Positive Contact
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Positive ContactPositive Contact
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From:
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
 
Delaware, United States
Style:
Witbier
ABV:
9%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.82 | pDev: 12.83%
Reviews:
217
Ratings:
1,106
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 04, 2021
Added:
Dec 28, 2011
Wants:
  110
Gots:
  183
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.

Overall, Positive Contact is characterized by its bright spritzy cider character and autumnal herbal quality derived from the cilantro, cayenne, and yeast.

19 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by KFrank729:
Photo of KFrank729
Rated by KFrank729 from Ohio

3/5  rDev -21.5%

Dec 13, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of Emichaelbray
Reviewed by Emichaelbray from Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
The Deltron 3030 record remains one of my favorite hip-hop albums of all time so I had to try this. And my wife loves weird ciders.
Good carbonation, kind of an amber ale thing going. A decided aroma of apples but nothing artificial as one sometimes encounters in ciders. I guess this is not technically a cider… It tastes like cider. I dig cilantro and would have rated this higher had it come through a bit more. Some cayenne but, again, mostly cider. I usually don’t like ciders.
The idea here is excellent and execution is okay. For what it is, it’s very good. I will never buy it again now that I have the bottle but I guess I would drink one on you. Or you. You too.
Jul 04, 2021
 
Rated: 3.5 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

May 19, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by emerge077 from Illinois

Jun 14, 2019
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.92/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bottle into a tulip. Bottled 3/11/14, so 5 years old.

Pours very nicely. Dull slightly hazy deep amber body. Good white head which persists in some form until about half way through the drink. Good carbonation.

There is a light pleasant apple aroma.

The apple cider comes through pretty well. The spices have completely faded. It's a little sweet. You can feel the abv.

Mouth closer to full than medium. Finish is a cidery wash.

Overall, a nice enough drink, though it does die off about half way through. Maybe the spices would have added something, maybe not. It has a saisony feel, and I'm not sure why it's listed as a witbier, not that Dogfish head has worried itself with style classification.
Jun 07, 2019
 
Rated: 3.09 by petrusek23 from Ohio

Nov 05, 2018
Photo of LeRose
Reviewed by LeRose from Massachusetts

3.84/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours from a bottle dated 2014 a cloudy cider color with a pure white, dense foam head that lasts a good while. It falls to a spritzy ring and detached chunky rafts. So far, so good. No floaties!

The smell is apple cider sweet/tart, a little green grassy and slightly metallic note that must be the remains of the cilantro. There is a fruity pepper smell and an earthy herbal quality. It is not noticeably spicy on the nose. so somewhat lacking in Belgian identity. The apple...Fuji is a favorite of mine and that is certainly what I am getting. Inviting in a cider kind of way.

The taste follows, and it is actually quite well blended. There is a remnant of cilantro, but the apple flavor rules the roost here. There is a cayenne flavor that starts fruity but builds some heat as more sips slide down. The apple sweetness keeps the pepper nicely tamed. You know it is there, but it's a tingle only.

This is bright, almost sparkling. Light touch for a 9% beer. A mostly dry finish, the pepper and apple sweet linger for a bit.

Dogfish is understandably polarizing. This one is enjoyable even with appreciable hair on it, but I would have to try it fresh to see where it really sits. Interesting, tastes good, easy drinker for a moderately hefty ABV, this is a nice autumn refresher. Whether it is truly a Belgian beer - well, it doesn't have the spicy character but maybe the cayenne and cilantro were supposed to be surrogates, plus they used a different strain of Belgian yeast and fermented at a different temperature - I think it lacks the typical Belgian notes by intent.
Nov 05, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Beerbuddha from Florida

Jan 07, 2018
 
Rated: 4.05 by VABA from Virginia

Sep 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3 by jmmochowski from Texas

Aug 01, 2017
 
Rated: 3.98 by VonZipper from New York

May 17, 2017
 
Rated: 3.96 by Lucular from Maryland

Feb 17, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by Rice_Nate_25 from Ohio

Dec 19, 2016
Photo of russpowell
Reviewed by russpowell from Arkansas

3.74/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a hyper-effervescent & slightly hazed gold with 3+ fingers of pearl colored head. Good lacing & average lacing

S: Apple, pears & white grape

T: Grassy, pears & a little white pepper & coriander up front. A little pepper heat once warm, more white grape & grassyness, a touch of phenols as well, and golden delicious apple. Finishes a little dry, with pear skin & with a wisper of alcohol

MF: Medium body, firm carbonation

Drinkable enough, but these flavor combos are not in my wheelhouse, I like my beer to be mostly malt, end of story, this seems almost like a fancy snakebite. Interesting, not compelling
Nov 29, 2016
 
Rated: 3.35 by Jjwilli2 from New York

Nov 25, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by Cuervo_PCB from Florida

Aug 27, 2016
 
Rated: 3.32 by Kirbyderby from California

Jun 29, 2016
 
Rated: 3.79 by CBrodbeck from Florida

Jun 04, 2016
 
Rated: 3.23 by AuntBea from Illinois

Jun 03, 2016
 
Rated: 3.8 by sdeese21 from Louisiana

May 15, 2016
Positive Contact from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 1106 ratings