Dogfish Head Raison D Extra

Like one would expect raisins are big part in aroma and taste. Alcohol is also present but covered up nicely in taste. Very high in alcohol content, do not attempt to go at it alone.

The aroma was malty and nutty and strong with alcohol, very strong in fact. Raisins and prunes were strong in this beast with caramel and a strong presence of fruit. The dark amber beer was lightly hazy and has nearly no head at all. The flavor was malty with a strong presence of raisin, cherries and a tad of prunes. The sweetness of the fruits and malt was kept in check by some bittering which was way in the background but present enough to do it’s job. The malt was caramel and a bit of toasty and biscuity character. Alcohol was present, yet restrained, in the flavor. The body was full and viscous with a fairly low level of carbonation. The beer finished near dry with lasting impressions of fruit and malt. The warming of alcohol after consumption was nearly off the charts. A beer for a very cold night or one to be shared with a crapload of friends. Tread lightly cause this one will truly teach you who is boss! 12 ounce bottle, bottled in 2005 - price tag says $8.99.

Very sweet, but not nearly as sweet of many of Dogfish’s other offerings. The taste is powerful, without being overpowering.

A very sweet beer, but not too sweet. Pours a very nice amber color with a minor white head. The taste of raisons and candi sugar hit you like a club to the tounge. A great strong ale!

Pours a reddish orange with almost no head whatsoever. A very sweet malty smell that tastes somewhat like a barley wine. Just monster smells. Alot like sweet malts and caramel. Just has some tight flavors and load up on some alcohol, cause this beer is bringing it. Alot of molasses in the finish and almost too sweet. Really sweet.

At the 2007 Big Beer, Belgians, & Barleywines Festival in Vail. Amber with an off white head. Butterscotch aroma prevails. Flavor has a big, big alcohol burn. Raisins and stick candy liquidified by absolute ethanol and mixed with a barleywine?

Pours a bright, ruby red with almost no head. Aroma is rich, sweet, and fruity. Can definitely pick up the raisins. Tastes like a barley wine. Flavor is incredibly sweet with the alcohol being hidden ridiculously well. This is good but I think they overdid it with the sweetness.

Normally when I think of an American Strong ale I imagine something very hoppy and aggressive such as Double Bastard. This is completely different. I was lucky enought to have one that was cellared since ’02. The aroma was similar to the same brewery’s world wide stout, namely sweet alcohol, but it also had alto of the same smell characteristics of its younger brother: Raison D’etre. When I fist tasted it I was amazed at how sweet it was, nothing likr the other American Strong Ales I’ve had before. After my first taste of it I left it for about 15 minutes so that it could have a chance to open up. The next time I put my nose in that snifter I was knocked on my ass. Every smell had enhanced greatly but the alcohol was overpowering. Anyone who has ever been in a distillery knows how thick and dizzying the air in them is. The air in this snifter was very similar which at first made me believe that I had made a terrible mistake letting it warm up so much. I was wrong the flavor had become so nice that I had to sit down after taking a sip. The alcohol flavor was enhanced greatly making it quite hot but it was a nice warming reminder of how strong this beer actually is. Besides, what do you expect when you buy a beer that is 20.5% alcohol. I would not recommend that anyone try to drink an entire bottle of this by themselves. Your tastebuds will be exhausted after half of it and the other half will just be a waste