Dogfish Head Burton Baton

Draft. Dark brown almost iced tea body with a half inch dense foamy very lasting head. Very, very pretty. Nose-very light wood, light cherry cough syrup, grassy hops. Taste-medium sweetness and biter, rich berries, meaty, salty on the back end, maple syrup (comes out even more as it warms), light aw dust (the oak, perhaps?), a little boozy, medium alcohol, pecan shells, cherry, white grapes, molasses/brown sugar, perfect amount of hops all the way through from beginning to end. I don’t get a lot of the vinous/wood flavors, but they do play very lightly in the background. As it warms I get a kind of drying red wine kind of quality, but not really (!!!). This is one of the best beers I have had in a long time-enough is going on in the brewing process that you would think that this beer would be a train wreck, but it is in fact it is quite well done and exceeds my most greatest hopes. A great beer all the way around. A sweet La Folie maybe? Gets sticky and sweet as it warms, so I dropped the overall form 18 to 17.

Tap. Small, off-white head into clear amber body (decent lacing). Oak, floral hops, toffee, and light whiskey were all noticed in the aroma. Very sweet (which seems to be normal in the heavier dogfish head brews). Sticky mouthfeel. Extremely finish duration. Alcohol was well hidden. Not my favorite but still solid.

12 ounce bottle. Upon pouring, the head is reluctant, but forms an off-white head a fingernail thick. Color is amber and tan brown. Aromas are caramel, vanilla, and barrel. Love the taste of this beer: simultaneous malt and hoppiness with a prominent alcoholic bite that warms the throat and esophagus. I can really pick out the vanilla-ish flavors from the oak barrels. The aftertaste is alcohol and malt with the mouth-feel full and elusive.

12oz. Bottle Bottled 1/8/07 $14.99 4-Pack Liquor Depot I’m trying this bottle fresh. I’m also cellering some bottles and if things go as planned I will add to this review in 6 months and then in 12. I’m anxious to see the results. Burton Baton poured a crystal clear sunset amber into my snifter. Many tiny carbonation bubbles rise fairly quickly to the big creamy billowy head. The slightly off-white head was a healthy 2+ fingers on the pour but after a few minutes it dropped to a 1 finger creaminess. This beer looks excellent. Small sticky patch lacing after each drink. This beer deserves the highest rating for appearence. The smell is deep with complexities. Right off the bat there’s a sweet caramel maltiness that goes hand-in-hand with the mild oak creaminess. Very lightly toasted grains as well. All the aromas are surprisingly mellow and they mingle nicely. I get aromas of the 90 Min. Mild fruit in the form of ruby grapefruits and orange. More mild hops come through with a grassy and herbal quality. Even a little bit of hop resin is showing up in the mix. I keep getting more as it warms. Now there’s some banana coming through. If all this is in the aroma I can’t wait for the drink. Smells like a mix of a bitter with IPA qualitys and even certain high quality yeast aromas. Now on to the bread and butter. The flavor is surprisingly mild and unoffensive. I thought it would be a little on the brash side as fresh as it is. Tastes are much like the smell. A wonderful combination of caramel malt, mild oak, and very lightly toasted grains. All familiar from the smell. There’s also a solid amount of dark fruits in the flavor as it warms. Blackberries and plums come to mind.The 90Min. shows again in the flavor with the same hop profile but there’s so much more added. If I focus I pull out the layer upon layer of fruit and resin hoppiness I detected in the aroma. There’s even sense of the alcohol fumes in the back of my throat but you can’t hardly tell they are there. Very unique. The mouthfeel of this beer is absolutely top notch. The body is on the thicker side of medium. Sweet but in no way cloying with a velvety smooth mouthfeel from the oak. The mild carbonation makes this beer sluggish which is exactly what it should be with all the delicate flavors. Perfect! This is an extremely easily drinkable beer, especially for the ABV. I have a hard time believing how easy this goes down. It’s a sipper no doubt but one I could sip for a long time. Overall this is a total shock to me. I expected Burton Baton to be good but nothing like this. I thought it would be along the lines of an Oaked Arrogant Bastard. Not at all. This is in a class of it’s own. I thought it would be a little harsh in it’s fresh form and maybe even a little too sweet like some of the big Dogfish Head beers are but this is a gem of a beer. The flavors are so subtle and enjoyable. This is where the experimentation really pays off. Keep it up over there at Dogfish. Notes: Let beer warm to 55-60 before opening. 2/10/07

Woody chewy aroma. A sweet caramle flavor, this is one excellent beer. Chewy and strong and a bit hoppy, I could drink this aplenty.

12-oz. Pours a medium rubied amber with a very scant film of white head across the top. Not much happening on the nose, oddly enough--sweet cherries and maybe welch’s concord grape juice hanging out there. That’s fairly perplexing. Puckery sweet from the attack all the way through the finish. Too much sugar, too little carb, gloopy body. This one isn’t a real pleasure to drink, that’s for sure. There’s a harsh, muscaty bite on the finish. Did they forget to wash the tuns after Midas Touch or something? Shocked to say this is a drain pour.
’05 bottle cracked 12/07. 12-oz. Thanks, Josh! This beer is clearly a waste of time when fresh. Crystal clear orangey amber. Thin light gray head and no lace. Big woody nose. Stillish, a little higher than medium body. Wood, tobacco, leather, and a bit of toffee on the mid-palate. Drying, wooden finish.
Nice stuff with just 18 months age on it. Don’t mess around with it when it’s new. Turns into a barleywine with some time in the bottle.

12 oz bottle. Pours beautiful rich amber. Pleasantly sweet nose: caramel, vanilla, malt and a hint of oak. Rich and oily on the palate. Interesting flavor profile: dry and sweet. Toffee. Sweet malt. A tiny bit of hops. Some oak. Some caramel and vanilla. Odd finish: starts sweet and ends dry. Very unique offering. Is this really an IIPA, though?

Bottle. Orange-brown color. 1/2" head. Muted aroma. Brown sugary but not bitter at all. Somewhat wooden in finish at the end, esp on the tongue. Wierdest IPA I ever had. I can’t tell any sense of hops in this one.