Dogfish Head Golden Era (Shower)

Bottle, thanks to kleyland for getting me this one; poured a clear gold with white head. Aroma of lemon, grass, sugar and malt. Flavor starts of light with bread and honey; finish is hoppy and mostly grassy. Palate is a little on the light sight; not quite watery though. I don’t normally like a lot of dry hopping and didn’t like it here. Will have Sam Adams imperial pilsner to compare later.

Bottle. Light malt aroma of grain, moderate hop notes of herb and spruce, with a barnyard yeast smell and vegetable, skunk and fresh cut wood in the background. Head is creamy, white with excellent lacing and is fully lasting. Color is a sparkling yellow. Flavor starts lightly acidic and finishes lightly acidic and moderately bitter. Palate is medium, between watery and creamy, with a lively carbonation and a fairly dry finish. Flavor is bland and a little too common tasting, but it’s very easy drinking and the 9% is deftly hidden as long as it’s cold.

Side by side of Golden Era (07) and Golden Shower (Mar 06 bottling). Era - Lighter golden color with a medium head. Aroma is hoppy with some heavy pils malt. Flavor is hoppy with a taste of over-loaded pils malt and mushy peas. Mouthfeel is decent, but nothing special. Tastes like they over-did this one. I like a good pils, but this is kind of a waste. Shower - this is pretty bad, didn’t age well. Like a pretty bad DIPA

More or less a pilsener that’s too sweet and extra bitter. Almost a sticky sweet honey-like malt character. Despite the obvious presence of lots of noble hops, there’’s not enough to stand up to the malt. Nice tongue-thrashing bitterness in the back still isn’t enough to sut through the excessive pilsener malt. Tasty, but a bit of a mess. Just another example of how DFH is all about ideas with little attention to execution. I’d love to see some craft and an attempt to transform an interesting idea into a great product.

12 oz. bottle labeled Golden Era: pours a nice crystal golden with a thin cap. An ether vapor seems to sit on top the body, muddling the hoppy nose. Notes of grass, pine, rindy citrus, caramel, earth and peaches mix with the heavy alcohol note. Big, thick body delivers plenty of caramel sweetness along with candied oranges and pineapples, fresh grass and canned vegetables. A big beer that absolutely spoils the delicate nature of the pilsner. Just big and blah.

Medium clear gold color; small beige head. Smelled of meadow grass and sugar. Had a grassy, bitter taste with an oily finish

Honey gold with with creamy white head / Clean sweet grain nose / Medium, creamy hop body with long finish / Flavors of pine, flowers, pineapple, and clover honey with spun sugar finish / A remarkable big, hoppy pilsner.

Hazy dark gold. Big foamy cream head. Smells of wet laundry and cheese. Big sweet and smooth flavor, honey, melon, pineapple. Good tasting beer. Sampled at the Dogfish Head brew pub in Falls Church, VA.