Dogfish Head World Wide Stout 2002 (23%)

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

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. Really black. Faint, fizzy, loud head dies quickly and we're left with still and oily-looking. Heady port-wine aroma, sweet, alcoholic, medicinal, cherry-licorice. Powerful and interesting, but maybe a bit much. Flavor, well, again the port and alcohol are dominant at the front; I really hesitate to describe this as "beer". Chemically, perhaps, but flavorwise? Vanilla is prominent later on, finishes very warming and deliciously smooth. I've had a fair amount of port and sherry, and I like this more than most examples of those wines; alcohol doesn't seem as strong as in a fortified wine either. Sweetness is really powerful at the end, nearly cloying, and that brings this down a bit from the 18%, but it is still damn fine stuff. I'm just glad I have a few more bottles of each for future occasions.

Jet black with no head. The beer itself is causing lacing because it is so thick and syrupy.
Smells of bittersweet chocolate, roasted malt, alcohol, plums and lots of stuff. The smell is intoxicating, literally. The alcohol aromas are very potent. Keep away from paint.
This tastes like it was conditioned on roasted plums and grapes. Alcohol quickly becoming apparent. Becomes more and more port-like in both aroma and taste as it warms. It almost has triple bock qualities too. This is a difficult beer to corner on flavor.
Palate is surprisingly smooth. It will still be difficult to get down 6 oz., let alone finish this rating.
My palate must be shot for the night because I'm having trouble with this beer. Time to break out a Samichlaus for comparison.

7/11/03: bottle.
there is a plethora of alcohol abounding from this brew with other notes of licorice and chocolate. opaque, red-black body with no lacing or head. offset slightly from the center of my glass there is a slight cyclone of a whirlwind spin going on in the carbonation department (possibly a piece of yeast at the bottom of my glass getting a little wild). well, ...here goes... WOWZERS! there is a tonnage of flavor going on here. sweet malt, lots of alcohol, medicine, vanilla, black cherries, somewhat oily, somewhat sour and lastly, even a hint of danger. this beer even makes my head a little bit dizzy.

Wow. I held the glass up to the light and couldnt see anything through it. With the first sip the alcohol and sweet flavors were the most noticable, but then the nice malt roasty flavors came through. Has some chocolate and rum flavors. I dont think the Budweiser crowd could handle this. Very complex and interesting. Not something I would drink often, but worth a try.

Black with a biege head. Aroma is sweet and roasted with lots of alcohol. Dark fruits, chocolate, and alcohol on the tongue. Not as good as the 18% but it's still pretty damn good.

Bottle. The alcohol is definitely a little over the top, but this is very good nonetheless as I like high ABV beers. It poured a small sized tan head with fine sized bubbles that fully diminished. The body was opaque and uncarbonated with a black hue. The nose was chocolate and pure alcohol. The flavor was warming and lots of alcohol. The mouthfeel was tingly and had a burning sensation in the throat, but oh so yummy! The lacing was fair. Well worth the try despite the strong alcohol presence.

On tap at tht Moan and Dove for their big Dogfish Head fest night. Very dark with light tan head. Flavor has elemets of coffee, wine, berry, cherry, alcohol. Palate is difficult, the alcohol begins to burn the tongue after a while. Yet this beer is still drinkable and somewhat smooth, if it is even still a beer at this point. Wow.