Dogfish Head: Anything Goes

Two weeks ago at the GABF, I got to spend a good bit of time at the Dogfish Head Brewery table.  Since I was living on the west coast for two years, my access to their full portfolio of beers was limited but I knew they made some very unique brews and were bringing some of their pub only exclusives.  Actually...unique doesn't even come close to describing the beers they make.  Dogfish may be the most innovative brewer in all of the US.  All style guidelines and "rules" get thrown out the window when they create a new beer.  Here are a few of the beers I tried that weekend: 

90 Minute IPA (9% ABV, 90 IBU) Served through "Randal the Enamel Animal" (pictured on the right).  This device is a filter housing packed with a half a pound of whole leafhops and is added to a beer line leaving a keg.  90 Minute is an Imperial IPA, which means its much stronger than your standard IPA in terms of alcohol, hops, and malt.  A beer like this has to have a great malt backbone to stand up to the extreme hopping rate or else the beer would be poorly balanced.  The alcohol in this beer dissolves out the oils from the whole hops in the cylinder adding to the bitterness and hop aroma.  The 90 Minute IPA is a great beer on its own, but the addition of hops right before the glass added a new element of freshness.  Their website says it all...This device "induces the most pungent and glorious fresh hop experience known to man."

Red & White (12% ABV) This is what you get when you take a Belgian Wit (with a lot more alcohol than you would normally see in the style) and put it into French Oak pinot noir barrels for 2 months.

Black & Blue (12% ABV)  According their website, this is a golden Belgian Ale made with over 300 lbs of fresh blackberries and blueberries.  A good combination of flavors: fruit, tart, and Belgian yeast flavors.  The berry flavor was wonderful and one of the best I think I have had.  You can tell that they jammed this beer full of fruit during fermentation!

Festina Lente (7% ABV)  This beer won a bronze medal at the GABF and was another "off-centered" creation.  Much like a normal lambic beer, it is created in a tag team effort using yeast and bacteria which gives the beer a sour flavor.  Festina is then aged on oak chips and 400 pounds of Delaware peaches.  This one really made me pucker!  A bit sour for my tastes, but worth trying if you get a chance.

Liquor de Malt (?% ABV) As you may have guessed, this is malt liquor and like many American beers uses corn as a major ingredient.  However, Dogfish takes a more craft approach and uses red, white, and blue corn.  The corn flavor is apparent immediately but not so overpowering as to make you think you are eating corn from a can.  Packaged in a 40 oz bottle with a logo bearing ghetto cooler. 

Not all of these beers are for everyone, but you can always count on big, bold flavors when drinking a Dogfish Head beer.  If their beer isn't available in your area, be sure to keep an eye out for it when you travel.  I promise its worth the extra effort! 

Sam Calagione, the Dogfish Head founder, pouring Festina at the GABF.