Raison D'Être
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

*archived rating*

 

Wow, I haven't seen this in the wild in 20 years.

It's funny. The picture on this page is from when Raison D'Être was bottled. There was something prestigious about that label and that bottle. It felt right. Now it's in a can like a Miller Lite. I've never been bothered by the craft beer world's switch to cans, but I can't help help but feel like it used to be a better experience when it was in a bottle, even if the beer itself hasn't changed.

From a 12oz can. Canned on the 191st day of 2025. (July 10, 2025)

This is a dark amber colored beer in my glass and is pretty clear looking. There's a 2 finger off white head to the beer that has great head retention, and some clingy looking lacing on the glass.
There's a definite raisin aroma to this beer. The raisins have an earthy character to the nose.
The flavor has a lot of malt character to it. The raisin flavor seems to be backing up the biscuit malt flavors. There's also a bit of a brown sugar sweetness to this beer that ties both elements together.
This is a clean feeling beer. The body is a touch light, but it doesn't take away from the feeling in my book.
This is a tasty beer. I've had the Imperial version of it, and I'm glad I got to try the base beer.

Best by February 2026

I’ve had this one marked off as a want for quite a long time. I think I did so for a lot of DFH beers that were unavailable when I started getting into beer. So I was very happy to see this included in a mixed case I picked up recently. I had the D’Extra years ago and loved it, let’s see if this one can hold up to it

Pours a reddish mahogany with 2 fingers of creamy light tan head that slowly fades to w thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

The nose is warm and inviting but seems surprisingly crisp for the abv. I’m picking up on aromas of raisin, brown sugar, cherry pit, wheat cracker, underripe banana, jammy plum, honey roasted peanut, clove, and light cocoa powder

It doesn’t have quite the same nuance as the nose suggests but it’s still solid. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting brown sugar, roasted walnut, red grape, dark toast, cocoa powder, clove, and light cranberry. The swallow brings notes of brown sugar, raisin, yellow squash, cocoa powder, burnt toast, underripe banana, toffee, clove, and light honey

A medium body pairs with moderate carbonation, resulting in a crisp beer. Finishes bone dry and refreshing, drinks well below its abv

This one honestly surprised me. I didn’t have the highest hopes but I’m into it

 

12oz can poured into a chalice glass. Look is deep mahogany color with a tan head that starts big and falls to a cap. Nice lacing left behind in the glass. Smell is spiced, candied dark fruits. Banana, clove, prune, and plumb seem to pop up. Taste starts sweet with a nice malty base, sweet spiced candy creeps in. Middle gets more fruity with dark fruit flavors entering. Still pretty sweet and sugary here too with some sweet brown bread notes hitting. Finish gets a little bitterness thrown in, but still tasting some dark brown sugar and raisin in the end. Alcohol is noticeable, but not overwhelming. Feel is full bodied, decent carbonation but missing a little zip here. Overall, a solid brew that approaches the authentic Belgian beers.

 

 

 

 

 

RB transfer

 

Clear mahogany, big khaki head, excellent retention, thick bands of lacing
Raisins, green banana, fresh apricot, doughy malt, and a bit of spice on the nose
Raisins, doughy malt, and light clove in flavor. A bit tangy.
Medium bodied, less carbonation than a typical Belgian-style ale
Pretty good. Definitely a beer that shows that American brewers had no idea how to brew Belgian styles 30 years ago.

Purchased as part of the DFH “Fall Rewind “ mixed 12 pack.

L- Gorgeous mahogany color with a thin delicate head.

S- Tannic sweet black tea aroma.

T- Sweetness hits initially, followed by a complex flavor of black tea and vegetables.

F- Thin mouthfeel with very light carbonation.

O- A very curious but enjoyable offering!

 

Beautiful dark mahogany, crystal clear, with a decent off-white head; good retention for what it's worth, and lacing.
Strong, sweet, boozy aroma; beet sugar, pumpernickel bread, rum or whiskey, winter spices, hay, straw, Yuletide.
Brown sugar, pumpernickel bread, caramel, whiskey, oak, etc., up front. Fizzy body, smooth, ends dry; some alcohol warmth, hay and spice notes.
Good beer. Seemingly gimmicky? I mean, that's DFH's thing. Haha. But as long as they deliver. Which they did with this one. Damn good beer!

Poured from a 12 ounce can with a drink till date of Jan 2026 into a Willi Becher pint glass.
L - Pours a dark amber color with a substantial tan head that dissipates slowly.
S - Smells roasty and of caramel.
T - Tastes of caramel and molasses.
F - Medium body and carbonation.
O - Pretty easy drinking beer, for the 8 % ABV.