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Positive Contact
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
- From:
- Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
- Delaware, United States
- Style:
- Witbier
- ABV:
- 9%
- Score:
- 86
- Avg:
- 3.82 | pDev: 12.83%
- Reviews:
- 217
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jul 04, 2021
- Added:
- Dec 28, 2011
- Wants:
- 110
- Gots:
- 183
Positive Contact is the second batch of the Imperial Belgian-Style Wheat beer that Sam and Ben brewed a couple months back. For this batch, we stepped up the spice and cider additions. Instead of 200 lbs of apples, Ben pressed 300 lbs of organic Fuji apples for a total addition of 25 gallons of fresh pressed cider, which was added to the whirlpool in order to really bring out the cider character. The amount of cilantro was nearly quadrupled with 4 lbs total, which was pureed with a portion of the cider and then added after the boil was done. The cayenne was doubled, but added directly before the beer was transferred from the kettle to the fermenter in an effort to minimize the burn while increasing the flavor and aroma contributed. A different type of wit yeast was used and then fermented slightly cooler to keep the yeast character minimal and act as a supporting role to the main players the cider and spices. Lastly, this batch was boiled for less time than the original batch, leaving the beer with a lighter straw color than the amberish hue of batch #1.
Overall, Positive Contact is characterized by its bright spritzy cider character and autumnal herbal quality derived from the cilantro, cayenne, and yeast.
19 IBU
Overall, Positive Contact is characterized by its bright spritzy cider character and autumnal herbal quality derived from the cilantro, cayenne, and yeast.
19 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by fourstringer:
Reviewed by fourstringer from Maryland
4.05/5 rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.05/5 rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured from a 750 mL bottle into a Duvell tulip and Brewer's Art goblet with a moderately gentle hand. No date on the bottle, but I believe I've had it the cellar for at least 6 months.
A: Hazy golden yellow with 3 fingers of tight, white head. Nice retention. Moderate lacing. Looking pretty good.
S: Yeast. Citrus fruit. Pineapple. Apple juice. Whiff of cayenne. Not getting much cilantro. Smells sweet with a tropical fruit presence.
T: Moderately spicy sweetness with a fade into a light hop bitterness. A subtle cayenne heat lingers - could be more. A bit of alcohol warmth in the stomach, but pretty much no presence on the palate. Apple. Belgian-type yeast. Tropical fruit. Not wildly complex, but tasty. Occasionally I'm catching a fleeting off-flavor I can't put my finger on. Definitely on the sweet side, but is extremely smooth for 9% ABV.
M: Moderate to high carbonation. A bit lighter body than I'd prefer, but it's all working fairly well.
O: This isn't a tripel? Witbier, you say? Huh. Not getting a whole lot of the spice, coriander, wheat-type flavors that I associate with a wit. Regardless, this is definitely one of my favorite DFH rotating releases. A majority of them miss the mark IMO, but I'd contend this one is pretty successful. I've had it fresh, but I believe it's better with a bit of age (6-12 months).
Prost!
Oct 22, 2013A: Hazy golden yellow with 3 fingers of tight, white head. Nice retention. Moderate lacing. Looking pretty good.
S: Yeast. Citrus fruit. Pineapple. Apple juice. Whiff of cayenne. Not getting much cilantro. Smells sweet with a tropical fruit presence.
T: Moderately spicy sweetness with a fade into a light hop bitterness. A subtle cayenne heat lingers - could be more. A bit of alcohol warmth in the stomach, but pretty much no presence on the palate. Apple. Belgian-type yeast. Tropical fruit. Not wildly complex, but tasty. Occasionally I'm catching a fleeting off-flavor I can't put my finger on. Definitely on the sweet side, but is extremely smooth for 9% ABV.
M: Moderate to high carbonation. A bit lighter body than I'd prefer, but it's all working fairly well.
O: This isn't a tripel? Witbier, you say? Huh. Not getting a whole lot of the spice, coriander, wheat-type flavors that I associate with a wit. Regardless, this is definitely one of my favorite DFH rotating releases. A majority of them miss the mark IMO, but I'd contend this one is pretty successful. I've had it fresh, but I believe it's better with a bit of age (6-12 months).
Prost!
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Emichaelbray from Pennsylvania
3.78/5 rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
The Deltron 3030 record remains one of my favorite hip-hop albums of all time so I had to try this. And my wife loves weird ciders.
Good carbonation, kind of an amber ale thing going. A decided aroma of apples but nothing artificial as one sometimes encounters in ciders. I guess this is not technically a cider… It tastes like cider. I dig cilantro and would have rated this higher had it come through a bit more. Some cayenne but, again, mostly cider. I usually don’t like ciders.
The idea here is excellent and execution is okay. For what it is, it’s very good. I will never buy it again now that I have the bottle but I guess I would drink one on you. Or you. You too.
Jul 04, 2021Good carbonation, kind of an amber ale thing going. A decided aroma of apples but nothing artificial as one sometimes encounters in ciders. I guess this is not technically a cider… It tastes like cider. I dig cilantro and would have rated this higher had it come through a bit more. Some cayenne but, again, mostly cider. I usually don’t like ciders.
The idea here is excellent and execution is okay. For what it is, it’s very good. I will never buy it again now that I have the bottle but I guess I would drink one on you. Or you. You too.
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania
3.92/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bottle into a tulip. Bottled 3/11/14, so 5 years old.
Pours very nicely. Dull slightly hazy deep amber body. Good white head which persists in some form until about half way through the drink. Good carbonation.
There is a light pleasant apple aroma.
The apple cider comes through pretty well. The spices have completely faded. It's a little sweet. You can feel the abv.
Mouth closer to full than medium. Finish is a cidery wash.
Overall, a nice enough drink, though it does die off about half way through. Maybe the spices would have added something, maybe not. It has a saisony feel, and I'm not sure why it's listed as a witbier, not that Dogfish head has worried itself with style classification.
Jun 07, 2019Pours very nicely. Dull slightly hazy deep amber body. Good white head which persists in some form until about half way through the drink. Good carbonation.
There is a light pleasant apple aroma.
The apple cider comes through pretty well. The spices have completely faded. It's a little sweet. You can feel the abv.
Mouth closer to full than medium. Finish is a cidery wash.
Overall, a nice enough drink, though it does die off about half way through. Maybe the spices would have added something, maybe not. It has a saisony feel, and I'm not sure why it's listed as a witbier, not that Dogfish head has worried itself with style classification.
Reviewed by LeRose from Massachusetts
3.84/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.84/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours from a bottle dated 2014 a cloudy cider color with a pure white, dense foam head that lasts a good while. It falls to a spritzy ring and detached chunky rafts. So far, so good. No floaties!
The smell is apple cider sweet/tart, a little green grassy and slightly metallic note that must be the remains of the cilantro. There is a fruity pepper smell and an earthy herbal quality. It is not noticeably spicy on the nose. so somewhat lacking in Belgian identity. The apple...Fuji is a favorite of mine and that is certainly what I am getting. Inviting in a cider kind of way.
The taste follows, and it is actually quite well blended. There is a remnant of cilantro, but the apple flavor rules the roost here. There is a cayenne flavor that starts fruity but builds some heat as more sips slide down. The apple sweetness keeps the pepper nicely tamed. You know it is there, but it's a tingle only.
This is bright, almost sparkling. Light touch for a 9% beer. A mostly dry finish, the pepper and apple sweet linger for a bit.
Dogfish is understandably polarizing. This one is enjoyable even with appreciable hair on it, but I would have to try it fresh to see where it really sits. Interesting, tastes good, easy drinker for a moderately hefty ABV, this is a nice autumn refresher. Whether it is truly a Belgian beer - well, it doesn't have the spicy character but maybe the cayenne and cilantro were supposed to be surrogates, plus they used a different strain of Belgian yeast and fermented at a different temperature - I think it lacks the typical Belgian notes by intent.
Nov 05, 2018The smell is apple cider sweet/tart, a little green grassy and slightly metallic note that must be the remains of the cilantro. There is a fruity pepper smell and an earthy herbal quality. It is not noticeably spicy on the nose. so somewhat lacking in Belgian identity. The apple...Fuji is a favorite of mine and that is certainly what I am getting. Inviting in a cider kind of way.
The taste follows, and it is actually quite well blended. There is a remnant of cilantro, but the apple flavor rules the roost here. There is a cayenne flavor that starts fruity but builds some heat as more sips slide down. The apple sweetness keeps the pepper nicely tamed. You know it is there, but it's a tingle only.
This is bright, almost sparkling. Light touch for a 9% beer. A mostly dry finish, the pepper and apple sweet linger for a bit.
Dogfish is understandably polarizing. This one is enjoyable even with appreciable hair on it, but I would have to try it fresh to see where it really sits. Interesting, tastes good, easy drinker for a moderately hefty ABV, this is a nice autumn refresher. Whether it is truly a Belgian beer - well, it doesn't have the spicy character but maybe the cayenne and cilantro were supposed to be surrogates, plus they used a different strain of Belgian yeast and fermented at a different temperature - I think it lacks the typical Belgian notes by intent.
Reviewed by russpowell from Arkansas
3.74/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.74/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a hyper-effervescent & slightly hazed gold with 3+ fingers of pearl colored head. Good lacing & average lacing
S: Apple, pears & white grape
T: Grassy, pears & a little white pepper & coriander up front. A little pepper heat once warm, more white grape & grassyness, a touch of phenols as well, and golden delicious apple. Finishes a little dry, with pear skin & with a wisper of alcohol
MF: Medium body, firm carbonation
Drinkable enough, but these flavor combos are not in my wheelhouse, I like my beer to be mostly malt, end of story, this seems almost like a fancy snakebite. Interesting, not compelling
Nov 29, 2016S: Apple, pears & white grape
T: Grassy, pears & a little white pepper & coriander up front. A little pepper heat once warm, more white grape & grassyness, a touch of phenols as well, and golden delicious apple. Finishes a little dry, with pear skin & with a wisper of alcohol
MF: Medium body, firm carbonation
Drinkable enough, but these flavor combos are not in my wheelhouse, I like my beer to be mostly malt, end of story, this seems almost like a fancy snakebite. Interesting, not compelling
Positive Contact from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Beer rating:
86 out of
100 with
1106 ratings
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