Dogfish Head World Wide Stout 2002 (23%)

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

I not sure how to go about rating this bizarre brew, but I can’t rate it very high because I simply don’t like it that much. Pours a golden brown with no head. This beer has surface tension of which the minimal carbonation can barely break through. Dominating the flavor and aroma is intense ethanol. The reason, folks, the alcohol is so well hidden is the massive sugar content. This is essentially the idea behind jungle juice. As far as flavors, the barley tended towards a coffee taste and a slight smoky wisp at the end. I could not detect any hops, although with the massive malt presence, there may still be massive quantities. This is what I imagine malt extract and everclear combined would taste like. I’m very glad I’ve finally experienced this, but I think once is enough. Glad I had another to share the bottle with; one bottle is equivalent to four beers! However, beer is not all about the alcohol (I hope), and this beer, while interesting, isn’t flavorful enough to get me overly excited.

Thanks to JohnC for sharing. We had this as part of an Imperial Stout tasting, along with a WWS 21%, which was very different but along with this one stands in a class of their own. This one has a combination of dark fruit and mollasses that brings up terriaki to mind, but not to a distraction, it’s still quite excellent.

Opaque black beer. Aroma is filled with higher alcohols and fruit. The flavour is sweet with fruit tones. It´s extremely dominated alcoholic. Sweet finish. My comment must be "so what !". It is strong and dark and totally without class. A bit like Mike Tyson.

I had the 18% version a few nights ago and I have been anxious to see how this one measures up to it. Pours a pitch black color with no head. Big aroma of malts, chocolate, alcohol, and coffee. Super thick mouthfeel, very heavy body with little carbonation. Smooth and creamy, almost oily. Very sugary tasting, with lots of alcohol in the flavor. Some roasted malt notes with a bit of chocolate. Not nearly as elegant as the 18%. Very port like with its strong alcohol and sugary notes. The 18% was truely great, but this one is just a little over the top. Not bad, but lacks drinkability. Of course, that would be expected with a 23% ABV beer. Decent, but not great. I wouldn't drink this one again, but the 18% version I would definitely have again.

Chocolate liqour aroma, insanely dense appearance, thin tan head, woahh... that first sip was intense, wow, the 23% really comes across, thick mouthfeel complete with an alcohol burn, the kind that warms your throat like whiskey, surprising amount of carbonation, smooth and syrupy, sweet chocolate, kind of like irish coffee in beer form, this is good for sure, but the alcohol kind of distracts from the stout... so whats goin on with that black line over the label? That's pretty sketch huh?

Thick warm-black color with No Head. Very rich aroma’s of Baba aux Rhum, Irish Coffee, Vanilla, 100% pure black Belgian chocolate. Marsalla, PX=Pedro Xemenes, Faint Orange skinn, crème Brullée and Coffee liqeur. Taste is very sweet with nobel burned accents, it has touches a fresh vanilla, very dark coffee untherbuild with Jamesson Whisky, loads of candy sugar, Milk and black chocolate, dry fruits raisins and very sweet forrest berries. Very High alcohol is indeed well integrated in this super concentated brew.

Almost completly black with red/brown edges, no head at all except for traces of bubbles around edge of glass. Huge aroma of sweet crystal malt, maple syrup, grain, port, alcohol, burnt sugar, chocolate, caramel and others. Medium to thick bodied, stiff, very sweet, deep dark currants/prunes, molasses, burnt and sweet sugar, warming alcohol with a nice burn which subsides as you drink it.(so does the heartburn:) This is fucking incredible. Its alot different then the 18% so why bother comparing? Man, what a pleasure to sip and savor. Alcohol is there but not a sore thumb, hard to believe this is 23% but my head believes it after only 4 ounces. Whewwww...A drinking experience that should not be passed by any beer fan with an openmind. Its sweet and strong for sure but a lot of little complexities going on as it warms and your palate adjusts. As a sidenote, shared a bottle with a few friends and their parents, many compared to a fine port or sherry. I wonder what this would be like in 10 years because no way I have restraint to hang on to it:) But im goin got try for a couple years. DFH rocks! Thank you CaptainCougar!

1999 Pours with no head at all reminds me of a port wine. Great tasting raisins molasses flavors. The 23%abv well hidden and very warming great stuff.