Dogfish Head Positive Contact

Dogfish Head Positive Contact - Ale brewed with apple cider and spices (2012)

Occasional Rarity

25.4 fl. oz. / $11.59 USD / 9% ABV

About: "Positive Contact is the second batch of the Imperial Belgian-Style Wheat beer that Sam and Ben brewed a couple months back. For this batch, we stepped up the spice and cider additions. Instead of 200 lbs of apples, Ben pressed 300 lbs of organic Fuji apples for a total addition of 25 gallons of fresh pressed cider, which was added to the whirlpool in order to really bring out the cider character. The amount of cilantro was nearly quadrupled with 4 lbs total, which was pureed with a portion of the cider and then added after the boil was done. The cayenne was doubled, but added directly before the beer was transferred from the kettle to the fermenter in an effort to minimize the burn while increasing the flavor and aroma contributed. A different type of wit yeast was used and then fermented slightly cooler to keep the yeast character minimal and act as a supporting role to the main players the cider and spices. Lastly, this batch was boiled for less time than the original batch, leaving the beer with a lighter straw color than the amberish hue of batch #1.

This beer part of our Music Series of beers... this one is an amalgamation of hip-hop, beer, cider and a DIY culinary experience! Sam and Dan the Automator of Deltron 3030 teamed up to create Positive Contact, based on Dan's favorite ingredients and Dogfish Head's innovative brewing practices."

Thoughts: This beer is a light yellowish amber with a fluffy-topped white head full of incredibly small bubbles that lingers for about forever. It's just slightly hazy and there are a fuckload of carbonation bubbles rising up, going absolutely nuts. Also, there seems to be a huge amount of little flakes just floating around inside the brew, drifting... just like Megatron towards Unicron.

Smell is of Belgian yeast, wheat and unsweetened apple cider. It's got a really herbal type vibe to it, the cilantro is pretty heavy here, and it's fluctuating between sweet and sour - bending more towards sour that's for sure. Cayenne pepper is almost unnoticable. If it weren't listed on the bottle I would not have noticed.

I don't know if I'm becoming more accustomed to DFH limited release brews and their ingredients to the point where I can tell by the taste that this is in fact Dogfish Head, or if this beer is just incredibly similar to one of their other bottles I've tried. Perhaps a little bit of both? So yeah, anyways, everything here in the ingredients mingle together quite well. While the cayenne pepper is pretty subtle, one belch will bring the heat. So it is there, yet subdued. You can taste the flavor of cayenne way in the distance but there's no real initial heat in the drinking. It's got a gentle spice factor, very mild and it feels more like a cracked black pepper. As it warms up it gets a little sweeter and more of those spices come out. In fact, the beer tastes a lot better once it gets warmer as everything is more pronounced. It still tastes the same, it's just stronger. Alcohol is well hidden no matter what. The taste is basically just a mix of a Belgian wit with Apple cider, and I'd say that it's actually pretty harmonious here. I'd normally be worried that the cider would taint things a bit but it doesn't at all. It still feels and tastes like an actual brew, but with cider involved. If you're used to Belgian type tastes then this sort of thing will be nothing for you to handle. Plus as an addition, there are no real ill-tastes to it, even for a sour.

Dries the throat rather instantly and leaves a tickle.

Well, I've tried it and that'll be it for this one. It was an experience that brought back a few things, memories and thoughts from some of the first Belgian ales I had tried. This beer was also released in a box set which I didn't care to buy, not that I ever found one: "The beer was packaged in a dynamic box set of six 750-ml champagne bottles, with a 10-inch vinyl EP of four new Deltron 3030 remixes created exclusively for this project, and a list of Deltron 3030-inspired recipes from a small group of renowned chefs. Invite some friends over, rock the album, drink the beer and whip up a multi-course meal. It's a house party in a box." It's a cool idea I guess. I doubt I'd ever use this beer to make a dinner while listening to that vinyl though, but that's just me.

Red Branch Diabhal

Red Branch (Rabbit's Foot Meadery's) Diabhal - Belgian Style Ale Fermented with Honey (2012)

Brewed and Bottled by Red Branch Brewing Company in Sunnyvale, CA. USA.

Year Round Brew(?)

16 fl. oz / $5.99 USD / 8.2% ABV

About: "Fermented with traditional Belgian barley, yeast and candi sugar we have taken the liberty of adding a generous amount of the finest honey to create the only ale of its kind. Lightly carbonated when bottled or with a thick head and fantastic ‘Belgian lace’ when poured from the tap. It is similar to a tripel, but paler, drier and lighter bodied due to the honey. The style is often named after the devil and of course we have taken the opportunity to do the same - our version, "Diabhal" or Devil in Irish. Winner - 2009 Gold Medal: Braggot - International Mead Festival." 

Thoughts: Poured an incredibly cloudy auburn-red! Almost looking a bit like fruit juice or the rind of a pear. The bubbly white head was thick to form and didn't entirely dissolve, instead leaving a thin layer atop the brew. There was a loud pop from the flip top cork and some smoke flowed out, but there doesn't seem to be much carbonation at all.

Light but a dangerous rumbling alcohol, very fruity (mostly pear and sour apple) and spicy. It's got a gentle sweetness from the honey, and a little bit of tart from that belgian barley and yeast. Candi sugar and honey give it a bit of a mystic creep. It smells a bit dangerous.

Wow! That is some good shit. An amazing detour from the usual and a great sipping beer. It's got an absolutely perfect balance of sweetness and tart, and it's really mind-blowing how it goes through the stages and just pulls back on each one at the exact moment. Incredible. Notes of pear, apple, grapes, honey, sugary type spices, steaming hot bread, cleverly hidden booze and a touch of orange zest in the end. It's got a fierce taste that slowly expands and twirls around, and leaves a crisp, fresh aftertaste. That immense taste wears off somewhat quickly after the swallow, which is a bit unfortunate, but it leaves you just craving it that much more.

Feel is a bit foamy, light on the tongue, easily downed and lightly coating on the teeth.

I've never been this intrigued by a seemingly Light beer (one with an 8.2% ABV if that's possible), or perhaps a Heavy Pale Ale rather. But I like it... it's got style. The taste of the beer isn't incredibly complex, it's got its own personality when it comes to how the flavor is delivered. Once it warms the alcohol here exposes itself much like the devilish character on the label exposing his horned head. Be prepared for a booze takeover if you take too long with this one. It is indeed an odd beer, very cider like with Loads of honey! Diabhal would fit right in with some of DFH's occasional rarities, and if you've tried many of those, then you'll probably be accustomed to this one somewhat.

This bottle is going into my collection. You can't be a drunkard without a bottle collection after all. ;)

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.