slightly hazy brown. Thin, whispy light tan head that disappears quickly. Aroma is hint of brown sugar, bready yeast, dark fruits. Taste is sweet, brown sugar and malt up front move to yeasty breadiness and dark fruits, raisins. Finishes with the slight bitterness of dark fruits and a hint of breadcrust. Mouthfeel is medium body, with crisp but light carbonation. Little bit dry on the finish as a result. A bit heavy on the raisiny-dark fruitiness in the overall balance.

A good ale with a hoppy aftertaste that made it not a smooth as I like. Very minimal head and beautiful dark color. I found it hard to detect the rasins over the hops.

Poured into a BC pint glass. Minimal head, beautiful dark golden brown color. Just a tiny bit of light passes through. Small head, but crest stays. Smell of coffee, sweet spice, and alcohol. Just attacks the palate. I taste everything. Tongue reached coitus. Ridiculously complex. Nice sweet, malty base, but there are other things at work as well. Delicious after taste, and taste. Just a fantastic beer.

Dark pit fruit with raisiney aftertaste. Mildly hoppy and is offset by beet sugar. Another great beer from Dogfish Head. Aroma of cherries among raisins.

on tap at 1702 nice deep mahogany. no real head but the glass was cold. aroma of dark fruit. flavor is cherry, raison and sweet malt. medium to full body with a nice sweet finish.

Wonderful deep red color, with a killer sweet aroma. The flavor was smooth and wonderful, leaving a sweet hoppy aftertaste. My only complaint was that the sweetness overpowered the hops, leaving me questioning if this was really an ale. Go figure, it was still a great beer. Cheers.