Dogfish Head Raison D Etre

Brewed by Dogfish Head Brewery
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Milton, Delaware USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Very drinkable, One of those beers that stands alone. No need to bother pairing. If pairing is a must I would suggest red meats. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

On tap at roscoes- very sweet with malty, oak-like accents. Would be ideal dessert beer. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

On draught at Roscoes. Golden amber in color with a pronounced sweetness and distinct raisin flavor. Deep malty finish.

Bottle. Pours a deep amber with a fluffy white head that dissipates quickly. Aromas of raisins and figs, caramel, and malt. Very slick mouthfeel, sweet. Tastes of raisins, some Belgian spiciness, bread, brown sugar, and oak/woodiness. A bit off-kilter, but that’s what’s refreshing about it.

Nice coppery color with a minimal tan head. Had a nice coffee aroma. Touch of bitterness with a smooth, spicy, raisin, coffee finish.

Bottle. Pours dark copper with a thin lasting head. Aroma is raisin, malts, brown sugar and some fruit. Flavor matches aroma with a little boozy finish. More malt than i prefer but not bad.

Dark brown with a hazy pour. Large tan head. Aroma is wine barrel and rasin. Hard to put a finger on the taste but for sure a bit of rasin brown sugar.

Pours a dark copper with no head. Aroma of caramel, malt, brown sugar and alcohol. Taste follows, slightly sweet, like a caramel but its held in check by the alcohol. Not bad ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Sometimes there’s beers you want to love, but for whatever reason you can’t. That’s how I am with Dogfish Head Raison D’être. Considering the brewery, the ingredients, and the novelty of it all; this should be an outstanding beer (and to many people it is). But to me it’s a bit too jumbled and the result is a beer that’s only okay.

I poured a 12oz bottle into the official Dogfish Head pint glass.

Appearance: Dark, clear mahogany brown color. Not much visible carbonation. Forms an average size, off-white, foamy head which quickly evaporates and doesn’t leave any lacing on the glass.

Smell: Raisin stew (if there were such a thing) with distinct brown sugar and alcohol notes.

Taste: Dogfish Head Raison D’être is one of the brewer’s oldest recipes and it was definitely novel when it was launched and is still "off centered" today. The brewery describes it as a strong brown ale, but it’s closer to a Belgian strong dark ale as the Belgian yeast and surprisingly prominent alcohol are the main players here. It’s sweet with distinct brown sugar and caramel flavors, plus the underlying flavor of raisin flesh throughout the palate.

That all being said it’s surprisingly repetitive and wears down my palate rather quickly due to the strong sweetness. There’s not much in the way of hops on this one other than a mild bitterness to give it a bit of balance. I enjoy the sweetness up to a point and I think it’s a beer that’s more interesting than it is good. I can’t find any glaring flaws, but I won’t jump for joy either.

Drinkability: I think what holds this beer back is its low drinkability. The intense rich sweetness of the palate combined with the surprisingly strong alcohol presence makes it difficult to drink. There’s a lot of raw boozy flavor and heat despite the fact it’s only 8% ABV. It leaves a cloying aftertaste, though it’s fairly tolerable. With the right meal I could see Dogfish Head Raison D’être working wonders, but as a beverage it’s a bit challenging.

Sweet,but balanced; with the smell/taste of Belgian yeast and raisins. A really flavorful beer! ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone