Dogfish Head Kvasir and Birra Etrusca

Dogfish Head Kvasir (2013)

Occasional Rarity (Limited Release).

25.4 fl. oz. / $9.99 USD / 10% ABV

About: "With the help of biomolecular archaeologist Dr. Patrick McGovern, we've re‐created another Ancient Ale, this time from the Nordic climes of Scandinavia. The recipe for Kvasir was developed with the help of chemical, botanical and pollen evidence taken from a 3,500‐year‐old Danish drinking vessel. The vessel, made of birch bark, was found in the tomb of a leather‐clad woman Dr. Pat says was probably an upper-class dancer or priestess. The analysis pointed to the ingredients used in this unique brew: wheat, lingonberries, cranberries, myrica gale, yarrow, honey and birch syrup.

The base of Kvasir is a toasty red winter wheat, and the bog-grown berries deliver a pungent tartness. While a handful of hops is used, the earthy, bitter counterpunch to the sweet honey and birch syrup comes from the herbs. Food Pairing Recommendations: Sweet-­‐and-­‐sour pork, beef tacos with pickled vegetables, smoked salmon, root vegetables, fresh gingerbread / Glassware Recommendation: Snifter / Wine Comparable: Pressac."

Thoughts: Kvasir poured a vivid orange-red with a thick frothy eggshell white head on top. The beer is incredibly clear, and carbonation is abundant.

Smells like a spiced, alcoholic fruit punch. There's a lot of cranberry all over this, and tons of honey as well. The birch and herbs are what really make this one rather intriguing. It's really sweet smelling, and the spices make it as if it's some exotic herbal candy. I actually really like it.

The first sip of this gives off such a light cranberry juice quality that's it's hard to believe that this is a 10% beer. Then suddenly a rush of bewildering booze flows in that is just strong enough to for you to say "oh there it is" and yet not too strong as to turn you off. This beer is very herbal, very spiced and luckily, not overbearing in the sweetness department. It's not an easy one to describe, since the herbs they used here I had to look up and that birch syrup is masking them a bit. The herbs still come through strong though, but pinpointing just exactly how they taste is proving to be rather difficult. Nonetheless, those two aspects of the beer itself blend together quite nicely. I used to drink birch beer all the time after I first tried it a couple of years back, I never thought that it would go this well with cranberry, but it does, and that's a good thing since this one reeks of cranberry though and through.

I like this beer, though it may be a bit too sweet for me. It doesn't exactly taste anything like a beer though, more like a mead mixed with juice, though that's not a problem for me. I like juice, mead and beer so whatever. Mouth feel is a bit frothy. It's got a soft tartness that you only start to notice as the beer warms towards the second half of the bottle. The bitterness isn't exactly anything I would describe as more than noticeable, as it itself drowns in herbs. You may get a slight puckering affect, but overall it's really fucking sweet and juice-like. If you can get this for 10$ or under I say go for it. I've seen some places trying to sell it for 12-14$ and in my book that's no good. I enjoyed this beer, but it's a bit too sweet for me and while really layered, not complex enough to cut through the sweetness that's represented here.

Dogfish Head BIRRA ETRUSCA Bronze (2012) 

Occasional Rarity (Limited Release).

25.4 fl. oz. / $10.59 USD / 8.5% ABV

About: "To develop the recipe for Birra Etrusca Bronze, Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione traveled to Rome with molecular archaeologist Dr. Pat McGovern. With the help of Birreria Brother Brewers Leo DeVencenzo of Birra del Borgo and Teo Musso of Baladin, they analyzed drinking vessels found in 2,800-year-old Etruscan tombs. The backbone of Birra Etrusca comes from two-row malted barley and an heirloom Italian wheat. Specialty ingredients include hazelnut flour, pomegranates, Italian chestnut honey, Delaware wildflower honey and clover honey. A handful of whole-flower hops are added, but the bulk of the bitterness comes from gentian root and the sarsaparilla-like Ethiopian myrrh resin.

Food Pairing Recommendations: Spiced pickles, marinated olives, hearty beer bolognaise / Wine Comparable: Malbec."

Thoughts: Wow. The head on this thing dissipated fast as fuck. I poured it, went for the camera, and it was just fucking full and then gone. Color is a dirty orange, and slightly cloudy. I see a fair abundance of carbonation rising despite what just happened. And then there's that cyclopean bubble gleaming freakishly in the light.

This smells sweet and just a little bit herbal. It's like a wine actually. Grapes are evident here. Actually, it rather reminds me of a mead once again. I've only had a few of those so far but this one really fits that description.

Well, this is some crazy tasting shit right here now innit? It's extremely herbal tasting, fully. It hits hard and instantly before swirling in a circular motion inside the mouth. Damn that sounds dirty. This beer tastes kinda dirty actually... it's malty, sweet and tart. There's a good blend of sweet and tart here and it's really balanced well. It's a pretty strong beer. There's a thick amount of haze that really lays in and spreads throughout the face. There's honey dripping all over my mouth. Spicy honey. Nicely done DFH.

The feel is a little drying, as if it's almost astringent like. That's fitting.  I like this beer a lot. It's out of its fucking mind, and that's a beautiful thing. Dogfish always intrigue me with their ancient ales, and I hope they keep searching for more to do. Trying all of them in a back to back tasting would be absolutely incredible now that I think about it. Someone better get on that, or I may just have to do it myself.

Dogfish Head Midas Touch

Dogfish Head Midas Touch - Handcrafted Ancient Ale with barley, honey, white muscat grapes and saffron (2012)

Year Round Beer.

12 fl. oz. (x3) / $12.75 USD / 9% ABV

About: "This was the first beer in our Ancient Ales series. The recipe for this beverage is based on the chemical analysis of residues found in clay vessels believed to date back to the 8th century BC. Originally discovered in Gordium, Turkey during a 1957 dig by archaeologist Rodney Young, the content of these vessels was left unknown for 40 years. In 1997, molecular archeologist Dr. Patrick McGovern received a phone call from a former student of his informing him of a residue on clay jars from the tomb of King Midas.

In March 2000 the owner of Dogfish Head Brewery, Sam Calagione, attended a special dinner for beer writer Michael Jackson. At this time Dr. McGovern and Mr. Calagione met and discussed recreating the brew. In early 2001 the new beverage was served at a dinner recreating the funeral feast of King Midas. The ingredients for the original 7.5% abv recipe in 2001 included yellow muscat grapes, lightly toasted 2-row barley malt, thyme, honey and saffron. The ingredients for the 9% abv recipe include barley, white Muscat grapes, honey and saffron." 

Thoughts: Midas Touch poured a light yellow color with a white white bubbly two-finger head that maintained itself quite well. As I hold up the glass I notice that the beer is transparent with various bubbles rising in lines, but while transparent, this beer is very grainy. These grainy specks are very light yet present completely throughout the beer glass.

This smells pretty good. Like a strong, fruity brew. The saffron and honey in this give it a really nice scent of sweetened herbs.

Taste is very pleasant before a small wave of tickling and cloudy tang kicks in, and then a slight haze of herbal alcohol and grape seed. That slight haze, after a few more gulps, starts to become overpowering for several seconds at a time. While the brew starts off with a calm of barley and honey, all with that saffron blending throughout, the immense zing from these white muscat grapes and higher alcohol really light the fire in the belly, with its smoke is rolling around in the mouth. There's also a peppery quality about the whole beer, not fresh ground black pepper, but a real subtle hint of it.

Mouth feel is a pretty standard medium. It's slightly filmy, but that's about it.

A very fine, if a bit tart and fruity ale from Dogfish Head. The price of course ($4.25 a 12 oz. bottle) will prevent me from purchasing this again any time soon. I really like what these guys are doing and wish that many other breweries would put more of a spin on their shit like DFH, but it's hard justifying the prices on these small bottles. I've got addictions to support and mental health issues to feed. And I understand that two bottles is 24 ounces and that's a Bomber for eight bucks and I do that all the time, but at least make it a 6 Pack for fifteen bucks or something. I hardly ever see full 4 Packs around here anyways, there's always bottles missing.

Dogfish Head Theobroma

Dogfish Head Theobroma - Ale Brewed with Honey, Cocoa Nibs, Cocoa Powder, Ancho Chilies and Ground Annatto (2010)

Brewed and Bottled by Dogfish Head Craft Brewing Inc., in Milton, DE. USA.

Occasional Rarities (Limited Release - April [when and if brewed])

25.4 fl. oz. / $13.94 USD / 9.0% ABV

About: "This beer is based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras which revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink used by early civilizations to toast special occasions. The discovery of this beverage pushed back the earliest use of cocoa for human consumption more than 500 years to 1200 BC. As per the analysis, Dogfish Heads Theobroma (translated into 'food of the gods') is brewed with Aztec cocoa powder and cocoa nibs (from our friends at Askinosie Chocolate), honey, chilies, and annatto (fragrant tree seeds)." 

Thoughts: Picked myself up this special treat. My fourth of the Dogfish Head Ancient Ales series. I read about this in an old Draft magazine interview before it was actually made, so I've been wanting to try it.

Theobroma poured a lot lighter than I thought it would be. A real hazy dark yellow with shades of orange, and a head that was incredibly slow to form and apparently had somewhere to go real quick. There's a little foamy island left in the corner of this brew, and I'm seeing incredibly light carbonation.

Smells heavily of cocoa and a little bit like a mocha. Very subtle fruity hop tones laying low. Overall very sweet smelling with a little bit of the spicy.

There's a swirling of tastes that comes off rather immediately. I get that honey, and the fallback from the ancho chilies, hops that flow in and out and the cocoa is coating. A fruity tingling slowly rumbles its way into the mouth and gives off a strong tinge, causing a slight pucker.

...Alright, let it warm. Poured it once again in the glass. Huge frothy, bubbly head that's popping mad! It's diminishing at quite a rapid rate that's it's as if I'm watching something fade away in fast forward. Very Strange, yet really cool looking. It went from two inches to nearly nothing in about a minute and kind of reminded me of that dead body decaying in Der Todesking! Mmmm...

Smell is fruity up front. Loads of honey and cocoa. Hops lay in wait. Low malty undertones this time around. Taste is sweet overall. The level of alcohol comes through in a spicy haze that blurs the senses. Also, the brew's true flavor seems to shine once it warms. It's a bit lighter than their usual fare. Goes down rather easily, like water. Leaves a little bit of a spicy residue in the mouth, but it's not really strong at all. Very pleasing, yet, not terribly exciting.

I wonder, way back in the day if this was truly the "drink of the gods", then I'm sure they were some very pleased, short lived motherfuckers. I liked this beer. Didn't love it. It slightly reminds me of Wachusett's Milk Stout, only a bit stronger. The 9% ABV is decently hidden, but I like the way it comes through. I would have liked a bit more of those chilies. I'm a heat fiend. This Ale tastes good, but I've never been one to understand the mixing of cooling chocolate with heating chilies. The cocoa always seems to take over. I'd buy this again if they made it to the extreme, but it seemed a bit tame (though I have been drinking a lot of crazy shit lately). I appreciate what they were going for, and with the history of this type of beverage it is special, but my gods... are not their gods. If you buy this don't even bother putting it into the fridge.

Dogfish Head Ta Henket

Dogfish Head Ta Henket - Beer brewed with Za'atar, Doum Fruit and Chamomile (2011)

Brewed and Bottled by Dogfish Head Craft Brewing Inc., in Milton, DE. USA.
Occasional Rarity (Limited Release - December [when and if brewed]).

25.4 fl. oz. / $13.39 USD / 4.5% ABV

About: "Working with our archeologist friend Dr. Pat McGovern, this beer was created to incorporate the ancient ingredients and techniques described in Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Ta Henket is brewed with Emmer (an ancient form of wheat) and loaves of hearth-baked bread, and is flavored with Chamomile, Dom-Palm fruit and Za'atar (Middle Eastern herbs). To ferment Ta Henket, Sam and friends traveled to a date grove near the pyramids (Cairo), set out baited petri dishes and captured a native Egyptian yeast strain (referred to as Saccharomyces)."

Thoughts: Poured an ultra transparent almost yellow, light honey amber color with a stark white head that popped and bubbled like crazy. It settled down quickly enough with bits of larger and smaller bubbles, surrounded by the foamy middle and edges. Carbonation seems a rather light medium. 

Smells a bit malty, somewhat grassy. It's kind of like a sweet malt liquor. That must be the chamomile mixing with the Egyptian yeast.

Huh! It's pretty mellow. Very Light herbs, and that special yeast strain seems to be overpowering the doum fruit and chamomile. I actually expected a lot more chamomile than I'm getting here, but it's still blended right into the brew. It's peppery but not really spicy at all. It's bready, little hints of wood or wheat, and sprinkled with the flavors of a soft oregano and basil.

Pretty damn frothy and chewy at first. Gets a little watery once it starts to warm. After a short while it becomes almost intensely drying. 

Not at all unpleasant, but nothing really to get excited over. For the price I'd have to say that it's not worth it - if only to try once. I'll admit that I was a bit hyped up for this one, but it didn't really deliver at all. It's not a bad beer by any means, but I doubt this will be memorable at all aside from the very cool artwork and story that goes along with the brew. Hopefully this is a trend that Dogfish Head can break sooner than later. I've liked every one of their brews that I've tried, but these experimental beers are horribly overpriced.

Dogfish Head Pangaea

Dogfish Head Pangaea - Ale brewed with crystallized ginger (2011)
Brewed and Bottled by Dogfish Head Craft Brewing Inc., in Milton, DE. USA.
Occasional Rarity (Limited Release - Autumn [when and if brewed]).
25.4 fl. oz. / $9.97 USD / 7.0% ABV

About: "Brewed with ingredients from each and every continent, this is slightly spicy ale, with a mouthful of rich flavors. Pangaea is a great food beer. Our list of worldly ingredients includes: Crystallized ginger from Australia, Water from Antarctica, Basmati rice from Asia, Muscavado sugar from Africa, South American quinoa, European yeast and North American maize." Pangaea info.

Thoughts: Let out one of the loudest hiss sounds when I popped the cap. Poured a pretty light and totally transparent amber orange with a fluffy white head that settled down and never left. Medium carbonation bubbles rise slowly.

Smells kinda like peanuts at first. Weird. No wait, that's yeast... It smells really earthy. Not like wheat, but grain rather... and some flowery hops.

Tastes a hell of a lot better than is smells! Not saying it smells bad, but I did not expect that at all. The sugar hit me first. A sweet fruityness, like dates and figs. Then the yeast. It's not sour or bitter really, but it is a wee bit strong. Rice and corn then round it out. The backdrop of the entire brew is that crystallized ginger. It's pretty wonderful and flows evenly as the other tastes emerge and fall back. High hops, high malt, high yeast, and low alcohol. In the end it still ends up tasting and smelling a bit like peanuts. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is unique. Little bit of a bready aftertaste too as if I ate a peanut butter sandwich sans jelly or some Thai Noodles.

Very crisp. Little bit dry. Spicy. Interesting.

I really like the idea of this beer. I think it would be cool if they went back and make like a Sequel to it, using all different ingredients from each continent. I know for Antarctica that may be difficult but perhaps they could put some of The Thing in it, or Penguin Blood? I'd like to see how it would taste if it didn't have that Belgian Yeast. It's tolerable in this beer, but man is that stuff overly strong. Overall, I'm not disappointed, but it could be better. That said, I did happen to enjoy it.

Dogfish Head SAH'TEA Ale

Dogfish Head SAH'TEA  - Ale Brewed with Black Chai Tea and Juniper Berries (2010?)
Brewed and Bottled by Dogfish Head Craft Brewing Inc., in Milton, DE. USA.
Occasional Rarity (Limited Release - May [when and if brewed])
25.6 fl. oz. / $12.44 USD (Came with Company Pint Glass) / 9.0% ABV

About: "A modern update on a 9th century Finnish proto-beer. Brewed with rye, we caramelize the wort with white hot river rocks, then ferment it with a German Weizen yeast. In addition to juniper berries foraged directly from the Finnish country-side we added a sort of tea made with black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and black pepper."

Thoughts: Ultra light, yellowish amber with tea leaves(?) floating in time. There is stuff floating all throughout my beer. Huh. Is that sediment? I'm not quite sure (it's not on their list of Bottle Conditioned brews)... it could be tea leaves and bits of juniper berries? All I know is that it is not moving through the beer. It's in suspended animation, like bits of fruit in a jello. Crazy stuff.

Got some citrus as I was pouring. This is one of the most unique brews I've ever smelt. Strong tea and a little gin. Cinnamon, loads of Ginger, cloves and some pepper. There's that cardamom again. I had it in one other beer recently and there was something strange about it, but I remember this scent so that must be it.

It's a little lemony at first. Spices don't overwhelm at all, but it's got a taste that doesn't diminish at all either. It's very sweet, and a bit medicinal. Getting a lot of Rye as the main backdrop. Yeasty. Finish is woodsy and smokey. Little bit chalky. When I breath in I'm getting some banana as well. The spices and taste get more pronounced once it starts to warm. Also, the tinge of the alcohol that was hidden by the cold now starts to coat the mouth after each gulp, but wow it sure is subdued for a 9%. Everything is very well balanced and it's unlike anything I've ever tried.

Very soothing. Mouth feel is pretty thick, and lingering on the tongue. Little bit syrupy. More syrupy than other beers definitely.

I really didn't know what to expect going into this one. And really didn't know what to expect when it it smelled so good with all those bits and pieces floating around inside of it. Watching the making-of videos on the company's website made me appreciate the effort put into this brew even more.

It's a Sweet and Sour ale with more of a sweetness than sour, that isn't too intense, and one which I could see pleasing most specialty beer drinkers out there. My little girl spit it out, but hell, she's got no taste whatsoever. I'm very pleased that I tried this brew. It's most interesting, and I'm proud to have it inside of me right now. Little pricy though. The most expensive single bottle I've bought this year (so far). Though I have been eyeing that 74$ bottle of Mad Elf Ale that's like three feet tall. I'd have to be insane to lay down that kind of cash... at least on my own. Though, I have been told that I have split personalities, so perhaps that'll make it all ok.