Black And Blue - Wine Barrel Aged
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

a lot of craft beer geeks seem to be over dogfish head. that infinite experimentation that put them on the map and on the top of the heap in the first place now turns those same folks off. well, not me, and its beers like this that keep them not only relevant, but one of the most important operations we have going here on american soil. this is a one off pinot noir barrel aged edition with brett, on tap at falling rock, presumably left over from great american beer fest. its splendid beer, so much better than i remember the base being, i think it needed this special treatment. its pretty darn fruity obviously, with the blueberries and blackberries and now the wine grapes. they all join together in a unique fruitiness that goes beyond the individual components. i dont remember it looking this dark, like blueberry jam in the glass, but holding several inches of effervescing pink stained head. smells like tart berries more than fruity sugars, and has a serious woody funk to it. the brett seems majorly mature, and the wood well integrated, i am now wondering just how old this is... the fruit stands out up front, comes through the tannic wine properties, but then reverts back to being a little sweet and summery in the middle. the acidity comes on late with the wood, as does the musty funk from the brett, which was likely quite mild when it all began, but has developed into a rather fragrant and intense characteristic. the fruit as individuals is a little lost, but together its excellent. belgian still too behind it all, but not a trace of alcohol showing despite its strength. this is far better than the base beer ever was, and is a memorable drink to say the least. i love everything about it, and was blown away by how easy it is to drink. i hope they make this one again, it deserves to be tasted by the masses. super yummy on the whole, another weird winner from the original kings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at the 2014 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest held at the Paso Robles Event Center in Paso Robles, CA.

Pours a murky reddish-orange with a foamy beige head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, fruit, red wine, and wood aromas. Taste is much the same with slightly sour malt, fruit, and red wine flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer with a wine barrel aged presence that works well with the base beer.