Dogfish Head World Wide Stout 2002 (23%)

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

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.

Deep black with almost no head. Warm sweet malt and alcohol aromas. Full bodied, feels more like a port than a beer. Sweet malt with raisins. A bit like Raison D'Etre but with a lot more oomph.

Pours black with a small brown head that disappeared in a few minutes. Aroma is chocolatey and cookie at the beginning, but as you inhale deeper, the alcohol pops out and stings you. Flavor is ... wow. Brown sugar beginning, waning to red grape, and finally turning to sweet (not abrasive) alcohol. Finish is of burnt sugar and caramel. Not nearly as alcoholic tasting as I was expecting. A very fine dessert beer for those cold winter months.

Black but you can see some light thru it. Aroma of alcohol. Flavor is sweet, raisony, nutty. Very smooth and warming. A truly awesome beer. Thanks to Dogbrick for the trade.

How can this be called a beer? It's unbelievable how well 23% alcohol is masked, but it's equally unbelievable how much sugar must be put into the wort. Definetly for dessert. Very heavy. Brown sugar, maple and coffee - but mostly molasses. Nice, very nice. I will buy more to keep around for special occasions, and when I want to sleep really well. If only it wasn't so syrupy and heavy.

Better than I thought it would be for such a strong beer. Kind of like a barleywine/stout mix. Rather sweet, but with a bit of coffee as well. More drinkable then you might expect.

From Bottle. Tasted side by side with the 18% version. Dark black, sticky looking pour with absolutely no head. Even swirling vigorously produces only a slight trace of carbonation. Massive aroma of port wine loaded with punes and other vinous boozey notes. Plenty of legs lacing the glass. Loads of molasses and a hing of freshly baked ginger snap cookie. Ultra heavy, coke-syrup caliber gravity with a hint of blueberry sugars, black cherry, and dates. Sugars, port, sugars, port - cloying is an understatement. This is one intense brew. Very interesting taste, but it couldn’t be any more different from its 18% counterpart. Its hard to believe these are of the same style, let alone the same brewer. Thanks, Matt!

I’m rather torn on this one, so I end up in the middle. Strong alcohol aroma, sometimes warm and port-y, sometimes harsh and solventy. Flavor is sweet and then alcohol takes over. Not much in the flavor department. Carbonation is quite nice, low, but persistent, with a crater of bubbles in the center of my glass cascading to the top for the entirity of the glass, and the slow alcoholic burn on the tongue and lips is quite pleasant, (much like drinking whiskey) The warming effect of the alcohol on me was also quite pleasant. My main gripe is that there was very little in the flavor department. I expected (and hoped) for dark fruits and plums, but the flavor for me just went straight from sweet to alcoholic. I will give this another chance, (as I bought two) but am very curious whether or not it will develop flavor, and if there is any point to laying some down for a few years.