Dogfish Head Sahtea

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

(750 ml bottle (2009) from 1828 Vintage House) Pours hazy/cloudy slightly reddish golden. Very slight off-white head effervesces away quickly. Strong, almost sharp aroma of mint, juniper, tea and spice (I think) - interesting but not necessarily appealing, esp. for a beer. Syrupy, smooth, sticky mouthfeel, slightly prickly. Flavor of chai tea - very sweet. Some added elements perhaps of licorice, ginger and other spice. Some sweet caramel maltiness is perhaps the only hint that this is a beer. ABV well-hidden. It’s all kind of a bit too much and it fairly quickly fatigues the palate. Alot along the lines of Pangaea and Chateau Jiahu. Maybe I’m just getting a little worn out of these similar novelty beers from DFH, but I didn’t find this one very drinkable or appealing.

Bottle shared by JoeTheYounger. Pours cloudy gold with a thin white head. Aroma is bubblegum, clove, and fresh fruits. Flavor is sweet and a bit spicy with pears and other fresh fruits. Medium to full bodied with generous carbonation.

Bottle. Poured a light orange-golden color with just a fizzle. The aroma is wrought with a gaggle of spices -- coriander for sure, but also a hint of green leafiness. This drinks with a hint of gin, mingled with a definite kitchen-drawer-full of earthy spices. Different, for sure, but not my cup of tea (pun intended). (#3758, 11/29/2009)

A hazy golden ale with a thin white head. In aroma, pleasant and sweet, with juniper berries, ginger and pineapples. In mouth, a nice sweet candy sugar with fragrant spices, coriander, pineapples, nice warming alcohol, a bit lighter than expected. Bottle tasted Nov. 27, with GRM and friends, bought at Kappy’s Malden, Oct. 2009.

Bottle. Pours slightly cloudy orange-brown with a very thin head. Light lacing but nice carbonation flowing to the edges of the glass, trailing with a swirl of the glass. Smells of chai spices dominate, especially nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon. A soft fruitiness underneath, somewhere around apricots or peaches. Interesting flavor profile, definitely not sahti-like (no noticeable juniper to my taste). Bubblegummy sweet yeast character with a touch of spiciness and lots of honey tones, some caramel in the finish. On the thick side without much carbonation presence. Another odd one from the dfh guys with a better story than execution. Still enjoyable but a touch too sweet.

awesome beer!!! could really taste the tea in it. im inspired to brew something similar.

750 ml bottle. Pours a cloudy antique gold with a thin white head that disappeared after the first sip and left no lace. Pleasant aroma of malt, honey, juniper and coriander. The flavor is quite distinctive and enjoyable with malt, honey, juniper, chai tea, and coriander. I thought it was interesting that the chai tea was quite noticeable in the flavor yet completely absent from the aroma. Mouthfeel was a bit odd; almost slick. Overall, this is a very different beer. I’m not sure it is something I would drink with any regularity, but it was fun to try.

750ml Bottle. As soon as you open this one you can tell its from Dogfish based on the distinct and odd aromatics. Pours a light straw color with no head. Aroma is spicy with strong tea notes and a bit of rye and lemon grass in the background. This "beer" has a noticeable sweetness to it that lingers on the palate. The rye character shows up in the flavor along with some subtle spice notes of junipers, ginger, grass and coriander. Surprisingly it is fairly well balanced and the palate isn’t syrupy or thin. Ends with a hint of clove, yeast and a touch of caramelized sugar. Not a beer I’d want everyday, but definitely another unique creation from Dogfish.