Dogfish Head, do they brew anything "great"?

90 minute. I had a 75 minute IPA that was so incredibly awesome. Then I got another one the next year and it didn't blow me away. Not sure where it was on the life span. I liked Etrusca. That is another one where I had two different bottles a year later. One blew me away and the other was just ok.

 

Maybe odd for their chosen way of doing business. Not odd for my preference. Because it's a preference, which is kind of like an opinion.

Most of the DFH beers I've had have been fine. Not bad by any means, but not good enough to pick up again at the price point. I tend to think it's because of all the weird/interesting stuff they brew with. Part of me would like to try a more "typical" beer so I can determine whether it's the combination of base ingredients that I am not in love with or if it really is the additions.

I realize that it's not likely to happen, nor am I saying that it should.

 

We all know how important and revered this guy's Top 50 list is. Breweries everywhere are scrambling to make a beer that will make this list.

 

Instant Classic!

 

Instant? It's about 30 years old!

 

You guys wanna know the reason people post threads like this? Because it garners 100+ responses, when far more interesting threads will often die out after a handful of posts.

The best post in here was the one that cited the Beers of Fame list, which should, in theory, be a list of beers that meet the definition of "great" to a tee--they are 100 beers that are highly rated and have stood the test of time. And not only does DFH have a beer on the Beers of Fame list, they have FOUR (Burton Baton, Palo Santo, 90 Minute and Bitches' Brew).

So yeah, I'd say that one can objectively claim that DFH brews some great beers, unless we're going to define the meaning of "great" using only personal preferences. And if we're defining "great" by saying what's great to me personally, then what's the point in the first place, given how different everyone's tastes can be? There has to be some attempt to find a consensus (at least, that's why I would presume someone would ask a question such as the one posed in this thread), otherwise it's just a bunch of people saying what they find to be great.

The worst part about this is that I don't particularly love DFH as a brewery, but I feel the need to defend them against a rather anecdotal and baseless criticism of them. Palo Santo and ApriHop, for my money, are outstanding--those two would meet the "great" criteria for me personally, and as noted above, it's pretty obvious that they brew some other beers that are objectively great as well.

 

World Wide Stout

 

Olde School Barleywine is my personal favorite non barrel-aged barleywine on the market

 

Palo Santo
Noble Rot
Red & White
Fort
Burton Baton
WWS
Positive Contact
Saison du Buff

all worth the price tag to me.

 

Bitches Brew

 

Perhaps its because its so easy to find and variety, but I often buy a lot of DFH. I think they are hit or miss, but because they brew so many beers, I think their are quite a few good and perhaps great ones.

Indian Brown and Burton Baton are on my top lists, but Palo Santo, 120, 90, 75, Bitches Brew, Chicory Stout, and even though its too sweet for me now, Raison are all good and well made. Many of these beers opened doors for others to walk though and prosper.

 

These threads are the worst. Why don't you post about something interesting you found instead of bashing a successful brewery because you're bored. Or go out and actually brew something on your own. Trolls like you make every craft beer occasion not as fun.

 

I really enjoy DFH, not only for their beer, but that bold attitude. I will say that I believe this attitude challenges a lot of folks, even me, and it is up to you to decide how you take that.

Another thing that is cool is Sam deciding to work with Del Borgo and Baladin, which holds a lot of promise. If it does happen that Italian beer begins bigger here in the states, that is just one more innovation that Sam has to his credit.
No one else, that I know of, has taken that risk and opened a dialog with the Italian brewers.

 

I like of lot of their offerings. The IPA's you're referring to probably weren't fresh and I actually prefer Punk'n to most pumpkin beers. Fort was amazing, plenty of others that have been mentioned are great beers. They take a lot of risks and focus a little much on high abv but as a whole I think they're a damn solid brewery.

Don't hate, appreciate

 

I would never say DFH is considered one of the top tier breweries as far as their beer is concerned. What I would say is DFH is lead by a master of marketing in Sam Calagione that combined fantastic marketing strategies with solid beer and family money to create an empire. This empire known as DFH should at least be given credit for keeping craft beer alive in the dark times along with Sierra Nevada, Sam Adams, and a few others. DFH has paved the way for the Toppling Goliath's of the beer world to thrive. 90 minute IPA use to rock people's world, but not in today's craft beer scene. Is their beer top tier in today's day and age, no, but everything they make is solid.

 

When I sit back on all the DFH I've had in the past 13 years, it really boggles my mind how much things have changed, and how much attitudes to beer and places like BA have changed as well.

Sam is one of those few people who because I've had his products for so long I almost feel like he is part of my life. His beers have been the experience and soundtrack to good beer I've had living in DC area and the trips up to the shore in Delaware. His beers were at my wedding, they are always at the beach when I visit Rehoboth, as I await the crazy one-offs as to whether it will become part of Kasey Kasem's hit parade. Some are duds, but there's been too many great experiences with this brewery, to just write them off as nothing special, which is a load of bunk.

Sure, I don't care for Theobrama, that's been documented, but there's so much excellent and fund stuff that Sam and company keep on making that the journey into anything DFH does makes me more than interested. I also really like adding them to the BA database.

Always looking for something new up the sleeve from them, and looking for the next great thing. so keep em coming.

 

Their Indian Brown Ale is the shit. 90 Minute is amazing. I haven't had 120 or WWS. Still need to try Palo Santo Marron.

 

The short answer is "not really." But they charge like they do.

 

New to me. So be it.

 

I've seen Sam post on BA a couple of times, I wish he would post on this thread.