Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

I didn’t know what to expect with this, but I got a full-bodied silky smooth brew that looks as good as it tastes. Pours very dark with a healthy tan head. Aroma of coffee and maple. Flavor is caramel, coffee, roasted malts, some chocolate and maple. This is lighter than a stout, and it somehow completely masks the 12% alcohol except for the warmth. Really a great success of a beer.

12oz bottle (and previously on tap). Rich, dead pour with minimal tan head. Molasses, port nose that is rich like the WWS. Taste is syrupy and rich with notes of brandy/bourbon booze, spice and that oily wood. Sticky vanilla bean (extract w/ booze?) finish with very nice warming, perfect match to the abv. Very refined and interesting (and I second nramsburg .. the New Yorker issue has a great recap of this beer’s provenance and inspired me to give it another try).

(Bottle) Purchased at Brewery Creek in Vancouver for $5.25. Pours a lasting, creamy brown head atop an opaque body. Nose of molasses, deep chocolate malt, sweet cherries, vanilla, boubon, pear rind and leather. Very thick oily elixir, strong bourbon and wood flavour. Interesting and very impressive, imaginative beer. Amazing how DFH hides the high ABV so well. Nice. 7/5/7/3/15

The Palo Santo is a promising ale. Just have a look at the 2008 food edition of the New Yorker to look at the provenance of the wood. It pours to a deep dark brownish black with quite a bit of vanilla on the nose. In fact, I pretty much just get vanilla, albeit in different permutations (Carmel, Bean, etc.). Disclaimer: I love vanilla. On the palate it’s a rich consistency and, surprise, finishes with a malty vanilla-ness. Overall this is a good beer and an expensive beer. As much as I like vanilla, I’m going to have a hard time trying this one again at $14.99 for 4.

On tap at Rich O’s. Good stuff, a bit boozy, but good for a stout/porter fan – dark and heavy.

not a bad beer, but not my fav by far. tastes like a brown ale on steroids. the wood flavor really stands through and adds some complexity to the brew.

Bottle. Pours an opaque brown with a tight mocha head. Aroma of alcohol, raisins, and fig. Flavor is woody and sweet with a hot alcohol burn. Tons of molasses and dark fruit, with little hoppiness. Heavy palate. Very enjoyable.

From a 12 oz bottle this poured a rich motor oil black with a moderate brown head and thick gluey lacing. Big nose of ripe fruit, oak, alcohol and raisins. Very rich and creamy mouthfeel. Flavor is very rich is well with molasses, vanilla added to what was in the nose. Dry finish. Very drinkable. Simply fantastic stuff. Glad I have three more.