Dogfish Head - 61 Minute

Sixty-One, our first new core beer since 2007, was born at the crossroads of serendipity, experimentation and brotherhood.

Whenever Dogfish Head President Sam Calagione and his neighborhood friends gather for drinks, they give each other a big ol' man-hug and order a round of 60 Minute IPA. A few years ago, Sam also ordered a glass of his favorite red wine and poured a little into each pint of 60 Minute. They all dug the combination of fruity complexity and pungent hoppiness, and the blend became a beloved tradition.

Sixty-One captures that tradition in a bottle and marries two Dogfish Head innovations: beer/wine hybrids -- which Dogfish has focused on for well over a decade with beers like Midas Touch and Raison D'être -- and continually-hopped IPAs.

The name Sixty-One is a reminder that this beer is Dogfish Head’s best-selling 60 Minute IPA plus one new ingredient: syrah grape must from California. The label, painted by Sam, is a twist on a typical watercolor. Rather than using water, Sam mixed the green pigment with beer and the red pigment with wine. And because Sixty-One pairs so well with chocolate, he painted the browns on the label with melted chocolate.

Sixty-One debuted in March 2013.

The ABV is 6.5 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - American IPA
Glass to use - Pint Glass, Tumbler, Mug or Stein
Delivery - 12oz Bottle

Not recommended for extended cellaring.

The Pour - Pours a clear red color with a white head. Good lacing.
Aroma - Hoppy, sweet and grassy.
Taste - Lightly sweet, hoppy, a tad sour from the grapes (in a good way)
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation body.  Crisp and dry.
Drinkable - A very nice alternative to the very popular 60 Minute IPA.  Another good session brew.  I first had this on draft outside on a beautiful sunny spring day watchin' the Phillies at a bar in Montgomery County, PA. 

This beer pair well with pepper cheese. We had it with spicy chicken wings.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+
BeerAdvocate Rating = 83
Ratebeer Rating = 66

Dogfish Head - Pangaea 2009 (Update)

This is the update from my first review (click here)

Brewed with ingredients from each and every continent, this is slightly spicy ale, with a mouthful of rich flavors. Pangaea is a great food beer.

List of worldly ingredients includes:

• Crystallized ginger from Australia
• Water from Antarctica
• Basmati rice from Asia
• Muscavado sugar from Africa
• South American quinoa
• European yeast
• North American maize.

Original Release Date: 11/2003

Pangaea is released annually in the fall and is bottled in 750ml bottles. I purchased two bottles of this 2009 vintage at the Rehoboth Beach brewpub.  My first review was the summer of 2011, this review is the winter of 2013.

The ABV is 7.0 and the IBU rating is 28
Style - Belgium Strong Pale Ale
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 750ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours an orange color with a white head and good lacing.
Aroma - Coriander, pepper, grapes and lots of ginger.
Taste - Spicy, fruity, ginger and sweet.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body, crisp.
Drinkable - Refreshing, the ginger might be overwhelming for some folks but that is one of the main ingredients.  A little too sweet for my taste. This brew aged very well.

This beer pairs well with cheese and desserts.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+.
BeerAdvocate Rating =85
Ratebeer Rating =86

Dogfish Head - Miles Davis, Bitches Brew (2012)

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the original release of Bitches Brew, Miles Davis' 1970 paradigm-shifting landmark fusion breakthrough, we've created our own Bitches Brew -- a bold, dark beer that's a fusion of three threads of imperial stout and one thread of honey beer with gesho root. It's a gustatory analog to Miles' masterpiece.

Featuring the album's iconic artwork, created by the late Mati Klarwein, on its label, Dogfish Head's Bitches Brew was unveiled at SAVOR, An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, on June 5, 2010, at the National Building Museum, Washington DC.
Haven't experienced the Bitches Brew album? Two 40th anniversary editions of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew -- a Legacy Edition and a deluxe Collector's Edition -- are available.
According to Dogfish founder and president Sam Calagione, the ale is "the ultimate partner for chili or spicy curry chicken" and best enjoyed "sipped cool, not cold, from a snifter or red wine glass while listening to the Bitches Brew album."

Sam was drawn to the alchemical spirits in Bitches Brew right out of college, acquiring a copy of the album "within months of the first time I brewed a batch of homebrew in my apartment in New York City. I listened to it when I was writing my Dogfish business plan. I wanted Dogfish Head to be a maniacally inventive and creative brewery, analog beer for the digital age. You could say that my dream was to have Dogfish Head, in some small way, stand for the same thing in the beer world that Bitches Brew stands for in the jazz world. You can imagine how excited we are to be doing this project 17 years after I wrote that business plan."

"There's a spirit of innovation, of creativity and individuality, that's at the core of Miles' music," said Adam Block, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Legacy Recordings. "Sam and Dogfish Head approach their art from the same place and consequently the marriage is an easy and cool one."

Original Release Date: 06/2010

This release: 09/2012


The ABV is 9.0 and the IBU rating is 38
Style - Imperial Stout
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 750ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours black in color and a dark brown head.  Great lacing.
Aroma - Strong roasted malts, some cocoa. 
Taste - Roasted dark coffee, bitter dark chocolate are up front with spices hidden in the back.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation, full body. Smooth finish.
Drinkable - Finally I found a bottle!  Actually DFH just released a new batch in September 2012. I was a bit disappointed because of the hype.  To me it taste like a normal stout, nothing special.  That being said, I enjoyed the brew and will have it again.

This beer pairs very with cheese, try it with a bowl of chili or curry chicken.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-
BeerAdvocate Rating =92
Ratebeer Rating =99

Dogfish Head - WorldWideStout (2006)

Dark, rich, roasty and complex, World Wide Stout has more in common with a fine port than a can of cheap, mass-marketed beer. Brewed with a ridiculous amount of barley. Have one with (or as!) dessert tonight.

2001 - (18%) displays the unaltered words "Vim and Vigor" on the label and with gold cap.

2002 - (23%) "Vim and Vigor" is crossed out with gold cap.

2003 - (18.8%). No "Vim and Vigor" present, gold cap.

2004 - (20%) Bright yellow cap, no date stamp.

2005 - Bright yellow cap, date stamp

2006 - Dark green cap, date stamp

2007 - Yellowish-green cap, date stamp

2008 - Yellowish-green cap, date stamp

2009 - (18%) Yellowish-green cap, date stamp
2010 - (18%) Yellowish-green cap, date stamp
 

World Wide Stout is one of the world’s strongest dark beers. It is brewed using six different yeast strains over seven months and then aged for half a year. World Wide Stout  is released in early winter with very limited availability.

This post is for the Nov 2006 vintage.  Look in this blog for the 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2009 vintage.

The ABV is 20.0 and the IBU rating is 70
Style - Imperial Stout
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Dark brown almost black in color and a no head.  Clear coat lacing.
Aroma - Slightly peaty nose up front but no noticeable after it warms up.  Molasses, plum and raisins and chocolate. 
Taste - Coffee, bitter chocolate, boozy, dark fruits, some vanilla and a slight peat taste.
Mouth Feel - No to very little carbonation, full body. Smooth finish.
Drinkable - This WWS bottle did not age as well as others I have had. It was still a great brew.  Got much better as it warmed up, which is typical. 

This beer pairs very with cheese and desserts.  But enjoy it as an after dinner drink if you can find an old bottle.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B
BeerAdvocate Rating =A-
Ratebeer Rating =100

Dogfish Head - 120 Minute IPA (2007)

Too extreme to be called beer? Brewed to a colossal 45°P, boiled for a full 2 hours while being continually hopped with high alpha American hops, dry-hopped every day in a fermenter for a month, and aged for a month on whole leaf hops, 120 Minute IPA is by far the strongest IPA ever brewed. And at 18% ABV and 120 IBU’s, you can see why they call this the Holy Grail for Hopheads.

This review id for the 2007 vintage.  To see other 120 Minute IPA reviews, click the dates 2008, 2003 

The ABV is 18.0 (20.0) and the IBU rating is 120
Style - Imperial IPA
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a cloudy copper color with a tan head that vanishes. Good lacing.
Aroma - Boozy, dark fruit like plum, dates and cherry. Also some orange and caramel. Complex sweetness.
Taste -  Wow! Very sweet, dark fruits same as the nose. 
Mouth Feel - Low carbonation, syrupy.  Full bodied and a some alcohol burn.
Drinkable - Another well aged 120 minute brew. It is a sugar bomb though.  Very similar to the 2008  I had earlier this year.(Check the review, click on the link above)

This beer pairs well with bread and cheese.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-.
BeerAdvocate Rating =87
Ratebeer Rating = 99

Dogfish Head - Red & White

Update
A big, Belgian-style Wit brewed with coriander and orange peel and fermented with Pinot Noir juice. After fermentation a fraction of the batch is aged in Oregon Pinot Noir barrels, and another fraction is aged on oak staves. The beer is blended together before packaging. This has been one of DFH's most popular Limited Edition beers at both thier Rehoboth Beach, DE brewpub and at festivals. It successfully marries the refreshing citrusy qualities of a Belgian-style white beer with the robust complexity of a bold red wine. Ah-men!

Original posting - 10/8/2010

The ABV is 10.0 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Belgian Strong Ale
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Snifter, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 750ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a nice cloudy orange color with a thick white head and great lacing.
Aroma - Sweet, flowery, grapes and citrus fruits, hoppy and oaky (winey).  Some hints of alcohol.
Taste - Wow, unexpected, candy, coriander grapes and orange. Tarty, bitter and a slight hoppy aftertaste.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body.  Sharp, clean and crisp with a nice finish.  
Drinkable - Very drinkable and refreshing, too easy for a 10% brew.  I think wine snob drinkers would enjoy this brew along with their fellow beer snob drinkers.  (Peace in the drinking world).

This beer pairs well with cheese and white meats.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B+
Ratebeer Rating = 97

Related articles

• Today's drinking event: The Archaeology of Beer (timeoutny.com)
• Today's drinking events: Dogfish Head at Sycamore and Beer for wine lovers (timeoutny.com)
• Mario Batali, Dogfish Head team up for Eataly gastropub (timeoutny.com)
• Dogfish Head Bitches Brew (laughingsquid.com)

Dogfish Head - Fort

Update

An ale brewed with a ridiculous amount of pureed raspberries (over a ton of em!). Fort has a Belgian Ale type base, then they follow a similar fermentation process as they use in other high ABV beers, 120 Minute IPA and World Wide Stout.

I've had this brew on a few occasions, the first was during the Philly Craft Beer Express, fall of 2010.  The second was in Florida during my Xmas break of 2010.

The Update was on 5/8/2012 see below for details.

The ABV is 18.0 and the IBU rating is 49
Style - Strong Fruit Ale
Glass to use- Tulip or oversize wine glass
Delivery 750ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a cloudy orange color with an off white head. Great lacing.
Aroma - Sweet and as expected lots of fruit and tartness.
Taste -  Strong, sweet and tart.  Very fruity, raspberries, you can definitely taste the alcohol.  Has a tangy after taste. 
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation.  Full bodied.
Drinkable - Very strong and somewhat tart, but I do like it a lot!  Not an everyday brew but worth trying.  I am very happy after two glasses, at home I must say!  I purchased two bottles at the end of 2011 due to rumors that DFH is discontinuing the Fort line.  I am very sad for that news.  Had one bottle for this post update and the second bottle will be aged for many years.

This beer pairs well with chocolate or cheese.  Try it with duck. 

This beer gets a Duper rating of A.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B
Ratebeer Rating = 84

Dogfish Head - Burton Baton (2009)

This is a blended beer that DFH has been brewing for the past several years and it's recently been gaining in popularity.  For Burton Baton DFH brews two 'threads' or batches of beer: an English-style Old Ale and an Imperial IPA. After fementating the separate beers in stainless tanks, the two are transferred and blended together in a large oak tank. Burton Baton sits on the wood for about a month.  When enjoying the Burton Baton, you'll find an awesome blend of the citrus notes from Northwestern hops melding with woody, vanilla notes from the oak. The wood also tends to mellow the 10% of the beer - so tread cautiously!  Burton Baton is brewed and released three times per year.

The ABV is 10.0 and the IBU rating is 70
Style - Imperial/Double IPA
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Orange in color and a thick tan head which dissipates.  Great lacing.
Aroma - Hoppy and citrus fruit - orange. 
Taste - Malty and hoppy.  Citrus and some spice and vanilla.  Fresh bottles have a harsh after taste however aging has mellowed out the harshness.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and full body.
Drinkable - Very drinkable.  This had been aging for three years.  Some difference from a fresh bottle, no real hints of oak aging.  Starting to taste like an English Barley Wine, very nice.  The alcohol is well hidden.  This beer ages very well, I'll need to push it a few more years to maybe five or six to see how they turn out.

This beer pairs very with cheese and meats.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A
BeerAdvocate Rating = 93
Ratebeer Rating =98

Dogfish Head - Sahtea (2010)

This Ancient Ale is a modern take on a 9th-century Finnish beer.  The wort for Sah'tea is caramelized over white-hot river rocks, and the beer is fermented with a German weizen yeast. In addition to juniper berries foraged from the Finnish countryside, Sah'tea is flavored with black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and black pepper.  The spicing is subtle and balanced, and Sah'tea is a highly-quaffable, truly unique brew with a full mouth-feel.

Original Release Date: 05/2009

The ABV is 9.0 and the IBU rating is 6
Style - Shati
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Becker, Tumbler, or Stein
Delivery 750ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a cloudy straw color with chunks! A white head. Good lacing.
Aroma - Strong spice like coriander and juniper, citrus fruits.
Taste -  Nice spicy taste and sweet.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body.
Drinkable - Very refreshing.  I like the strong spice taste.  Good for one glass maybe two in one sitting.  A bit overpowering flavor for multiple glasses.  Still, its good, give it a go.

This beer pairs well with most cheese and desserts.  I used it as a broth in a beef stew.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+
BeerAdvocate Rating =89
Ratebeer Rating =96

Dogfish Head - Raison D'Etre (2011)

A deep mahogany, Belgian-style brown ale brewed with beet sugar, raisins and Belgian-style yeast.
We began brewing this one at our pub in 1996 (we began packaging and selling it sometime in 1998) as the answer to the question, "What beer should I enjoy with a wood-grilled steak?" Raison D'Etre fits the bill. It's as tasty and complex as a fine red wine.

In the Quick Sip Clip video below, Sam talks about Raison D'Etre inside the new cellars for our 600-bbl fermentation tanks. The cellars were designed specifically to allow sterile yeast management. The system also allows us to automatically dose the yeast into the fermentation tanks. At Dogfish, we use multiple strains of yeast for our different beers, so we are acutely aware of all that can go wrong when you don't love and protect the yeast.

The original release date was March of 1998.

The ABV is 8.0 and the IBU rating is 25. 

Style - Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Glass to use - Snifter, Tulip or Goblet
Delivery 12 oz bottle.

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a cloudy dark amber in color and a tan head. Good lacing.
Aroma - Malty, raisins, spice, brown sugar and hops.
Taste - Malty, sweet, leather (peat), dark fruit and hoppy.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body.
Drinkable - A fresh D'Etre taste much better. This one did not age well. I'll stick to fresh RD'E.  I would describe this bottle as a fresh RD'E with a bit of peat.  (A strong ale mixed with a wee heavy).

This beer pairs well with steak, duck, game, wine-reduction sauces, blue cheese, goat cheese, ham, mussels.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B.

BeerAdvocate Rating 83

Ratebeer Rating = 96

Dogfish Head - Chateau Jiahu (2010)

Let's travel back in time again for another Dogfish Head Ancient Ale (Midas Touch was DFH's first foray and Theobroma the most recent). Our destination is 9,000 years ago, in Northern China! Preserved pottery jars found in the Neolithic villiage of Jiahu, in Henan province, have revealed that a mixed fermented beverage of rice, honey and fruit was being produced that long ago, right around the same time that barley beer and grape wine were beginning to be made in the Middle East!

Fast forward to 2005. Molecular archaeologist Dr. Patrick McGovern of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology calls on Dogfish Head to re-create another ancient beverage, and Chateau Jiahu is born.

In keeping with historic evidence, Dogfish brewers use brown rice syrup, orange blossom honey, muscat grape, barley malt and hawthorn berry. The wort is fermented for about a month with sake yeast until the beer is ready for packaging.

Did you catch the story on NPR's "All Things Considered" about Chateau Jiahu and DFH Ancient Ales? If you missed the story, here it is!

Original Release Date: 07/2006

The ABV is 10.0 and the IBU rating is 10
Style - Spice Beer
Glass to use- Tulip, Snifter or wine glass
Delivery 750ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a cloudy amber color.  Small white head. Some lacing.
Aroma - Grapes, straw essence, some hops ans sweet.
Taste -  Sweet, grapes and candy.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body.
Drinkable - Taste like a nice Belgium brew, well balanced.  Aged nicely for 18 months'  Slightly smoother than a fresh bottle.  Worth a try, I will purchase this brew again.

This beer pairs well with desserts or try with Mexican and Indian dishes.  Can be use as an aperitif.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+
BeerAdvocate Rating = 86
Ratebeer Rating = 88

Dogfish Head - 120 Minute (2003)

Too extreme to be called beer? Brewed to a colossal 45°P, boiled for a full 2 hours while being continually hopped with high alpha American hops, dry-hopped every day in a fermenter for a month, and aged for a month on whole leaf hops, 120 Minute IPA is by far the strongest IPA ever brewed. And at 18% ABV and 120 IBU’s, you can see why they call this the Holy Grail for Hopheads.

This post is for the 2003 vintage.

The ABV is 18.0 (21.0) and the IBU rating is 120
Style - Imperial IPA
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a cloudy dark brown color with no head. Clear coat lacing.
Aroma - Lots of dark fruit, peat, caramel and toffee.
Taste -  Malty, dark fruits like plums and raisins, chocolate, molasses, toffee and its really sweet. 
Mouth Feel - Low carbonation which is expected for an aged beer.  Syrupy.  Full bodied and smooth with a lingering slow burn as a finish.
Drinkable - Excellent!  8 years of aging did this brew well.  One of the best aged beers I have ever had.  Don't know the alcohol content due to aging, my guess is 21%.

This beer pairs well with bread and cheese.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A+.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B+
Ratebeer Rating = 99

Sierra Nevada/Dogfish head - Life and Limb 2 (2011)

This beer was first brewed in the fall of 2009, Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada created Life and Limb to celebrate the two brewers extended brewing families. That beer was so popular that it sold out nationwide in less than two weeks and proved once-and-for-all, that the wild and wonderful world of craft beer was healthy and vibrant. Because of that wonderful response, they decided to brew the beer again… something like a Life and Limb redux. Using the same recipe, but a different package.  Life and Limb 2 was available nationwide in limited supply starting mid-August 2011.

LIFE - this living ale is alive with yeast-a blend of both breweries house strains and naturally carbonated to enhance complexity, refinement, and to encourage aging. LIMB - for the birch and maple trees, who’s syrup gives this unique ale its flavor and symbolizes the collaboration between Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head. Both breweries are proud to share Life and Limb with it’s thousands of other branches who collectively comprise the craft brewing family tree. Sip slowly with friends and loved ones; savor long - because one could do better than be a swigger of birches.

The ABV is 10.2 and the IBU rating is 50
Style - American Strong Ale
Glass to use - Pint Glass, Tumbler, Snifter, Mug or Stein
Delivery 750ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a brown color with a big, thick, creamy tan head. Great lacing.
Aroma - Grains, some hops, after warming up a bit the maple starts to come through.
Taste -  A little sweet, malty, hint of hops and caramel.  
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body.
Drinkable - Very drinkable, a session beer.  A great strong brown.

This beer pairs well with cheese.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B+
Ratebeer Rating = 97

Dogfish Head - Raison d'EXtra - 2006

This is a bulbous, brown ale brewed with a bunch of malt, brown sugar and raisins. Raison D'EXtra is an amped up, bigger, bolder version of the Raison D'Etre. It is brewed from a similar grist (raisins included) to a massive 42P, giving it 20.5% ABV (pre 2005), along with 20 IBU and a color of 20L.

18.5% ABV and 40 IBU in 11/2005 12 oz. and later releases.

This blog is for the September 2006 release. I opened a bottle in August 2011.


The ABV is 18.5 (20.0) and the IBU rating is 40
Style - Belgium Strong Dark Ale
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a cloudy brown color with a nice tan head that vanishes after a few minutes. Some lacing.
Aroma - Lots of dark fruit here, figs, cherries, raisins, then caramel.
Taste - Taste like it smells and compares to a nice sherry or port. 
Mouth Feel - Low carbonation, full body.  Smooth.
Drinkable - Very drinkable but a sipper.  Don't know the alcohol content due to aging, my guess is 20%.  The alcohol is hidden well, not so much for the 2007 release which I had earlier this year.

This beer pairs well with sharp and pungent cheese.  Is well suited as an after diner drin.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A+.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B+
Ratebeer Rating = 98

Dogfish Head - Black and Blue (2007)

Black & Blue is golden Belgian Ale made with over 300 lbs of fresh blackberries and blueberries. With a deep purple full body and a long-lasting lacy pink head, this ale is both attractive and delicious! It is tart and fruity, like our brewers! The subtle bitterness of Hallertau and Saaz hops shines through the fruit forward flavor and sets the palate aglow. (30 IBUs). This tasty brew has smooth but noticeable alcohol warmth. Belgian yeast gives this brew a characteristically dry spicy finish. The beautiful interplay of fruit, spice, and alcohol is complimented by a soft malt profile, and a high level of carbonation.


The ABV is 10.0 and the IBU rating is 25
Style - Fruit Beer
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Snifter, Tumbler or Mug
Delivery 750ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a cloudy copper color with a big tan head that dissipated quickly. Good lacing.
Aroma - Citrus fruit, some berries notes.
Taste -  Strange at first, not sure what's happening here, sweet, a hint of fruit. (Where are the blackberries and blueberries??)
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation, lite body. Creamy, nice feel, no alcohol burn.
Drinkable - A very pleasant drink, very refreshing and smooth.  Aging has mellowed out this brew.  Aging also affected the color of the beer and head.  Alcohol is well hidden.  The only negative thing is that the berry taste has nearly vanished from the aging process.

This beer pairs well with salads.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B
Ratebeer Rating =87

Dogfish Head - Old School (2008)

Inspired by a tale of a cask doctor who brought sluggish ales back to life by suspending a fig in them. Brewed from 100% Maris Otter pale ale malt, a blend of fine hops and conditioned on dates and figs. User Instructions: open bottle, pour contents into two snifters. Enjoy. ALTERNATIVELY: Walk hand-in-neck with bottle into the middle of the woods. Use shovel to dig 2x2 hole three feet deep. Seal bottle in plastic bag. Place in hole and pack with dirt. Memorize location and leave. Return exactly one year later. Dig up bottle, open and enjoy.

Purchased this vintage brew at Capones. 
The ABV is 15.0 and the IBU rating is 85
Style - English Barleywine
Glass to use- Pint Glass or Snifter
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Dark amber (copper) in color, a tan head that sticks around awhile. Good lacing.
Aroma - Boozy, malty, dark fruits and figs and dates.
Taste - Sweet, malty, dark fruits, and has a strong boozy after taste.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation, full body, smooth and creamy with an after burn from the alcohol which mellows after it warms up.
Drinkable - At three years old, it's just a tad better than a fresh OSBW.  Needs to age for another fives years to reach it's full potential.

This beer pairs very with cheese.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A+
BeerAdvocate Rating =B+
Ratebeer Rating =98

Dogfish Head - World Wide Stout (2008)

Dark, rich, roasty and complex, World Wide Stout has more in common with a fine port than a can of cheap, mass-marketed beer. Brewed with a ridiculous amount of barley. Have one with (or as!) dessert tonight.

2001 - (18%) displays the unaltered words "Vim and Vigor" on the label and with gold cap.

2002 - (23%) "Vim and Vigor" is crossed out with gold cap.

2003 - (18.8%). No "Vim and Vigor" present, gold cap.

2004 - (20%) Bright yellow cap, no date stamp.

2005 - Bright yellow cap, date stamp

2006 - Dark green cap, date stamp

2007 - Yellowish-green cap, date stamp

2008 - Yellowish-green cap, date stamp

2009 - (18%) Yellowish-green cap, date stamp
2010 - (18%) Yellowish-green cap, date stamp
 

World Wide Stout is one of the world’s strongest dark beers. It is brewed using six different yeast strains over seven months and then aged for half a year. World Wide Stout  is released in early winter with very limited availability.

I purchased this bottle at Capones in Norristown.

This post is for the Nov 2008 vintage.  Look in this blog for the 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2009 vintage.

The ABV is 20.0 and the IBU rating is 70
Style - Imperial Stout
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Dark brown in color and a small dark tan head.  Good lacing.
Aroma - Molasses, plum and raisins, toffee and chocolate. 
Taste - Sweet, coffee, chocolate, boozy, just a hint of dark fruits after it warms up to room temperature, some vanilla.
Mouth Feel - Light/medium carbonation, full body. Smooth finish.
Drinkable - Another great aged WWS. At just three years of aging, still young but taste great.

This beer pairs very with cheese and desserts.  But enjoy it as an after dinner drink if you can find an old bottle.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A
BeerAdvocate Rating =A-
Ratebeer Rating =100

Dogfish Head - Pangaea 2009

Brewed with ingredients from each and every continent, this is slightly spicy ale, with a mouthful of rich flavors. Pangaea is a great food beer.

List of worldly ingredients includes:

• Crystallized ginger from Australia
• Water from Antarctica
• Basmati rice from Asia
• Muscavado sugar from Africa
• South American quinoa
• European yeast
• North American maize.

Pangaea is released annually in the fall and is bottled in 750ml bottles. I purchased two bottles of this 2009 vintage at the Rehoboth Beach brewpub.  Shared it with a couple friends on a very hot summer night just before dinner.

The ABV is 7.0 and the IBU rating is 28
Style - Belgium Strong Pale Ale
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 750ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a orange/amber color with a tan head and good lacing.
Aroma - White grapes, coriander, pepper and lots of ginger.
Taste - Malty, ginger and sweet.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body with a dry finish.
Drinkable - Nice brew, aging two years had helped bring out the spices just a bit.  I will hold on to the second bottle a few more years.

This beer pairs well with cheese and desserts.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B
Ratebeer Rating =86

Dogfish Head - Black and Red

Black & Red is a velvety smooth dry-minted stout with a serious fruit problem! The huge portion of heavily roasted grains brings a dry, chocolaty character which contrasts its sweet fruity full body. As you tilt your glass, you'll notice that the black color you are perceiving is actually a very deep reddish hue and the rich creamy foam has a tinge of pink to it. Black & Red starts off roasted and warming with a robust mintiness from 100lbs of organic mint (Washington’s Green Grocer) added to the secondary fermentation and finishes out sweet and smooth.

This is only available on draft at the Rehoboth Beach brewpub and was tapped in April 2011.

Update; had this at the Iron Abbey in August of 2011.  They had it listed as Red and Brown, but it was the Black and Red.  This batch was way sweeter which made it harder to drink.  

The ABV is 10.5 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - American Double / Imperial Stout
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Snifter, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery Draft

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a dark ruby color with a dark tan head and good lacing.
Aroma - Mint, sweet and malty.
Taste - Dark cherry, dark chocolate, malty, sweet and sour.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body. 
Drinkable - Phenomenal, very different.  This is an experimental brew and probable will not be recreated.  I had this at the DFH brewpub in Rehoboth Beach, DE where they test out new brews.  Folks at the bar speculated that this might be part of the 120 Minute batches that went bad last year.  I agree.

This beer pairs well with cheese and desserts.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B
Ratebeer Rating =53

Dogfish Head - World Wide Stout (2002)

Dark, rich, roasty and complex, World Wide Stout has more in common with a fine port than a can of cheap, mass-marketed beer. Brewed with a ridiculous amount of barley. Have one with (or as!) dessert tonight.

2001 - (18%) displays the unaltered words "Vim and Vigor" on the label and with gold cap.

2002 - (23%) "Vim and Vigor" is crossed out with gold cap.

2003 - (18.8%). No "Vim and Vigor" present, gold cap.

2004 - (20%) Bright yellow cap, no date stamp.

2005 - Bright yellow cap, date stamp

2006 - Dark green cap, date stamp

2007 - Dark green cap, date stamp

2008 - Yellowish-green cap, date stamp

2009 - (18%) Yellowish-green cap, date stamp
2010 - (18%) Yellowish-green cap, date stamp

World Wide Stout is one of the world’s strongest dark beers. It is brewed using six different yeast strains over seven months and then aged for half a year. World Wide Stout  is released in early winter with very limited availability.

I purchased this bottle for a fund raiser at the Monk's Cafe.

This post is for the Oct 2002 vintage.  Look in this blog for the 2001, 2004 and 2009 vintage.

The ABV is 23.0 (26.0) and the IBU rating is 70
Style - Imperial Stout
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Black pure dark in color and no head (maybe a bit).  Clear coat lacing (a good sign).
Aroma - WOW! Dark cherries, apples, plums, very sweet and some vanilla. 
Taste - Explosion of flavor, sweet, tart cherries, molasses,toffee and vanilla.
Mouth Feel - Light to no carbonation, full body. sticky with a nice warm alcohol burn.
Drinkable - What can I say, this is the best aged beer I have ever had, maybe not quite as good as the 1994 Thomas Hardy's Ale.  Different fruit notes indeed.  This is a big time sipper, at an estimate 26% alcohol.  I purchased two bottles of this 2002 vintage, I'm contemplating how long to hold onto the second bottle.

This beer pairs very with cheese and desserts.  But enjoy it as an after dinner drink if you can find bottle at this age.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A++
BeerAdvocate Rating =A-
Ratebeer Rating =100