Why is it that I always imagine a dog when I hear the name "Dogfish Head"? I mean, I know what a dogfish is, and they are really a LOT less like a dog than a catfish is like a cat. Either way, this Delaware brewery has graced my blog 20 times over the years, and they are to the point that their average rating of great can go ahead and apply to the whole brewery.
On a scale of brown to very dark brown, this beer is black. The head does not want to come out to play, even with a rather exuberant pour, but a thin veneer of medium tan bubbles tries to stretch across the top of the beer. It winds up just hanging onto the sides of the glass for protection. The aroma is sweet chocolate, vanilla, earth, and spices. It's... it's pretty nice.
First sip is a lot more coffee than I expected, but the smoothness of the cream with the chocolate and vanilla really takes the edge off quite a bit. I'm not saying this beer has coffee in it; it has a coffee malt, and I prefer this method of adding coffee, but I still don't like coffee, so this is not going entirely well. The bitterness is coming from both the coffee and chocolate, and it is a bit too much.
Tip-in is fervent carbonation buzz with creamy chocolate and light cinnamon sprinkled on top. The middle is awash with graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows, cinnamon, and an intensifying carbonation. The finish is where the coffee and bitterness are hiding, and they come out to cover everything before the trail-off brings some earth to cover the bitter.
Bottom Line: Get yourself a cold night and a warm fire, and these will go down easy.
3.0/5
