Dogfish Head Raison D Extra

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

Not horrible, not great either. Just different. Sweet taste that takes some getting used to. The alcohol taste isn’t overpowering and the aftertaste is pleasant. I don’t think I would try it again, but I am glad that I gave it a shot.

CBF07 sample from bottle. Pours amber and clear. Aroma is malty wineous and sweet. Flavour is raisins, malt and sugar. Finish is soft and slight alcohol presence.

Smells of brown sugar, caramel, raisin, has a very strong alcohol flavor, and is intensely sweet. Nice color and smell. Smells better than it tastes, and becomes harder and harder to drink. Interesting, and very unique to try, but would not drink regularly nor recommend. (especially at $8.00 a 12 oz. bottle) I don’t understand why this is so highly rated, as I would not enjoy drinking more than a few sips of this beer ever again.

Bottle. Raisins and alcohol in the nose with perhaps a hint of molasses and caramel. Dark murky reddish brown and a glowing ruby red when held to light. Large lasting tan head. Excellent lace. This is the second beer today that I’ve had where a source from the bottom of the glass produced plumes of visible carbonation. Initial mouthfeel is high alcohol and bountiful sweetness. A dessert beer. Prior to having this beer I ate a box of Mike & Ike’s. I think I’ve had as much sugar in a few sips of Rasion D’Extra as I did in a whole box of Mike & Ikes. Flavor is overly sweet. Alcohol is clearly present but suggests nowhere near 18.5%. If I were to have guessed, I would have guessed around 11-12%. The Extra clearly means extra sugar. More drinkable than the 120 minute by a fairly good margin. Improves as it warms and in that spirit becomes very warming indeed. A very nice beer.

Only slightly hazy redbrown color, short off-white head. Aroma of sweet fruit, caramel malt, some port-like notes, raisin, alcohol. Very alcoholic taste, throat-burning. Sweet, quite fruity, caramel. Sirupy texture. Alcohol anaesthesizing lips and tongue, burnging the throat a bit. Important to pour the whole bottle at once, including a small yeast depot, otherwise alcohol will be all over the place. The soft yeasty bottom part will compensate in taste a bit (raisin is in there) and make the beer more balanced. More of a malt liquor than a beer I would say though.

Bottle. Red-brown colour. Sweet, fruity, malty and alcoholic aroma. The flavour is very sweet, alcoholic, caramel, plenty of dark fruits. Gives me reminders of a port. The alcohol sure warms you up.

On tap at the Ale House in Gaithersburg. Cloudy brown, without much head. The aroma is very fruity, with peach dominate. Thick, almost chewy, with dried fruit the dominant flavor and, very sweet. A bit of the alcohol comes through. The finish is lingering as well. As it warms, the alcohol comes out more prominent.

[750 mL bottle, corked & caged, bottled December 2002, sampled 24 March 2007]: Carbonated ‘pop’ as the cork is finally removed…pours a ruby brown with a large-bubble, ivory head that diminishes quickly. The liquid looks flat, but the palate is smooth & slightly tingly from the remaining bubbles…Strawberry-peach alcohol aroma with grilled pineapple and honey. Grainy fruit flavours along with a butter nut presence – peanut butter covered green apples with walnuts. Dark rye grains coat the mouth in the finish….as it warms fleshy, tangerines and sticky pears, though the alcohol is still completely over-powering, the over-ripe fruits, candied sweetness and deep toasted grains make this enjoyable.