Tag Archives: malt beverage

DOGFISH HEAD BLACK & BLUE

Unassumingly heady pink-paled ruby-hued 10% alcohol ‘malt beverage’ ineffectively combines black raspberry with blueberry puree. Result: bitter blueberry-cranberry-boysenberry undercurrent nips at overripe blueberry-raspberry sweetness, causing negative vinous phenol souring to dislodge fruity frontage. Ultimately lacks overall depth, complexity, and resilience of brewer’s exquisite Red & White.

DOGFISH HEAD PALO SANTO MARRON MALT BEVERAGE

Closer to a heavy porter and just a tad coarse (though never astringently so), this 12% alcohol-strengthened brown ale disguises its heady ambitions well. Brewed inside Palo Santo wood, the dry-bodied cola-hued ‘malt beverage’ invites thickened brown-sugared black chocolate malting, maple-sapped molasses-cocoa influence, and oaken vanilla tinge to port-brandy wining. Charcoal-stained bitter end picks up black cherry sweetness and minor grape-date-fig souring.

DOGFISH HEAD RED & WHITE

Imaginative soft-watered pinkish amber 10% alcohol ‘malt beverage’ made with pinot noir juice and Belgian yeast, then aged in oak barrels, keeps revealing sundry complexities. Strangely, advertised coriander and orange peel components are well hidden, working as conduits for chewy honeyed malt-stricken sherry, bourbon, and brandy illusions as well as cane-sugared cherry jubilee, honeydew, cantaloupe, and mango fruiting. Studies prove mixing wine and beer is dangerous, but Dogfish puts ’em together in one bottle.

HERRN RADLER LEMON BREW

Bavarian beer-lemonade mix undeniably leans closer to the latter as spring water freshness, honeyed ginger ale flow, and juicy lemon tang get fizzy-hopped spritz. Grassy hay and leathery horsehide dryness drape lemon-candied sourness. Serve as mild summer afternoon indulgence. Traditional lager heads need not apply. Fine alternative for lame Zima-Tequiza crowd.