Dogfish Head Raison D Extra

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

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Pours a hazy, dark caramel brown that shows a tea-colored amber when held up to the light. There is a very small head that recedes immediately to a ring with no lacing. Aroma is massively sweet with tons of caramel sweetness and dark fruits, especially raisins. There are hints of brown sugar and plenty of alcohol in the nose as well. Taste has even more dark fruit sweetness, with raisins and plums, and lots of brown sugar. There’s additional vanilla with an interesting spiciness in the finish. The mouthfeel is super slick with minimal carbonation and leaves the palate coated with a boozy sweetness that lingers forever. This is definitely a big beer though I’m not sure if it tastes like a 20% ABV beer. It’s still pretty boozy for the style and, while drinkable for the ABV, is a sipper overall.

Smells of sweet barley and alchohol. Light carb and pours with little to no head. Very pungent flavor. Velvity with wonderful complexity. Sweet and slightly nutty with fruity notes. Pleasant and enjoyable while warming you up in a hurry.

Bottle at the first Nashville BA tasting. Pours dark amber with no head. Aroma of caramel and alcohol. Full bodied and syrupy in texture. Flavor of rich caramel, raisin, and vanilla. Lots of sweetness due to the under attenuation. Finish is hot with detectable alcohol. A sipper for sure. Extreme and bold, but not complex.

12 oz bottle. Pours a cloudy mahogany with no head. Aroma of raisins, malt, and alcohol. Sweet raisin flavor with caramel malt. Very complex, hints of oak, brandy, prunes, and vanilla can also be detected on the palate. Long lasting warming sensation. This is a big beer and very good. It only gets better after you get through the first few initial sips.

12oz bottle dated 9/06 (aged for over 2yrs at time of opening). Very sweet and syrupy with strong alcohol and raisin presence. Would have scored it higher but it has too strong an alcohol taste.

Pours light brown with almost no head. Looks somewhat like apple cider. Aroma is strong raisins, molasses, grapes, caramel, and other sweet things. Flavor is more of those sweet, syrupy sugars with a bit of alcohol and raisin. Finishes with a pleasant touch of wood. The alcohol is a little too prevalent. Just OK on my palate.

Pours a hazy ruby copper with very little tan head. Delicious, sticky sweet aroma of cider, caramel, toffee, and sourdough. Taste is also an extreme malt presence. The caramel, toffee, and raisin flavors come out strong at first with a dry but smooth finish. Not much hop anything in this brew, but the finish does linger with a little earthiness. Big beer but very delicious.

A- Clear cherry red hue with orange highlights, wispy reddish brown head, no visible lacing S- Huge raisins (hence the name), figs, plums, and powerful alcohol aromas, some vanilla, pepper, and oak tones T- Raisins and booze dominate initially but dissipate slowly, syrupy sweet like a dessert wine (port-ish), touches of whiskey, caramel malts, brown sugar and molasses, finishes with a deep, warming alcohol burn M- Full-bodied, thick and chewy texture, mild carbonation D- One hell of a strong ale at 20%abv, the flavors and complexity are unique and bold, the alcohol is present but surprisingly not overly aggressive, great sipping beer for after dinner or a cold night