Dogwood Decadent Ale
Dogwood Brewing Company

Tried it on tap at Summits Wayside Tavern. Dogwood brews have been a hit or miss proposition for me, so I was a bit apprehensive. Cloudy dark brown in appearance, with a small white head. The first sip was a bit disappointing with mouthfeel that was a bit too thin and watery. But then things got a lot better. Later sips revealed a very smooth beer that was quite drying on the palette. I found the taste to be very delicately malty and balanced out nicely by a subtle hoppy aroma. Very quaffable and thirst quenching brew that lacks much clout. Very similar to a German Alt in most respects.

If this decadent ale got one more 10 in there (that being 10% ABV), it would be an all 5 brew.

Got to try this one at the World Beer Festival in Durham. Beautiful, deep brown color, only slightly translucent. Deeply malty and sweet. Surprisingly complex for being only 6%-ish. I like it; one of the better offerings at the festival (sorry that my notes weren't more in detail).

What an interesting beer. Really is a breaker of styles, although I might lean toward calling it an American brown ale. Nice head one a dark brown body. The flavor is complex and malty with all kinds of stuff going on. There wood and caramel and pale malt and a bit of roast. The hopping is apparent and leaves a bit of a lingering bitter finish but isn't unpleasant. I discussed the beer with Crawford Moran from Dogwood while this beer was still conditioning and he said that they weren't going for a specific style but something that was complex and experimental while still being something you can sit down and drink a few pints of. I have to say he succeeded. It's interesting and a bit complex but before I realized it, my pint was empty and I was wanting more.

Not sure how to categorize this wonderful limited offering from Dogwood, so "dark ale" will have to suffice. It's too hoppy for a brown ale, not dark enough for a porter, doesn't have the body of a stout, too dark for an IPA or bitter, and not enough alcohol to classify as a barleywine. But it is 100% tasty.

10 types of malt, 10 types of hops, and only available at 10 locations in the Atlanta metro area - on-tap only. Decadent Ale. Get it?

It arrived a lightly cloudy brownnish/burnt sienna color with a thick and creamy head. My first pass at the aroma netted me a nose full of hops - mainly cascade, if my nose was functioning properly. The second time around, the malt tones decided to make their presence known - toasted, earthy, and lightly sweet. The taste? In a word, "Wow!" Every time you move your tongue, the flavor shifts. On my first sip alone, malt and hops played a game of tastebud pong at least 3 times. Hops, malt, hops, malt, hops, malt, and then a crisp, dry hop finish. I was initially concerned that this beer would be just a simple hop-laden offering, but the malt aspect was amazing. The mouthfeel was very full-bodied, and the beer is very, very drinkable.

Crawford has certainly outdone himself with this brew.