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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This brew has a very amber color that produces yet another fine, off-white head. Though it disappears quite quickly, it leaves a nice film on the edges and also reappears quickly after a thorough swirl. This beer is also very transparent so it’s evident it will be, technically, a light ale. At first taste, you get a fine hit of fruit. You can get an essence of the raisin in it and other various fruits in the brew. This produces a very sweet-smelling brew. The taste is very reminiscent of a heavy wine. You get a nice taste of raisin and the other fruits that went into the brew. Also, you get the pleasant taste of hops and barley. This brew tastes much less alcoholic than any other high-percentage brew I’ve had. This beer goes in smooth, swells to a sugary taste with a hint of the hops and it goes down smooth and leaves behind a pleasant roasted barley spice.

Drank out of the bottle. Spicy, caramel aromas. Well balanced taste with little aftertaste. Overall an awesome beer.

A really appetizing looking glass; deep, slightly cloudy burnt sienna with a slight but tenacious head. The smell is hearty, sweet and fruity, a bit of a fruitcake quality. The taste isn’t quite as sweet, which I think is a good thing. Rich, robust, with a bit of fruity tang and hops in the finish. Dogfish Head hasn’t tried to slip a mediocre brew past me yet, and this is yet another tasty one.

12 oz bottle pours amber with an off white head. Aroma is sweet and malty. Taste is slightly sweet and nice malts. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Bottle - Sweet aromatic spicy malts a little breast. Dark clear amber with thin head. Sweet caramel notes with a burnt sugar bitterness. Alcohol and yeast finish. Nice paired with the right food

12 oz bottle from De Bierkoning @ home. Red/brown (bottle: mahogany) color, tan head, not much. Aroma’s: red fruit, raisins, butterscotch, caramel, some sweetness retronasal. Flavor is only lightly sweet, with a slight fruity tartness and mild bitterness. Medium bodied. Finishes somewhat dry and medium bitter.

Pours a copper brown into glass, thin beige head when settled. Aroma of caramel, raisins, red wine and malt. Taste goes kind of nuts with the dried fruits, decent sweetness and some alcohol. Nice session beer, a slow sipper for me.

Pours copper brown with low disappearing head. Aromas of brown sugars, raisins, belgian yeast Nice sweet tones from caramel malts and sugar, the belgian yeast is pleasantly present as well. Low carbonation and low bitterness which is to be expected from this type of beer. Reason to be? No, but there is definately reason to try this beer.

Tap. Pours clear brown with a slight ruby tint and thin, fizzy beige head; short retention and minimal lacing. Aroma is caramel and cookie malt, figs, raisins, floral hops, yeast, and light earthy notes. Flavor is sweet malt forward with faint supporting hops and fruit esters; sweet finish. Medium body, carbonation, and warmth.

UPDATED: MAY 23, 2012 Clear caramel colored with a small, short-lived beige head. Aroma of raisins, pears, apricot, caramel, and chardonnay. Taste is sweet malt and fruit, with mild bitter, yeast, and alcohol flavors.Surprisingly light bodied with soft carbonation. An easy drinking beer for this style, yet the flavors are still pretty bold.

Bottle. Pours copper brown with ruby tinge. Decent white head. Aromas of fortified wine caramel grain malt. Med light body with a complex finish, near bitter and acrid.