Midas Touch | Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

3.57/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter on 7/14/09

Bottled on 5/15/09

A - Robust, clear & gold in color. Poured a minimal head with low retention. However, a few swirls rejuvenates a bit of foam, which leaves some patchy lacing.

S - Grapes & honey in the nose; crisp & fruity. I'm not particularly familiar with saffron, so I don't know to what extent it informs the aroma.

T - I mainly noticed the white muscats coming through. Rounded out by a mild honey sweetness. After briefly researching saffron I think the spice may account for a dry bitterness that is present on the finish.

M - Ample carbonation with a noticeable slickness. Light in body. It becomes a bit flat towards the end.

D - ABV makes this one a sipper. Interesting brew; I like it, but there are other DFH offerings I prefer. I wouldn't have a problem drinking it periodically, though.

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3.87/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

This is not really a beer and I get a kick out of those who try to rate it as such and are not open minded. Its more of a mead wine champagne combo, if it warms and loses some carbonation, it gets a liquory feel. I like Midas Touch even though I only have it every couple months. Flavors are hard to describe as you won't taste them anywhere else, at least not with beer. Read others reviews for better flavor descriptions but at least give this a try.

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4.41/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

L: golden hazy peach color

S: wine, grapes. I'm not a huge wine nut, but it smells like a sweet Riesling.

T: Never had a herbed beer quite like this. Tastes of white grape juice, saffron. A bit like a Riesling honestly...less sweet.

F: soft drink carbonation. Again nothing to compare it to, but I can't complain.

O: tasty first Beer that's sweet but dissent overdue it. Great Beer/wine feel.

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4.24/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

With honey and saffron flavors, this is certainly not your average beer. But it's not some fruity girlish drink. I think it would pair well with spicier dishes and red meats. Plus, it's novelty would make this a fun conversation piece at parties.

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3.82/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer poured clear golden yellow in color and has a thin layer of bubbles floating on the surface from a medium amount of carbonation.
S: There are distinct aromas of grapes, honey and saffron in the nose.
T: The overall taste is relatively sweet and the flavors resemble those in the smell.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and slightly syrupy, especially as it warms up.
D: The alcohol is well hidden but the beer is definitely needs to be sipped given the amount of sweetness.

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4.39/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

Fantastic-smelling beer. Maybe substandard appearance and head. Taste has a bit of alcohol but the honey, dark berries, maybe figs are a joy. Very filling and definitely a sipper. Being personally not a fan of Hopslam or Brother Benjamin, and someone who frequently spikes guacamole with honey, I think the use of honey is judicious. I drank only half the bottle one night, and the next night the flavor and smell were more rounded maybe as a result of flatter carbonation.

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4.01/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

From the bottle: "Handcrafted Ancient Ale with barley, honey, white muscat grapes & saffron".

I went with an aggressive pour since no directions were given on the bottle, plus I did not see any lees in evidence. I had a rocky finger of off-white head briefly until it went back into the ages from whence it came. Color was a deep golden-yellow with NE-quality clarity that would have made King Midas proud to have it named after him, plus he would be able to see well into the future with this one. I definitely caught the grape vinousness on the nose, but also the honey sweetness as well as a dry mustiness, no doubt the result of the yeast. Mouthfeel was very viscous, not honey-thick, but full for beer and with an effervescence that seemed to wash my mouth clean. On the second mouthful, following Midas' Cleansing, I was getting a definite white wine dryness along with an underlying honey sweetness. Man, I may need a lay-down after this. Finish had a unique honey/grape/malt admixture that swirled around in the back of my throat. It was a mellow beer for its given ABV and that may be its only drawback - it is too smooth to lay on the unsuspecting and even the more seasoned veterans may be caught unawares. I suddenly began to feel it coming on like a freight train ... Zounds!

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3.67/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a small chalice: color is copper, transparent, head is off white with fine to small bubbles, no lacing but light ring lingers.

Smell is interesting and different, due to the style amalgamation - beer/wine/mead - but appropriate with notes off light malt, but sweeter grape or fruit and light honey.

Taste is has interesting depth - the combination of fermentables dilutes each a bit, but i pick some honey, grape, and neutral malt with light, drying spice.

Mouthfeel is neutral, moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, neutral mouth presence.

Overall, this is a beer I've always admired and think about making similar renditions via homebrewing mainly for the simplicity and blend of fermentables. The simple flavors make sense for a beverage with such a history - why would ancient ales be overly spiced or hopped when these items were likely at a premium.

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4.12/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Smells of white grapes and malt with a small amount of saffron to follow. Tasting it the grape is the strongest with hints of honey and saffron. The malt does come through after a few sips. After a while I feel as I have been drinking white wine as well. The finish is crisp and has a aftertaste of grapes. I would buy again.

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4.39/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

First heard of this beer in a documentary I watched about this history of beer. I knew the Ancient Mesopotamians invented beer but it was nothing like it is today after the German purity law. I am very excited to try this!

Poured at room temp into a Samuel Adams perfect pint glass.
Pours a rich golden amber color. Thick lacing on the glass.
You immediately smell a strong grape scent especially when opening the bottle. Scent of honey is detected after pouring into a glass.
Tastes a little bit more like a wine than a "modern" beer. Large presence of grape flavor immediately followed by notes of honey.
Feels very pleasant to drink. Makes my tongue water.
Overall this is a very unique beer. I am a complete history nut. After first learning about how human society started basically through the Ancient Mesopotamians wanting to drink beer, I have always wanted to have some inclination of what those early beers tasted like. Now I finally have that opportunity.

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4.72/5  rDev +26.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Look - Pours a honey orange color, a short ring of white head, alcohol legs visible, bubbles streaming to the top.
Aroma - Herbal, moscato, grain, rose.
Taste - White grape, sweet honey, earthy, quick sour note, a very mild green tea, herbal bitterness, bread crust, dry biscuity aftertaste. All of the flavors compliment each other very well.
Feel - Medium bodied, starts out slightly syrupy but finishes dry. Fine carbonation gives a crisp mouthfeel.

Overall - A polarizing beer. I pray Dogfish Head never stops making this. Hard to find a beer this complex that is so easy to drink. World class.

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4.25/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Well worth trying for its uniqueness. Delicious.

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3.79/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured a golden color, with a small head that diminished quickly.

Smelled like grapes and white wine when cold, as it warmed honey and a sweet malt aroma became more apparent.

The grapes and honey were very apparent in the taste, especially when cold. As the beer warmed the taste seemed to smooth out a bit. There was a pleasant sweet malty finish.

Body was medium and the finish was long lasting on the pallet.

This was a very interesting beer. I would suggest sipping it and letting it warm to get the full breadth of flavors and aromas.

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3.74/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Light golden in colour, very clear with a slight white head, has good film and lacing though.

S- quite grapey, with also some candied notes, hard to place exactly, mix of cotton candy and boozey plums, lemon candies, some clean acidity, reminds me of overly sweet fruit candies, jujubes maybe.

T- similar flavours, but more nuanced and more depth, oaky grapes and vanilla honey, lime citrus, honey and deeper floral tones, spice is upfront and blends with the honey. There really are a hundred things going on at once here, and that can be a bit overwhelming, but the underlying honey sweetness drives through a consistant feel to the finish, which is lingering with plum notes and some spice.

M- big body but the alcohol really only adds to the body as this is a really pleasant beer that blends the sweetness with some acidity, I think some of the overly sweet notes persist but overall the balance is. Pretty solid.

Very out there, seems almost a split personality in mixing a melange of strong flavoured ingredients and also creating a beer with a broad appeal. I did really enjoy the skill that went into crafting this, given that ingrediant list I doubt I could replicate something with this complexity and nuance, for that I will forgive some of the critiques and say this was a beer I was certainly glad to try.

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3.73/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Wow this is something different,pours a nice hazy copper/orange color with real nice sticky head that stays for quite awhile,a pretty sweet aroma of honey with a slightly tart tinge to it.Taste is pretty sweet to begin with a litle spiciness lingers.A pretty complex beer,very well made.Dogfish Head likes to try different things and for the most part are sucessfull.

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3.92/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance – The body is a thick, hazy, deep orange in color. There’s no head to speak of, which is common among this brewery’s heavy hitters.

Smell – This one had a big aroma indeed. The smell of rich, buttery, chardonnay kicks out right away followed by the honey and saffron promised on the label (I wouldn’t call it “muscat”). There’s some dark spicing in here too such as white pepper and allspice.

Taste – The honey comes out more at the taste, but the biggest flavor is the malty white wine. This is a big brew, and the sharp alcohol notes warn the drinker to keep things slow.

Mouthfeel – Fairly flat and medium-bodied. The flavors are so sharp it kicks the saliva glands into high gear.

Drinkability – Plan on drinking this just as you would a bottle of white wine and you’ll be fine. Pour it in a tulip glass, don’t let it warm, and drink it with fish or chicken or something light.

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3.73/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Startlingly brilliant amber brew with light lacing and tiny, tongue nibbling bubbles retains its cool orange haze for the duration. Head only exists on the periphery of the glass.

Smells of sweet citrus perfume and prickly ash. Cassis with a bit of ginger and allspice also enter into play making way for saffron, sour grape skin, and alcohol esters which become more predominant as the brew warms.

Alcohol is very noticeable in the taste and becomes more apparent as the temperature increases as I mentioned previously. Still, this is a surprisingly easy to drink beer. It would definitely make it on to my regular list if it weren’t so prohibitively expensive. To me, a beer of this price ought to carry a complexity to match, which is one area where this brew is lacking. Still, I do find it to have some interesting mead-like vinous and honey notes that I enjoy very much. The saffron and other spices make for a rather pleasurable drink as well.

Overall this is a very sweet little ditty but it just doesn’t make the grade when price is factored into the equation.

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2.88/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Pours a golden yellow color, fairly cloudy and opaque with a small head that doesn't last for very long. In the initial aroma, I'm picking up some strange sweet notes and tartness, maybe cherries and peaches. Weird medicinal, chalky smell clouds it up a little bit. Taste is actually a bit different than the smell would lead on, hitting first with a bit of alcohol warmth, slightly on the rubbing alcohol side. Then some spices come into the mix; saffron, allspice, and maybe even chili powder? It's certainly not "spicy", but the background notes have a strange reminiscence of chili. Slight cheesy residue kind of taste on the back of the tongue, slightly off putting. Lots of yeast and wheat throughout, mixes well with the tart sweetness. Very mild bitterness, low on the hop presence. Aftertaste also includes a touch of honey (finally I can taste it) as well as some fruity esters and a dirt-like earthiness. Medium body, lots of carbonation to back this one up.

Strange brew here, for sure. I'm not exactly sure how to put my finger on it. It wasn't awful, but I would probably never have it again. Alcohol was present, but still didn't feel quite like a 9% beer. Overall pretty average.

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2.5/5  rDev -33%

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

bottled on 9/21/05-Bottle says "Handcrafted ancient ale with barley, honey, white muscat grapes and saffron."

A: body has a rich and luxurious deep gold/amber hue. very little head even with a vigorous pour but considering this is sort of an ambiguous beer, with a lot of vinous qualities, Im not really knockin it. body just glows.

S: sweet malt, grapes, vanilla, fruit all over the place, alcohol mixed with a winy aroma, and it pains me to say a touch of cheap grain sweetness you get on a mediocre pils or something

T/M: sugar and grapes ride a mouthfeel wave thats very creamy. velvety fruit coats the mouth. clean grain and a cool quality follow. theres something about this beer that makes me feel as if Ive just been swimming in some pristine and cold stream. finish dries slightly followed by an evolution of ripe green fruits and some candy. honey is obvious, though I cant say I know what saffron tastes like so not sure if Im detecting it or not. finish even has a slight yeasty/alcohol spice to it that balances the sugar nicely. all said and done the mouthfeel finishes a tad weak.

D: this is a very delicate beer and should be enjoyed on its own or paired carefully. very pricey but an excellent treat every now and then.

all in all an awesome brew. paired with a light plate of fruit and cheeses with success.

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4.35/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this beer for the first time years ago when the allure of drinking ancient brew let me smile smugly at my Coors-drinking friends. And when I had a bottle tonight, the recipe still has that mystique for me. Some may say it's the hype but I think it's because it truly is a different beer. For one, I can't decide if it's more like a barleywine or a mead. It pours like an elixer, but more silky, and with a deep gold color. Its taste reminds me of a mead, with a combination of fruity tones, but they are not sweet. At some points it feels like a wine, with a dry grape flavor. It's a complex beer that alters as you drink it, as the temperature changes, and as the alcohol settles in. It's a nice sipping beer, but I think it begs to be paired with something like a stinky cheese.

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3.75/5  rDev +0.5%