Red & White
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drank from a 1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. bottle
Served in a tulip
Bottled on 09/27/18
Thanks to Scottie and Troy for this Christmas gift.

Beautiful appearance. The hazy, deep crimson-amber body was topped by a tight, frothy, finger-tall, cream colored crown that slowly fell to a thick, bubbly collar. A patchy blanket of lacing coated the glass and stuck around until the drink’s end.

The aroma was interesting but somewhat subtle initially. Grape must notes were immediately apparent. Perhaps some concord grape as well. Belgian yeast notes came through fairly strong. Bit of dark candi sugar too. This reminded me somewhat of freshly baked sugar cookies. The nose really intensified as the beer warmed. The grape presence became more pronounced, as did the the Belgian yeast notes and the overall sweetness. Some orange zest was also detectable.

The flavor profile was quite unique. This definitely tasted like a witbier on steroids. Malty and robust on the front end. Fairly sweet. Big coriander notes. Grape must was detectable but not to the extent it was in the nose. More rich maltiness and Belgian candi sugar in the center and on the back end. Slightly wheaty and tart. A touch lemony. The beer finished with some alcohol warmth and a touch of lingering, earthy hop bitterness. For 10% ABV, however, the booze was well buried.

Outstanding creamy, fluffy mouthfeel. Fuller bodied for the style. The liquid contained a soft, supple, tongue blanketing effervescence that felt silky smooth and plush on the palate.

While most breweries today think that experimentation means creating some type of adjunct-infused pastry stout or milkshake-style IPA, Dogfish Head have been taking unique approaches to a variety of beer styles for over two decades. Red & White is a really interesting take on a traditional Belgian witbier. If you can get past the intense sweetness, this is quite enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1pt 9.4oz bottle into a pint glass. freshness dating is mostly worn away, but my best guess based on other DFH big bottles is that it was bottled some time in 2014, so 3-4 years old.

hazy dark amber body with a few small dark floaties. slightly off white head replenished by decent carbonation. nice lacing.

somewhat winy aroma from the Pinot Noit juice and barreling.

dry, tart, and faintly sour white wine grape taste. not getting the coriander or woodiness, but a pleasant drink never the less.

mouth between medium and full, with a white wine finish.

overall, good sipper of a drink, another enjoyable DFH big bottle with some age on it.

Not sure the huskier / spicier witbier base works exceptionally well with the sweeter wine flavors, but it isn’t bad either. Lots of coriander and wheat chaff, undertones of vine tannin and grape juice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amber orange color with medium carbonation. Yeast ,grape, and fruit taste. It's an interesting beer that tastes,sour,yeast,malt, and maybe dried fruit. . The wine/grape element really affects the overall taste of this brew. high abv that is well hidden and is complex but still smooth and easy to drink.An enjoyable unusuall beer that i would have againbeer that I would try again

 

 

Bottle dated 9/27/16:
Pours a rusty burnt orange, light obscured by floaties of some sort. The off-white (seemingly orange tinged huge head throws a few large blotches of lacing, but is mainly there to keep me company as a thick cap after it settles.

Smell is a bit musty, and shows the wheat (with little banana), the coriander, and a light floral ester note at its base. There's an almost farmhouse note to it, but not quite as woody or funky (the oak helps a little on the former).

The flavor follows the nose in that the base is a nicely spice Belgian wit beer. The grape is noticeable with a quite musty and barely tart note. This taste really grabs the bulk of the attention - with the wit beer peeking out up front (wiith the orange) and near the end (more banana), but mainly giving the other note a vehicle. A small nod to the barrel aging closes out the taste. LAte int he taste, there's a little cherry note coming out, oddly.

This pour of this beer was nice, tickling with the carbonation and medium full of flavor. The body was also a little more than medium - alcohol barely noticeable.

I didn't notice the floaties until later - although some look like they could be coriander - being darker. I doubt it, but still. Otherwise, the look could go at least a notch higher. The mustiness is a tad heavy, but I feel it makes this nicely unique. I feel it's well put together for what it is trying to do.

 

 

A: Pours a cloudy dark golden copper color. Thick foamy off-white head.

S: Red wine and oak, but very very subtle... Yeast and alcohol. Not very 'grapey'.

T: Very fruity.... and a nice mixture of yeast and red wine barrel character. Grape must and oak... a bit herbal and mild sweetness. Alcoholic and warming...

M: Well carbonated. Finish is sticky and long lasting.

O: A very tasty beer, but not something I'd immediately identify as a barrel aged witbier because it doesn't taste anything like a witbier. Very subtle wine and barrel character... boozy... and definitely worth the price of admission.

 

Overall this beer is ok. Taste ok, look ok, you get the picture. The buzz is why rating is not in the 2 range. After drinking only one bomber , I got that great relax buzz with a warm feel from head to toe. Very nice.

 

2013 750 ml bottle
Smell: mostly fruity aroma with stale green apples (oxidation shows up here), vinousy notes, and lots of spices included the expected coriander.
Look: pour a pale/medium amber with a thin off-white head that has decent retention. mostly clear as it warms but there is some visible sediment. no lacing observed.
Taste: a lot of caramelly sweetness, vinousy overtones and oak. earthy hop flavors are minimal but bitterness is significant to mostly balance.
Feel: rich, creamy almost chewy texture, medium body, almost on the full side. carbonation is light and lacking a bit (shows age here as well). a mild astringency is present. Finishes sweetish, vinousy with a long lasting astringency and hints of alcohol.
Overall: didn’t know what to expect here as far as cellaring. its an aged, blended 10% abv beer. it was never a favorite of mine when fresh but its held out pretty well.

 

 

 

 

Hazy amber-copper with a soft off-white ring.

Smell is both Belgian yeast of clove and esters, and red wine oak with a little grape.

Taste is far more Belgian, with wheat, banana and pear, then some grape cough syrup. Red wine comes in on the back end. It's quite a unique combination and actually I think it's a genius stroke, as it really works well together. The wine and grape somehow smooths out the yeast, and the yeast somehow rounds out the wine.

Soft and frothy.