Raison D'Extra | Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Brewed by:
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Delaware, United States
dogfish.com
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 18.00%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
A bigger, bolder version of our Raison Raison D'Être.
This is a bulbous, brown ale brewed with a bunch of malt, brown sugar and raisins.
40 IBU
Added by BeerAdvocate on 03-22-2002
HISTOGRAM
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Ratings: 1,510 | Reviews: 708
3.25/5 rDev -19.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
4.2/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Reviewed from notes. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into an El Catador teku glass.
A: Pours a very hazy to murky brown, but with lots of visible carbonation. Forms only a thin off-white head that fades quickly to a ring of foam.
S: You can smell the raisins and booze from four feet away from the glass. Digging in closer though…there’s still raisins and booze. There are more subtle notes of brown sugar, but this is rather like rum-soaked raisins crusted in brown sugar and set on fire with the blue flame and Greek festivities. As it opens up, there’s rich vanilla, butterscotch, and caramelized malts. Ethanol sweetness and warmth. Sweet dark fruits, and oak (though I don’t see any mention of a barrel on the label). Some licorice and dark candy, rum raisin cake and dense malts.
T: Sweet malts and raisins, brown sugar and caramel. Definite ethanol sweetness and associated burn. Toffee, vanilla and a touch of cinnamon and allspice. More raisins with some licorice on the exhale with ethanol heat. Sweet brown sugar and raisins/dark fruit on the hang.
M: While far from watery, this was a lighter or thinner body than I expect - and would have preferred a little more heft. A good amount of carbonation sensation. Honestly, despite the smell the VERY hefty ABV is fairly well-hidden, or at least integrated. Not that it seems a lick under 12%, but so many of the higher-teens ABV beers are beating you with a hammer – this stays more in the background than I expected.
O: I don't get a lot of Belgian yeast flavor, which is a surprise - maybe just hints of candied apple and pear. But I suspect a lot of that is hidden under the massive raisins and brown sugar. And this goes down frighteningly easily for 18%. Tasty, but the rich flavor profile is available in beers without the ABV or the high cost. Still, absolutely worth a drink if you haven't.
1,868 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Reviewed from notes. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into an El Catador teku glass.
A: Pours a very hazy to murky brown, but with lots of visible carbonation. Forms only a thin off-white head that fades quickly to a ring of foam.
S: You can smell the raisins and booze from four feet away from the glass. Digging in closer though…there’s still raisins and booze. There are more subtle notes of brown sugar, but this is rather like rum-soaked raisins crusted in brown sugar and set on fire with the blue flame and Greek festivities. As it opens up, there’s rich vanilla, butterscotch, and caramelized malts. Ethanol sweetness and warmth. Sweet dark fruits, and oak (though I don’t see any mention of a barrel on the label). Some licorice and dark candy, rum raisin cake and dense malts.
T: Sweet malts and raisins, brown sugar and caramel. Definite ethanol sweetness and associated burn. Toffee, vanilla and a touch of cinnamon and allspice. More raisins with some licorice on the exhale with ethanol heat. Sweet brown sugar and raisins/dark fruit on the hang.
M: While far from watery, this was a lighter or thinner body than I expect - and would have preferred a little more heft. A good amount of carbonation sensation. Honestly, despite the smell the VERY hefty ABV is fairly well-hidden, or at least integrated. Not that it seems a lick under 12%, but so many of the higher-teens ABV beers are beating you with a hammer – this stays more in the background than I expected.
O: I don't get a lot of Belgian yeast flavor, which is a surprise - maybe just hints of candied apple and pear. But I suspect a lot of that is hidden under the massive raisins and brown sugar. And this goes down frighteningly easily for 18%. Tasty, but the rich flavor profile is available in beers without the ABV or the high cost. Still, absolutely worth a drink if you haven't.
1,868 characters
3.64/5 rDev -10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.54/5 rDev -12.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Bottle I bought in November 2014. The smell was overly boozy and metallic at times. Alcohol was too strong on the taste as well. Beautiful cloudy orangish red. Viscous. Overall I liked it but the booze was too much. I expected more. DFH usually executes well and cellars well so I was a bit surprised. Maybe I had a bad bottle. I would like to give it another shot though, if I can find it.
390 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Bottle I bought in November 2014. The smell was overly boozy and metallic at times. Alcohol was too strong on the taste as well. Beautiful cloudy orangish red. Viscous. Overall I liked it but the booze was too much. I expected more. DFH usually executes well and cellars well so I was a bit surprised. Maybe I had a bad bottle. I would like to give it another shot though, if I can find it.
390 characters
4.06/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
4.25/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.33/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Whoa, had no idea this was high ABV until I started the review. Alcohol is well hidden. Kinda meh on the appearance, but nice dark sweet fruits on the nose. Taste follows the nice. Full bodied. Very nice.
204 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Whoa, had no idea this was high ABV until I started the review. Alcohol is well hidden. Kinda meh on the appearance, but nice dark sweet fruits on the nose. Taste follows the nice. Full bodied. Very nice.
204 characters
3.81/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Raison d extra pours brown with almost no head. Big sweet sugary sugar aroma. Taste is sweet, lots of dry raisins. Warm and full flavor. Overall, very big very sweet, not sure it's worth more than the regular version.
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look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Raison d extra pours brown with almost no head. Big sweet sugary sugar aroma. Taste is sweet, lots of dry raisins. Warm and full flavor. Overall, very big very sweet, not sure it's worth more than the regular version.
220 characters
4.48/5 rDev +10.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.35/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A 12oz bottle with a bottled on date of x.21.14
L - Dark orange, little clarity, no head. Very thick looking
S - Huge sugar rush, brown sugar. Subtle boozy aroma
T - Sugar, and head from the booze! Its a slow sipper, but tasty nonetheless
F - Full body and creamy, low carbonation
O - A great Belgian strong. Enjoy..slowly!
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A 12oz bottle with a bottled on date of x.21.14
L - Dark orange, little clarity, no head. Very thick looking
S - Huge sugar rush, brown sugar. Subtle boozy aroma
T - Sugar, and head from the booze! Its a slow sipper, but tasty nonetheless
F - Full body and creamy, low carbonation
O - A great Belgian strong. Enjoy..slowly!
332 characters
4.58/5 rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.6/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
4.25/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Reading of my tasting notes from the 2004 BA Belgian Beer Fest in Boston. 1 ounce pour.
Dark brown with reddish overtones.
Little to no head.
Dark dried fruit aroma with tangy hints in background.
Tastes warm, fruity. High heat from alcohol. Going to have to get food after this one.
Unfortunately... there wasn't much space to write on the tasting card. This is all I have. I do have fond memories of trying this one.
426 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Reading of my tasting notes from the 2004 BA Belgian Beer Fest in Boston. 1 ounce pour.
Dark brown with reddish overtones.
Little to no head.
Dark dried fruit aroma with tangy hints in background.
Tastes warm, fruity. High heat from alcohol. Going to have to get food after this one.
Unfortunately... there wasn't much space to write on the tasting card. This is all I have. I do have fond memories of trying this one.
426 characters
3.25/5 rDev -19.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
4.5/5 rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.25/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Raison D'Extra from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Beer rating:
4.05 out of
5 with
1,510 ratings
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Bottled 11/21/14; drank 10/15/17 @ the Yarchives.
Opaque purple/red appearance. A violent pour yielded a nice khaki head; decent lace. Raisin, cognac & merlot notes in the nose; fragrant but fairly boozy. Thick, sticky mouthfeel. Raisin & fresh leather flavors up front; astringent booze heat on the finish. Nearly 3 years & this is still an undrinkable, boozy mess still. Boo.
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