Review: Wychwood Hobgoblin

Wychwood Hobgoblin 
5.2% ABV
Wychwood Brewery, Witney, Oxfordshire, England
18.7 oz bottle
Served in Dogfish Head Signature Glass
No date on bottle
Reviewed on 3/6/13 

This dark English ale, as indicated on the label, pours a dark amber color with a bubbly ivory-colored head that has decent retention.  Nice carbonation.  Decent lacing. 

Smell consists of malt, hops, caramel, hint of chocolate, sugar, hints of wood, some dark fruit. 

Taste consists of malt, dark fruit, caramel, hops, sugar, some spice, touch of citrus. 

Mouthfeel has a good mix of bitterness and dryness.  Earthy with a good balance of flavors. 

Overall, this is a good tasting English ale that's fairly lively with a nice profile of flavors.  Malty with nice undertones of dark fruit.  Has characteristics of a winter warmer type of ale, but it's deeper tasting and more substantial on the palate.  Nicely done.

My score: 90

Review: Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout
18.0% ABV
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE
12 oz bottle
Served in Firestone Walker brandy snifter
Date on bottle: Bottled in 2011
Reviewed on 10/12/12

This stout pours an inky black color with a thin beige head that dissipates quickly.  Moderate lacing.  Very mild carbonation.

On the nose, aromas of malt, hops, coffee, chocolate, licorice, alcohol, slight caramel, slight brown sugar.

Taste has strong coffee and alcohol flavors right at the front.  Malt, slight hops, dark chocolate, whiskey, licorice, some pepper, touch of brown sugar.

Mouthfeel is definitely hot--no surprise considering the ABV.  Good dryness and bitterness come through.  Somewhat harsh, but a good flavor profile develops on the palate if you give it a chance. 

Overall, this is a tasty if hot stout with a good, complex flavor profile that's quite bold.  I had this one for close to 9 months before opening it.  It's definitely one open to aging.  Be careful, as this is one that will knock you down. 

My score: 92

Review: Samuel Adams Double Agent IPL

Samuel Adams Double Agent IPL
5.0% ABV
The Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA
12 oz bottle
Served in Duvel tulip glass
Date notched on bottle: Best by July 2013
Reviewed on 2/22/13

This lager (an India pale lager) pours an almost clear golden amber color with a decent bubbly off-white head.  Decent lacing.  Moderate carbonation.

Smell consists of hops, malt, wheat, sugar, floral, citrus, spice, grapefruit.

Taste consists of dry hoppiness with good malt lager notes mixed in.  Wheat, spice, citrus, floral, slight pepperiness.

Mouthfeel is smooth, dry with a decent touch of bitterness.  Good floral earthiness on the palate.

Overall, this is a good mix of a hoppy IPA and a malty lager.  Nice dryness and spiciness come together with some sugar, wheat, and citrus flavors.  Not sure who this style of beer is meant to appeal to, though it does appeals to this hophead and it makes for a neat and somewhat unexpected brew.

My score: 89

Bell vs. Dogfish Head

This is the first of an irregularly published series I'll be posting where I'll be taking on what I like and what I dislike about various breweries and their products.  The "vs." aspect sounds a bit more confrontational than I will actually be. I'm quite fond of each of these breweries.
 
The brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Location: Milton, Delaware

The main man: Sam Calagione

Products of theirs you might know: 60 Minute IPA, 90 Minute IPA, 120 Minute IPA, Indian Brown Ale
Their slogan: Off-centered ales for off-centered people 

What I Like 

Not afraid to innovate 
Look at the Dogfish Head lineup and you will see a variety of beers that use unusual ingredients, combine styles, and break the limits of ABV.  Along with not being afraid to innovate, I'll add in they don't seem to be afraid to fail, as not all of their products quite hit the mark.  For me, Palo Santo Marron is innovation hitting near perfection, while Immort Ale, though innovative, just doesn't do it for me.  But they're willing to push the boundaries, which is commendable. 

The brewpub is an experience
The Dogfish Head Brewpub in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, not only takes its namesake's beer seriously, serving up all of the regular line of beers plus seasonals, various rotating products, and beers exclusive to the pub, but it also serves up quite good pub food.  Build-your-own burgers, tasty pizzas, and even a double chocolate bacon cheesecake.  I've been there about five times now and never had a bad experience.  The staff is friendly and knowledgable, and the food is tasty and complementary of the beers.  Also, the pricing on items relative to other brewpubs and tap houses is quite inexpensive (relative to Maryland, which is not the tax-free experience of neighboring Delaware).  The place is hopping even for midweek lunch in the dead of winter (it's tough to get a spot at the bar).  Look for beers to go and various Dogfish Head branded items at the walk-up window shop next to the front door.

More positives: Bottles have nice branding and artwork.  Their signature glass is my go-to glass.  Good availability in my state.  90 Minute IPA and Burton Baton are two of my favorite beers. 

What I Dislike 

Pricing of large format bottles is expensive relative to other brands

Their regular lineup of beers in four and six packs have nice price points, even with Burton Baton and Palo Santo Marron pushing the mid-teens in my area.  But their single bottle, large format beers are just too expensive, as they start at $7.99 in my area and go up to about $14.99, with many of them in that middle range.  If you've got a limited beer budget as I do, it's hard to justify buying these beers at these prices, considering that I've had some of these beers on tap at the brewpub and other locations and, while generally good, don't warrant paying a premium.  While I appreciate the unusual ingredients and the measure of innovation involved, many other breweries offer large format bottles (generally 22 oz vs. Dogfish Head's 25.4 oz) of as good as or better beer at more reasonable prices. 

No year-round stout available

Perhaps this point is moot considering that Palo Santo Marron, considered a brown ale, is an acceptable alternative, but a regularly available stout would be nice.  Sure, this could be a knock on many other breweries as well.  Perhaps a somewhat regular four-pack of an imperial stout would satisfy my desire.

More negatives: Thank goodness I don't have a gluten allergy since Tweason'ale might make me a teetotaler.  120 Minute IPA on tap is a far superior product to the bottled version.  All the other "minute" IPAs are available in four and six packs--why not 75 Minute?  Unlike the Rehoboth brewpub, the three Dogfish Head Alehouses in Maryland and Virginia are not owned and operated by Dogfish Head but rather DFH licenses out the use of its name; the one in Maryland has become much too pricey relative to the Rehoboth brewpub. 

Review: Twin Lakes Greenville Pale Ale

Twin Lakes Greenville Pale Ale
 5.5% ABV
Twin Lakes Brewing Co., Greenville, DE
12 oz can
Served in Dogfish Head Signature Glass
No date on can
Reviewed on 2/23/13

This pale ale pours a hazy golden amber color with a bubbly white head that dissipates quickly.  Mild lacing.

Smell consists of hops, malt, bread, yeast, some citrus, floral and herbal notes.

Taste has hops, malt, some citrus, herbal and floral notes, bread/biscuit, slight berry, hint of smokiness.

Mouthfeel is smooth, mild on the palate, somewhat dry.

Overall, this is a decent if mild tasting pale ale with some nice citrus and herbal and floral notes coming together.  Some good hoppiness comes through as it comes up to room temperature.  Some decent lemony tastes come through as well.  Not a bad pale ale.  Almost sessionable.


My score: 87

Review: Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
7.5% ABV
Guinness & Co., St. James Gate, Dublin, Ireland
11.2 oz btl
Served in Dogfish Head Signature Glass
Reviewed on 8/5/12 

This stout pours a dark color with a good thick toasted brown head with decent retention.  Quite good lacing.  Decent evident carbonation.

Smell has coffee, dark chocolate, malt, toastiness, hints of licorice, slight berry.

Taste is much like its smell.  Coffee, dark chocolate, malt, smokiness/toastiness, slight licorice, berry, and caramel.

Mouthfeel is smooth, creamy, with great definition and balance of flavors.  Slight dryness and bitterness at the end.

Overall, this version of Guinness makes it time to revisit the classic brand.  A tasty, smooth, well balanced stout that stacks up well with other craft versions.  Much bolder and full of flavor than a classic Guinness.  Surprising.  If you're going to drink a Guinness on St. Patrick's Day, this is the one to go for. 

My score: 91

Review: Oskar Blues Ten FIDY Imperial Stout

Oskar Blues Ten FIDY Imperial Stout

10.5% ABV

Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO

12 oz can

Served in Dogfish Head Signature Glass

Date on can: Canned on 9/28/12

Reviewed on 10/19/12 

This stout pours a thick inky black with a toasty brown head that keeps consistency.  Great lacing.  Good carbonation.

Smell has chocolate, coffee, malt, hops, licorice, caramel, slight oak, oatmeal, alcohol.

Taste has bold flavors of chocolate, malt, licorice, coffee, some raisin, some vanilla, some oats, alcohol.

Mouthfeel is dry with good, smooth creaminess on the palate.  Good balance of flavors.  A touch harsh on the back of the mouth.

Overall, this is a bold, flavorful stout with good persistent dryness and a bit of a hot kick.  Great tasting now, and probably quite interesting with some age.  It has a nice fresh appearance to boot.  Don't let the can fool you--this is powerhouse craft.

[Postscript: After working through a four-pack the last few months, Ten FIDY has become one of my favorite stouts.  It's even one of my favorite overall beers, as it's now #8 on my top ten list.] 

My score: 96