Dogfish Head World Wide Stout 2002 (23%)

(21% UK Import version) At last I have got my hands on this beer! Has a deep dark hue with a small brown head. Smooth chocolate malt nose with roasted coffee, toffee and hints of date and prune. Rich full bodied feel with most of the flavours following from the nose. Coffee, chocolate and a long lingering roasted malt finish. Slighly sweet. This is a fabulous beer that smells, tastes and looks great. The best thing is that despite its great alcoholic strength the flavour does not really suffer for it and it could just as well be a very normal 5-9% imperial stout. These guys truely know how to make a great beer and I hope to sample more like this. The only down point is the price, £6.99 for the 35.5cl bottle. I have bought a couple to age and will report my findings from these in a couple of years time.

Rating #300. Thanks to Buck Dich for sending this notorious brew my way. Very dark burgundy with an initially soapy tan head that quickly faded away. Aroma of raisins, cherries, and dark rum. Intense ruby port-like flavor with elements of cola, raisins, molasses, dark cherry and licorice. An interesting stout that completely lacks the hackneyed properties of coffee and chocolate. Very low carbonation and somewhat oily palate but very smooth and pleasing as a long, slow sipper. When savored patiently the alcohol, while prominent, is not nearly as overwhelming as others have indicated. A fun and interesting beer.

(gabf'30 - 2002 on tap at Falling Rock) After a day and night of tasting every type of beer imaginable at GABF, this blew me away. This stout poured dark and rich. The palate is like a cross between a barleywine and a stout. Many complex flavors highlighted by plum and cherry. Deep, roasty flavors of a stout but also the sweet undertones of a sherry or port accented by the undertones of the immense alcohol. This tastes too good to drink slowly but you defintely want to take your time caressing this stout. Superb.

Poured dark, dark brown and watery looking with minimal head. Aroma is sweet with hints of bitterness. Flavor surprisingly bitter, also taste licorice. Also surprising is the the chewy body on this beer, even with its high alcohol. Definetly different and not what I was expecting from an Imperial Stout.

Almost zero head on this one. No real lacing instead it produces fingers like a wine. Lighter colored than the 18% but still very dark. It looks watery somehow, can't really explain. Aroma is very differnet then the 18%, more smoky and alcoholic while much less sweet. A big deep whiff produces a slight alcohol burn in the nose. The flavor is alcohol and burnt grain bitterness. Not much chocolate or sweetness. Mouth-feel is almost shocking, big thick bodied and very alcoholic. The finish is dry and alcoholic. Overall quite interesting but maybe a bit too much alcohol.

Very interesting brew. Very Potent. Smooth with little bitter edge to it. If this is available in your area I would recommend you try it.

Draught. Well, I won't say that the alcohol wasn't there at all, but for the strength it was virtually hidden. The unfortunate part is that I felt that a lot was hidden under the sweetness that I presume was needed to get the ABV that high. Some nice feel and various qualities that enjoy - chocolate, coffee, etc. But I was underwhelmed. If it had not been such a madhouse w/ huge wait at the bar and other beers being shoved under my nose I would have gone for another to confirm or change what I feel.

This one is definitely for sipping, obviously. Very sweet, much better than I anticipated. Not for everyone.