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

2007 12oz. bottle. I like this beer. Very unique in its utter disregard for being like anything else. Smells of cocoa bitterness, black licorice, mellow bourbon type alcohol and molasses. Just based on the smell I wouldn’t even know that it is a beer, even and impy stout. Color is like weak coffee with minimal burnt tan head. The smell and flavor of the beer transform as you let it warm, becoming much more roasty and earthy as it goes. Taste of coffee, bakers chocolate, bourbon or rum type alcohol, heavy dominating malts that almost seem singed, and I know this sounds weird but it reminds me of sharp greens with woody mushrooms and butter, just a very dark earthiness. Finish is dry and rich at the same time, with a long lasting aftertaste. Mouthfeel leaves something to be desired but is still medium bodied but not luxorious at all. This beer is the way to end a good night or a way to braise some good ass short ribs. Very rich, have fun with this one but go easy.

12 oz bottle, pours dark brown with small tan head. Aroma very strong and complex, with notes of chocolate, dark fruit, brown sugar, coffee, and alcohol. Taste is delicious, with chocolate and fruit, coffee, and a very strong alcohol burn at the end. Creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Definitely a sipper, and you can’t drink much of it, but a rich experience indeed!

12oz bottle (2007, I’d venture?) labeled 20% at Uber in Seattle. My second bottle from them, split with Trevor211 tonight. Unreal... as he commented, hard to believe a beer like this exists. Profound dark look and taste, syrupy like the 120min IPA from Dogfish with infinitely more drinkable and enjoyable character. Rare, expensive, an assault on everything i know good beer to be but also on the top of my wanted list. Not something to have often, but something to lust over.

2005, 17.8%. yes indeed, the strongest beer ive ever had. i can drink scotch on the rocks easier then this one. the alcohol of course is blaring in the nose and flavor, it twists and turns through your brain and mouth morphing into different things...it seems to come across as spearimint almost. it becomes slightly more tolerable as you go on, either because you are tanked or your mouth is dead as a doornail. there is some touch of roasted malts in there at first that soon are overwhelmed by the booze. calling this an imperial stout is a bit unfair to other imperial stouts i think, this is not for me but unlike some other things i dislike i can see that others can appreciate this more that i.

2003 bottle from Chevy Chase Wine, D.C. Shared with my friend Eric, which was a good thing since this one is a real skullfucker if you’re not ready for it. Black as night, but a slightly more thin pour than I was expecting, given both the style and previous reviews I’d read. Not much of a head either. Very big chocolately nose, though, lush and lasting. Some astringency in there too, either espresso or anise, maybe both. Something bitter and hateful, though. So that’s all to the good. The taste, however, was a bit overly sweet to me, with syrupy malts tending to undermine the roasty, richer flavors I enjoyed in this brew. Of course it’s good stuff, but I found it over the top and too unbalanced.

12oz bottle from Willow Bend Liquors (Tampa). 2008 Vintage. Pours an opaque dark chocolate brown with a one finger tan head that settles quickly but still provides lacing on the glass. Aroma is complex with strong notes of ripe dark fruit, strong phenol notes like a brandy or fine port. Alcohol notes really overwhelm the nose. Flavor is sweet and smoky with woody and nutty notes as well. Some hints of coffee, dark ripe fruit, and chocolate with a slightly burning phenol finish. Interestingly, the alcohol does not really come through in the taste until the very end. Definitely a full-bodied beer that reminds me of Raisin D’Extra.

2004 bottle. Pitch black, opaque pour with a bit of tan head around the rim of the glass. Aroma is chocolate, smoke, olives, and port wine. Tastes very similar to a port or a Cabernet paired with dark chocolate. Plum, tobacco, and raisin notes along with a deep alcohol burn. Lots of dark fruit as well, though I’m not getting the sweetness some ratebeerians lament in this review. Palate is thinner than I hoped. Perhaps the aging helped, but that credit goes to Discount Liquor in Milwaukee. The beer as itself is impressive: a slow drinker, unlike any imperial stout I’ve ever had.

Bottle (2007). Pours very deep ruby, close to black, with a tan head. Aroma is a bit boozy, with raisin, licorice, and dark chocolate. Smooth body, not as full as I expected. Flavor is sweet, with fruity notes of raisin and plum, molasses, chocolate, and a touch of coffee and roasted malt. Alcohol is much less noticeable in the mouth than it is in the nose. Very nice