Dogfish Head World Wide Stout 2002 (23%)

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

'bout freakin' time. Bottle. What's with this stuff marked out? Did we get a defective batch that was brewed without vim nor vigor? If this is the case, it doesn't show in the brew. Yow! "Alcoholic chocolate" are our buzzwords here. It makes me think of this box of chocolate liquers that I got from a vendor as a Christmas present last year. They were pretty crappy and I only consumed like 4 of them, but if they had been filled with fine brandy and coated with the best of Belgian chocolate instead of whatever crap the vendor picked up in the duty-free shop in the airport...that's what it would have tasted like and I'd have been plus 10,000 calories last year. Fine sherry, brandy in the aroma which follows beautifully into the flavor. Tame but clever mouthfeel with a GREAT finish. I like this a lot more than the 18% 2001 version, but part of it might be that I was less experienced then. But from now on, when the "most overrated beer" thread that seems to come up every 3 months happens, I won't mention DFH WWS anymore.

perfectly opaque beer with an extremely short-lived head. aroma is a big alcohol slap in the face! some coffee and chocolate in there, but the overall nose of this beer reminds me MUCH more of a wine than beer. with a little aeration, i picked up some apricot-like notes. the fruit aromas are there but are undermined by the alcohol, as soon as i think i have an aroma recognized, bam, the alcohol moves in. flavor is dominated by prunes and coffee initially, but oops, there it is again, the alcohol. i wouldnt have guessed this beer at 23% alcohol, but once you smell and taste it, you know it's high. i have one extra bottle and think it would be a waste to drink it anytime soon.

Pours like used motor oil with no head. Chocolate and coffee along with alcohol in the nose. Goes a bit more port and soy. Viscous mouthfeel and not a lot of alcohol in the flavor, considering.

Super thick and dark, it stains the side of the glass brown. Absolutely no head. The alcohol really gets pushed through here. Plums, raisins, thick malts, caramel, and dark roasted wooded flavors. The alcohol is so dominant though. As the beer warms it jumps out and controls everything. Also had the pleasure to do a side-by-side sample with the 18% and the alcohol in the 23% is really powerful. Good, but watch out.

I’m so stoked ot have a chance to try this rare bottle. Carmelly black with just a small skiff of brown bubbles that quickly retreat. Bourbony bread pudding, a bit of smokey coffee, chocolate cake. Raisins, prunes, brown sugar. Wow. So sweet. Really small, barely lip-wetting sips are required to keep it from feeling utterly syrupy. There is a lot of alcohol too, but the sweetness masks it and makes it a secondary flavor. Palate is thick and sticky. This is a fascinating test of the highest reaches of beer strength, but it is also not much like beer. Much more port-like than beer-like. Actually, much more chocolate cake-like than beer-like. The sweetness slaps my head, makes my skin tingle. I am just a couple ounces into the bottle Alaskanwarren very generously split with me, and my palate feels beat.

bottle...this heavy hitter was brought to us by tyler for the latest P tasting. thanks man!..... poured close to black with brown edges and little to no head....aroma was boozy but not as assertive as the nose. more soy and chocolate..... there was a little heat in the flavor with some soy and black licorice but the flavor was generally enjoyable. maple syrupy sweet but still has held up quite nicely.

DFH has reason to be puffed up over this Imperial Stout. Amazing.

I popped the top on this one expecting something special. It certainly is. It comes out almost black, with absolutely no head at all. I tried to make it foam up wwhen I poured it, but to no avail. The aroma is sweet: maybe similar to a port wine, but with the addition of a tinge of coffeeand definitely alcohol, with others in there too. There are too many to even try and pick them out. Flavor says WOW! The sweetness and body almost defy description. I really have a hard time calling this a beer, but I'm not sure what else to call it. This has real character, but is something that you can only do once in awhile, and best at home as it will sit you down! The alcohol really isn't too strong in the taste. Another fine and unique "Brew" from these guys.