Dogfish Head World Wide Stout 2002 (23%)

Formerly brewed at Dogfish Head Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Milton, Delaware USA

I had this after a sampler and dinner at the Dogfish Alehouse in Gaithersburg, MD. I had this as a "desert" beer to accompany the chocolate cake. Wow, what a pairing. It was really, really, strong, almost port like, no head as described by others, but the last pour, I was able to coax a few bubbles (and made note of that thing to the wife). With such a strong hit of the alcohol content, I was expecting a heavier hit to the body, but I think I would have been better if I had it as the sole beer for the evening. As of 2/4/2005, based on the bottle pic to the left here, they are still serving 2002 in 2006... a four year old!

12 oz bottle special thanks to Firemoose. Pretty dang good stuff. Super dark black oily pour. No light getting through this guy. No head to speak of. Some bubbles, but not many. Would feel that it was undercarbonated if I didn’t realize that the high alcohol tends to do that. Strong aromas of alcohol and chocolate. Flavor also dips into the ainse and mocha. More chocolate and how could you miss the alcohol. It is present in the front, middle, and finish. Very warming but still tasty. I don’t think a 12 oz beer ever made me feel like this one (I swear officer, I only had ONE beer...) 23% wow...Very good, but I still have yet to try the 18%.

Elegant and impressive. Almost as close to perfect as you can get in my opinion with the ’04 vintage even closer to perfect. Thick, smooth and sweet with no head, this one is warming all the way down and beyond. Bourbon and vanilla with some molasses and coffee both in the nose and on the tongue. God I love this and at $12/12ozs I should!

this bottle courtesy of JimMack, thanks much!! Well, I sat down and drank this pig all to meself in one sitting!! black body with a thin foamy dark tan head that dissapears rapidly. aroma is like vanilla infused vodka, chocolate malt shake, and a little plummy. flavor is quite imperial.. more than many other impy stouts. vodka heat up front is a slow burn. mouthfeel is glossy with lively carbonation. flavors fo prunes sauteed in bacardi 151, oak & vanilla, other fruity darks. fruitcake soaked in grain alcohol. dried black mission figs. nostrils get burned while swallowing, but not too much heat in the aftertaste. drank it real slow since I didn’t share it with anyone!

This reminded me most of a fine liquer. A Kahlua or something like that. Probably mainly because it is the same ABV. Did not really feel that alcohol was as omnipresent as others did. Dark, less thick than expecting, no head. Bourbon notes, chocolate and delicious sweetness follows. Shared with a whole posse of cowboys. All enjoyed the beer. I particularly thought it was better than the 18%. Maybe the 4 years of aging did something to it. It was quite the powerful brew. After a slew of bitter IPAs, this beer provided the malty sweetness to balance them all.

Amazing beer. I thought this would be too strong. The 2003 was almost too strong for me, but this was better. The initial flavor is a little rough but the finish is sweet and delish. Tremendous. BTW, I am drinking this in Jan 06.

I think I traded kramer17801 for this. The beer opened with a little psst sound. The brew poured to a dark brownish black color; with a vigorous pour, I was only ever able to create a small brown head that was fizzy and immediately disapated. The aroma has some dark fruits like bing cherries and figs with some chocolate. The flavor is still quite good. I woulda liked to have one of these in 2002... The finishing flavor is where I love this beer. It goes from flavor and merges into palate. At times, it’s hard to discern the difference. The palate is very creamy and masks most of the alcohol. Almost feels like powdered sugar on the tongue. The flavors are deep chocolates and overripe raisins, powdered sugar and something that’s hard to identify. Call it a fruity desert if you will. I woulda given a 5 on the palate but I burped and it hurt. The carbonation must be that intense. Still a very good brew, but the aroma and appearance are hurting tremendously.

Rerate in a vertical. Nice vinous qualities in the flavor. No change in aroma. Still a decent brew.

12.10.05 12oz bottle, all to myself. I don’t remember who gave this beauty to me, but you’re a saint. Deep brown color with ruby highlights do not wear a cap of foam, rather a halo of fine tan bubbles. Aroma is chocolate indeed, and with decadent fillings like cherry and hazlenuts. The flavor is equally intriguing as one could consider an entire box of chocolates with this brew. Surely I taste marzipan, nougat, berries, cocoa, caramel and more. Terribly complex and yet never overwhelmed by the outrageous alcoholic burn. The burn attacks the gums, the palate, and the entire path from throat to belly. Wow! This is excellent stuff, if over the top and a bit unweildly.