Alternate Takes #2
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours clear, tan in color, with 1/4 inch head. Taste is white grape, fig, date, and funk. Sweet, funky, and medium bodied. Interesting wine-like beer. Cannot say I was a huge fan of this one, but I really like the creativity.

 

a special version of one of my favorite beers from these guys, i expected quite a bit more from it. you take raison and add wild yeast and red wine barrels, this should be more compelling than it is. the wild side is quite a bit less developed than the belgian yeast side on the base beer, and just less complexity and unity than i would have expected. the red wine has a big influence, and while i like the wood, im not sure replacing some of the belgian ester fruitiness with the red wine fruit notes is an improvement, it seems sweeter and less natural, weird with the richer grain profile, and with a little frictional acidity from the tannins and the yeast that is not all the way congruent. there is a strange almost cinnamon spiced aromatic to this, not at all something i have ever noticed in the original, but its quite pronounced. somehow seems to have less body this way, and my pour (draft) was not nearly as well carbonated as others have described here. definitely not up the the level i had hoped for, but its still very interesting beer and anything these guys do is worth trying at least once. i prefer the original though a lot to a little. nicely hidden alcohol strength here though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured on tap into a snifter. Pours a ruby/brown color with minimal head and minimal lacing. Smell is grape and raisin, primarily. The taste is sour grapes, raisins, and brett with a finish that's slight dry, full of dark fruits and alcohol. The wine comes through fairly strong throughout. There is heavy carbonation but a fairly light mouthfeel, given this is a highly carbonated, 10% beer. Overall this is a decent beer. There is a strong wine taste and feel. There are a lot of flavors going on, but they blend well.