This was a beer I bought for Nicole. She really likes the Lindemans Framboise so this is right up her alley. We’ve enjoyed this beer on one other occasion at a wonderful restaurant with some friends. Dogfish Head is fast becoming one of my favorite breweries. So I’m looking forward to sitting down and really spending some quality time with this fruit beer. At 18% ABV, I am interested in seeing how the sweet fruit plays with the heat of the alcohol.
And here’s an interesting little blurb from beeradvocate.com…
The World’s Strongest Fruit Beer with over a ton of Oregon and Delaware raspberries that were dosed in, slowly, over a two month primary fermentation. This process produced lots of complex fruit aromas and flavors without being too sweet.
Appearance
Poured into pint glasses for both myself and nicole. Its odd. As raspberry beer, I think the natural assumption is that it would have a color reflective of the red raspberries. It is a mostly amber color with a slight reddish tint. Under light, it has a faint cloudiness. The carbonation appears minimal. The head dropped quickly and remains as only a thin halo. The lacing seems to rock side to side when the glass is manipulated.
Smell
Whew. Definite fruit notes, but they do not dominate. The alcohol is certainly apparent. Personally, I found it hard to denote any malt or hop spice.
Taste
You would think a ton of raspberries would be liable to impart a more pronounced flavor. The malt sweetness tag teams with the well balanced fruit elements.
Mouthfeel
There is an obvious alcohol bite that tends to shock, but the carbonation imparts a nice crispness. Bubbles slightly.
Drinkability
It is a beer which is not to be taken lightly. Very high ABV limits how much one could reasonably drink. But for the most part, the heat of the alcohol and the carbonation marries well with the fruit forward nature of this beer. Overall, it is easy to drink once the shock of the alcohol passes.
bottomline
Nicole says “Fruity, strong… I like it.” wow… thanks for showing up princess.
I do like it but I don’t think I’d rave about it. I know Nicole really likes the taste of this beer, but she admits that it is one that one drink only occasionally. I prefer to mix this with a Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. That combination is quite delicious.
B-
Twenty One percent. Yes, a beer with21% ABV. This is the most serious beer I’m willing to drink. The Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA, brewed in Milton, DE is an American Double / Imperial IPA.