Dogfish Head World Wide Stout 2001/2003-Present (18%)

It’s black as hell. Guinness you could at least see some tint and color when you held it up to a light. This is a black hole in a glass. It’s crazy. It also developed a very frothy off-white head but it collapsed pretty quickly. What can you expect with a beer this heavy? Smell? It smells like alcohol. Jesus H. Christ, it’s 18% alcohol. Beer isn’t supposed to be that strong...but it’s amazing. The bouquet of aromas almost reminds me of a heavy red wine. The attention to detail here is extraordinary. It tastes just like it smells: alcohol. It also has a pretty licorice taste to it and seems like it has berries in it as well. Also to note, the bitter and chocolate-y taste at the very beginning is reminiscent of dark chocolate. The texture is interesting because it is very smooth for something that is so heavy. It goes in smooth with the froth from the head, it smooths out in the middle to present all the body of the beer and then it goes down easily with a last little bite of alcohol and the overall mesh of flavors.

Pours like oil w/a creamy brown, pillowy head from the 12oz. bottle: Nose is pure alcohol, rich, dark chocolate, and bitter coffee beans. You know you’ve just walked into a place where God can’t help you right now. Full bodied flavor- it’s so complex, just three sips and I’m already buzzed. Alcohol scorches the back of the throat and I’m feeling so vulnerable right now. Flavors of chocolate, toffee, dried sugary fruits, and definitely woody (oh Palo Santo, how I miss you so!). Drinkability: Surprising smooth for the abv % it claims, however you know what you’re in for. Powerful, yet pleasant. Rebuy: All the time. BombMer. #179 on 01112009, DG.

Part of a backlog, bottle from 2008. I’m rather surprised to see that it is 18% ABV because it is surprisingly smooth. Pours a creamy black with a light brown head. Aroma and flavor of chocolate and dark fruit. Finish was roasted evenly with some mild wooded (think mahogany) overtones. Looking forward to the 2009 version.

Oh my God! What a fortune! Cheers Chimay67!!!
So i had a yellowish-green cap without any date stamps, only an exclamation mark like a dogfish head logo.... Poured black with a fine creamy beige head. Robust aroma that smells around in the room... Rich perfume of wood, tobacco, liqueric dark fruits and deep roasted grains, dark chocolate. I’ve got fuddled only by the smell of this beer...Oily body with a woody taste, fine coffee and liqueric character, tons of roasted grains and dried fruits, fine dark chocolate flavor. Strong character in the long aftertaste too with the woody and deep roasted feeling... and yes, the torpidity in my brain...Fantastic, powerful stout one!!! I am much obliged about this beer-wonder.... thanks&thanks again!!!!

Just over the top!!!! Pours pitch black, oily head disapates quickly. Alcohol up front on the nose, lots of dark fruit some chocolate and roasty malt. Taste is sugary plum/raisin, some licorice up front lingers behind the roasted malt and chocolate heavy alcohol with brandy sweetness on the finish. Palate is thick and oily some astringance. Might have served this one alittle too cold, easier to drink as it warmed. Can’t wait to try 120!!! 20+% can’t imagine.

Bottled 355ml. Extremely strong on the plum and raisin component. Glue in the nose. Very drinkable. Alcoholic. Good. An atypical Imperial Stout.

Bottled a totally dark black beer with small very dark brown head. Aroma is dark alcohol (almost like vodka/gin) and roasted malt caramel and chocolate, with many different fruits containing banana, citrus, plum, and grape also light wood. Overall nose is like a Wild cider. Flavor is sweet and chocolate alcoholic and fullbodied and roasty thick caramel. Also heavy warming alcohol dominates finish. Mind BLOWN!

Well the last beer I had in this ABV range tasted like chocolate fire, so let’s see how this one fares. Appearance isn’t anything special but you have to curve a little considering the ridiculous ABV. Scent is lightly boozy but there are some good stouty notes there with chocolate and roasty goodness. I’m scared to dive in, but signs are this one isn’t as frightening as I made it out to be. Taste..it is going to be too boozy for me, but this is nowhere near the rocketfuel that I had with my last high abv. There is a good beer under the booze. Palate is surprisngly thin.