Being one of my favorite breweries, it is surprising how many Dogfish Head beers I still haven't tried. Recently I got a hold of one of their new beers and two that were new to me. Dogfish Head always delivers, but I wasn't the biggest fan of one. So I think I will do this least favorite to favorite. Without further ado...
First up is Dogfish Head's new winter seasonal: Piercing Pils. Now let me start by saying that I am not a big fan of pilseners in general. That is not the brewer's fault, its just the flavor profile of the style doesn't appeal to me. But I do occasional give one a go. Piercing Pils pours a crystal clear, light amber with a bright white head. Light notes of pear on the nose, but mostly overwhelmed by Pilsener malts. The taste is light and refreshing, however the pilsener malt flavors dominate over the light pear flavors. Though a quality beer, its just not for me. I would, however, think this is a good introduction into the craft beer world for someone who drinks one of the "big 3." If they like lighter beers, they might as well drink a quality one! I think my only gripe is that this replaced Chicory Stout, and that makes me sad.
Next up was Immort Ale, a great, big beer that
Beeradvocate labels as an English Strong Ale. Though it does have some of those attributes, I think it also has some Belgian Strong qualities, and would call it close to a hybrid. Immort pours a clear, dark reddish-brown with an off white head. There is a sweet malt nose here with some hints of the oak coming through lightly. The flavor starts out with some sweet and tangy malts, as well as some raisin or date notes. There are some other sweet notes that I want to attribute to the maple syrup, but I'm not quite sure. Thrown in there are some slight banana notes typical of Belgian yeasts, which I love. It finishes with a notable alcohol bite, but its not as much as you'd expect from a beer that is 11% ABV. All in all, this is a great, complex beer with a ton of awesome flavors. It is good for a warming evening of slow sipping. I drank one and stashed the other three away in my cellar, and I am expecting great things in years to come.
Last, and my absolute favorite of the three, is Olde School Barleywine. In typical Dogfish fashion, this beer is crystal clear, brown, and has a thin white head. Sweet malty nose with hints of dates, caramel, and booze. Big and delicious malts lead out at first sip, followed by some delicious date and fig notes. I found myself letting this one sit in my mouth a bit just so I could enjoy the flavors a little longer. It finishes up just slightly bitter and with just a small bite of alcohol, perhaps even less than Immort. Here is the kicker, though: This thing is 15% ABV! Be sure you note that before cracking this one, because by taste alone you certainly wouldn't guess it was so strong! I love the barelywine style, but I think this just took the lead as my favorite (I'll let you know for sure when I try this year's offering from Legend). I added a few bottles of this to my cellar (I did not opt to bury the bottles as DFH suggests on the bottle) and gave one to my neighbor, because it is too good not to share! Find some if you can, sip slowly, and enjoy! Cheers!
First up is Dogfish Head's new winter seasonal: Piercing Pils. Now let me start by saying that I am not a big fan of pilseners in general. That is not the brewer's fault, its just the flavor profile of the style doesn't appeal to me. But I do occasional give one a go. Piercing Pils pours a crystal clear, light amber with a bright white head. Light notes of pear on the nose, but mostly overwhelmed by Pilsener malts. The taste is light and refreshing, however the pilsener malt flavors dominate over the light pear flavors. Though a quality beer, its just not for me. I would, however, think this is a good introduction into the craft beer world for someone who drinks one of the "big 3." If they like lighter beers, they might as well drink a quality one! I think my only gripe is that this replaced Chicory Stout, and that makes me sad.
Next up was Immort Ale, a great, big beer that Beeradvocate labels as an English Strong Ale. Though it does have some of those attributes, I think it also has some Belgian Strong qualities, and would call it close to a hybrid. Immort pours a clear, dark reddish-brown with an off white head. There is a sweet malt nose here with some hints of the oak coming through lightly. The flavor starts out with some sweet and tangy malts, as well as some raisin or date notes. There are some other sweet notes that I want to attribute to the maple syrup, but I'm not quite sure. Thrown in there are some slight banana notes typical of Belgian yeasts, which I love. It finishes with a notable alcohol bite, but its not as much as you'd expect from a beer that is 11% ABV. All in all, this is a great, complex beer with a ton of awesome flavors. It is good for a warming evening of slow sipping. I drank one and stashed the other three away in my cellar, and I am expecting great things in years to come.
Last, and my absolute favorite of the three, is Olde School Barleywine. In typical Dogfish fashion, this beer is crystal clear, brown, and has a thin white head. Sweet malty nose with hints of dates, caramel, and booze. Big and delicious malts lead out at first sip, followed by some delicious date and fig notes. I found myself letting this one sit in my mouth a bit just so I could enjoy the flavors a little longer. It finishes up just slightly bitter and with just a small bite of alcohol, perhaps even less than Immort. Here is the kicker, though: This thing is 15% ABV! Be sure you note that before cracking this one, because by taste alone you certainly wouldn't guess it was so strong! I love the barelywine style, but I think this just took the lead as my favorite (I'll let you know for sure when I try this year's offering from Legend). I added a few bottles of this to my cellar (I did not opt to bury the bottles as DFH suggests on the bottle) and gave one to my neighbor, because it is too good not to share! Find some if you can, sip slowly, and enjoy! Cheers!
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