Served from: 750ml Bottle
Glassware: DFH Signature Glass
Temp Served: 43-45 degrees F
ABV: 7%
IBU: 28
Special Notes: Brewed with ingredients from every continent
I have to start this out by saying that I am huge Dogfish Head fan and have been looking forward to trying this beer a second time in order to write up a review. It's made with ingredients from literately every continent including allot of crystallized ginger and water from Antarctica!
Also, this was not one of their beers that I started drooling over the first time I had it a few weeks back as I do with most of their beers (main reason being I drank it too cold) but that changed last night. After letting this bottle taunt me over the last few weeks I decided to give it another shot at the suggestion of my wife who wanted to try it. This time I let the beer reach a comfy 43-45 degrees before enjoying and boy was it great! On a side not my wife had a very bad upset stomach and as ginger does, this sipped over time seemed to give her relief if you can believe it.
Appearance: At the start of the pour it begins very yellow and as the glass fills it turns a brilliant golden/honey color. Let me also say that this beer is crystal clear with no yeast at the bottom of the bottle. The carbonation is mild with a good amount of effervescence and an off white head which builds fast then disappears just as quickly. There is also no real lacing to this beer as your glass empties.Aroma: The aroma is slightly spicy/cinnamon-like but with a distinct odor from the crystallized ginger that is loaded into this beer. Malty tones are subtle which is more than likely due to the fact that allot of maize & rice is used for starch conversion in place of traditional malts. Hops are not present which is fine since that would kill the ginger goodness in this glass.
Taste: The mouth feel is light bodied and crispy clean. It reminds me of a lager so i'm guessing that is the type of European yeast strain used. While i'm not partial to lagers this one is fine with huge amounts of ginger flavor. There is also a lingering ever so slight tartness at the back and sides of my mouth and tongue bringing me back for more sip by sip. The smooth tartness of the ginger, slight alcohol nip, underlying malty/spiciness, and easy drinking capabilities of this beer surprise me as it disappears much more quickly than I expected. It leaves me wanting more.
In short while this is not my favorite Dogfish Head rarity it is a good one to say the least and i would bet an even better one with a thanksgiving meal complimenting it. The key to this one is not to drink it ice cold folks, let it sit on the counter for a little while and then enjoy it in all of it's off-centered glory!
Final Verdict: This beer get's 3.5 out of 5 rugs
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