Chicory Stout - Dogfish Head Brewery

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

on nitro-tap at the rehoboth beach pub. dark brown/black in color. clear with mahogany highlights when held to the light. nice creamy tan persistent head with lacing all the way down. espresso, molasses, dark dried fruits, and vague spices in the nose. taste starts with sweet dark malts, also nutty and some soft spice, with a softly roasty, drying finish. mouthfeel is light bodied, somewhat thin, and quite creamy. stouts are not my style but i could have had a few of these were it not for the randall.

Serving type: nitro-tap

03-23-2008 16:59:28 | More by MrMcGibblets

Roman5150

Michigan

3.63/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

bottle into snifter

appearance: pitch black with off white 1 finger head

smell: coffee, roasted malts, espresso, licorice, slight anise, dark chocolate, vanilla

taste: subtle roasted coffee flavor, a bit watery due to lower abv, but decently flavorful. Some licorice and dark chocolate notes round out the taste.

mouthfeel: high carbonation, thin bodied

overall: A decent offering from Dogfish Head, nothing I will go out of my way to seek out, but a decently well balanced coffee stout thats quite different from anything else.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 02:38:23 | More by Roman5150

seydou

South Africa

3.18/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a beautiful dark cola colour with a tan head, more bubbly and poppy than a Guiness-type cover. I don't get a strong scent of anything, except a pretty standard stout coming through. Tastes dark, partly bitter, more beery than I expected. Lingers a while. Sits in the mouth and gets stronger. Only flavor note I can pick up is a little coffee. Not bad, not amazing.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 01:51:06 | More by seydou

Burkbom23

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Really dark brown chestnut color with a 1 finger kaki head that fades rather quickly. Not much lacing. Not the best looking stout ive seen. Nice aroma of chocolate and coffee. Really rich delicious chocolate. I am getting some molases in the background. Some hints of graininess in the nose as well. Like the aroma it tastes of chocolate as well. Sweeter and less rich than i thought i would get after smelling it. Definitly some roasted flavors in there. Bitter cooking chocolate lingers for a bit in the aftertaste. Kind of watery, not much to it. Light mouthfeel for stout. Little too sweet for my liking. Not a big stout, pretty average to me. Certainly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 00:47:25 | More by Burkbom23

dar482

New York

4.19/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

The beer pours out with a one finger light tan head. The beer is pitch black.

The aroma has roasted chocolate malt aroma. Very typical of a stout. There’s also an earthy, woody quality in there along with a coffee aroma too. However, it’s not deep and hugely roasted. Slight hint similarity to Palo Santo Marron. Just a wonderful smelling beer.

This stout is pretty interesting. It hits first with a roasted chocolate malt stout flavor, then it turns into a bit of a oatmeal or milk stout creaminess. It has a lot of black coffee flavor. Then it really has a wood flavor.

It’s actually really enjoyable because the bitterness really makes you want more. It reminds me of an IPA in the sense that you keep wanting to sip more because of the aftertaste. The body is thinner for a stout, but that’s expected a beer with a 5.2% ABV beer.

The finish with this is root, earthy soil bitterness. It’s extremely herbal of chicory. Not for those not used to herbal remedies or that kind of Eastern/alternative medicinal flavor. The beer is actually really complex for a low ABV stout.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 03:45:44 | More by dar482

alex_hart

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Pours a beautiful, thick black with a thin, 1/4 finger mocha head. Looks like dark roasted coffee.

Smell: Quite sweet. Oatmeal, coffee, and maybe even a bit of sweet molasses. Looking forward to sipping this when it warms a bit.

Taste: A slight black coffee-esque bitterness on the tip of the tongue before it smooths out to creamy oatmeal and roasted coffee. A bit of that sweet molasses from the nose is present as well.

Mouthfeel: A bit thinner than I expected, but it still has that creaminess that any stout lover craves. Medium bodied and very drinkable.

Overall: This is a delicious and unique beer that is definitely worth a try. DFH rarely goes wrong, and this is one of their classics.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 21:59:33 | More by alex_hart

screamking

Ohio

3.64/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into pint glass.

Pours almost black with a one finger shade darker than khaki head. The aroma is heavy on the chocolate and coffee. Very pleasant and recommend this for a breakfast beer, if you have breakfast beers.

Lots of chocolate in the taste as well. I'm really surprised at the level of chocolate in this, I've had RIS's with less. Small hints of bitter roasted coffee but mainly just chocolate. You also get some teases of rasian, but nothing fully develops. The taste doesn't linger long, it actually goes away quickly. Mouthfeel is very crisp and carbonated, also very thin and light bodied. This isn't bad and for the right price could be very attractive.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 23:18:07 | More by screamking

tviz33

New York

3.7/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle served in a Duvel tulip

A- Pretty much black with about an inch of tan head and decent lacing.

S- Yep, that's coffee alright. A little chocolate comes out as well.

T- Again, lots of coffee with some chocolate to back it off. The flavor seems just a bit off, but it's different and I like different. Other than that, it's pretty well-balanced between malty and hoppy.

M- Bubbly and creamy feel. Medium body. The alcohol is barely noticed.

O- I'd recommend it to someone looking for a novelty stout. It's better on tap, so I'll be having one of those again.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 02:46:34 | More by tviz33

jmendels

Michigan

3.55/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this one up with high expectations. I've enjoyed every Dogfish Head beer I've had, and this one is no exception. It is a palatable yet imperfect beer. Like most stouts, it pours a dark brown, neighboring on black. Its head is caramel in colour and small in size. The nose immediately reminds you that this is indeed a chicory stout; it has a strong roasted coffee character. The mouth feel is smooth and well balanced, but the coffee notes seem to overtake the other flavors of the malt.

If you're looking for a good coffee stout, this is a good choice and is certainly one of the better beers I've experienced with coffee themes.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 01:34:33 | More by jmendels

ChugMan

Washington

3.28/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Food Pairing - Chocolate brownie was...weird with this. The smokyness of this beer is undoubtedly strange, and played with the brownie flavor in unusual ways. Not entirely good or bad, just yeah. Strange. Otherwise, the chocolate flavors went pretty well with this stout.

A - Nearly opaque, deep molassas-brown body. Bubbly head which vanished quickly. No lacing.
S - Coppery, deep dark rich roasty smoky aromas. Chocolate, toffee, rootbeer candy, cold coffee. Singed caramel.
T - First impression was of sweetness and smoke. Seriously like exhaling a hit of something charred, not unpleasant but surprising for a beer! Quickly gives way to the splenda-like sweetness as the smoke retreats into the nose. Then, just as it feels like it's building to something more, it's over.
M - Disappointing. Tastes watered-down, like someone chopped the legs out from under its potential.
O - While a unique experience with that oddly authentic smoky quality, there's just not quite enough here for me to get very excited about. Then again I don't have much appreciation for coffee so some of this beer's finer points may be lost on me. May be very well paired with certain foods. Not bad, just not quite as good as I'd hoped- especially from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 08:47:49 | More by ChugMan

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Although have enjoyed on tap in Delaware, this is my first bottle purchase and the mouthfeel strikes me as thinner than I remember.

Pours a decent dark chocolate colour with a minimal coffee-coloured frothy head that disappears fairly quickly. The aroma is coffee and chicory-forward – it’s quite distinct - with roasted dark malts and some coffee grounds rounding out the background. Flavours are also coffee and chicory focused, overwhelming the licorice or other ingredients suggested by the notes above. Roasted oak and other earthy tones are present in the finish, which is nicely dry and lingers for an impressive length of time.

Not earth shattering or with the taste bud "wow" factor of some of DFH's other beers, but a very nice pint that I would recommend to any stout drinker.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 00:26:59 | More by hopsolutely

danmcg62

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours a nice dark black color with a thin tannish head. Nice looking stout.

S-Big roasted notes up front, roasted coffee, nuts, dark chocolate, chocolate covered raspberries.

T-Big roasted character again with a little bit of smoke at the back of the throat. Roasted coffee, roasted nuts, dark chocolate, chocolate covered raspberries. Very tasty beer.

M-Thick, milky, smooth

O-Overall this is a very solid stout. Flavorful and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 23:24:50 | More by danmcg62

arfenhouse

California

3.65/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: Black with khaki head. Retention is a bit poor.

S: Big on the coffee. Milk chocolate. Roasted malt.

T: Coffee and chocolate. A little bit of bitter grain. Chocolate herbal aftertaste. Pretty sweet overall.

M: Light bodied with light carbonation. Wet.

O: Decent coffee-foward stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 08:15:34 | More by arfenhouse

Samuel906

California

3.14/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dark, and less red than most stouts. Very little head out of a bottle with almost no retention. Smells wonderful; huge aroma of roasted chicory and coffee beans, malt and vanilla and faint smokey-ness. Flavor is hugely coffee, very reminiscent of cappuccino with some hints of cinnamon and chicory. The downside is that the flavor seems to end abruptly leaving behind a smokey, roasted aftertaste. Slightly sweet, mildly earthy, underwhelming malt and hops. The aftertaste really starts to bother me after a while. Medium bodied, light carbonation. Feels to light for a stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 04:15:24 | More by Samuel906

Guden

Maryland

4.41/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

A- Deep black with dark brown highlights. Light tan head is small and fades quickly leaving a bit of lace.

S- A bit like a can of coffee grounds with definitive roast and light ash qualities. There is also wood, earth and chocolate. Very complex.

T- Similar to the nose, the coffee qualities of the malt and chicory dominate with a bit of woody and even fruity character also shining through. Very harmonious balance of elements. Finishes with a slightly sweet herbal quality that I find soothing.

M- A bit thin and low on carbonation. Making this more mouth filling with some chewiness would have enhanced the "stoutness".

D- This is a really nice beer. My first thought upon trying it was "why don't all stouts have chicory?" it's that good. While the thinness of the mouth leaves some to be desired, I wouldn't change a thing about the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 23:25:14 | More by Guden

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

3.03/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, dark yellow brown with a huge gray-tan head that lingers leaving some lacing, clear

S: smell is of old coffee, burnt and smoky

T: very much of cold coffee, again a flavor of heavily roasted coffee beans, bitter but not from hops, a vegetable type taste somewhere in the flavor

M: ok viscosity, higher carbonation

O: this one missed the mark for me

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 04:26:49 | More by M_C_Hampton

MisSigsFan

California

3.7/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Stone Brewery pint glass. Pours a deep brown, almost black color with a nice thick 1.5 finger, tan head. Head has almost a soda like consistency to it with good lacing. Right away you can smell the coffee roast and chicory. I'd say this beer smells better than it tastes even. The taste is a bit underwhelming. I was expecting something that could possibly top DFH's India Brown Ale, but sadly, I don't think this does. It lacks the creaminess and richness that I've come to love about the IBA. It's very dry in contrast. Like I said, this just doesn't have the smooth, creamy feel of the IBA either. And at almost 10 bucks for a 4 pack as opposed to a 6 pack, this beer just doesn't seem worth the extra cash. It was good to try this, but I think I'll stick to the IBA instead.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 00:22:06 | More by MisSigsFan

Segelstrom

Pennsylvania

3.31/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

a - poured into tumbler with a slight head that wasn't very well maintained. not real clear which really doesn't matter to me anyway

s - weak for a stout and maybe the chicory suppressed that although the chicory only came thru on taste.

t - once again the taste was weak for a stout. not full bodied as one might expect.

m - nondescript

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 18:08:07 | More by Segelstrom

DmanGTR

New York

3.99/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Enjoyed in my Duvel glass.

For some reason I really like the label on this bottle. It's not the DFH template I enjoy, but it's something about the color, background of barley malt, and the description that I really like. A brief hiss welcomes me as I pop the cap.

The beer pours out a deep roasted chestnut brown adorned with an ivory head. As you raise the glass to the light, notice the grade B maple hues at the edges. Rare trails of foam line the glass. This beer speaks colors to me. I smell caramel blended with malted grains with a bit of toffee sprinkled on top. The lightest trace of pecans trailed behind the roasted barley, toast, cocoa, and fresh coffee and joined the sweetness from before. As you sip, the same order of subtleties come out, with the sweetness lingering a few seconds after the finish, until the mild bitterness of burnt toast and coffee emerge and let a dryer feel take over. The carbonation is refreshing, yet smooth upon the medium bodied liquid. Overall, a very nicely drinkable, yet tasteful beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 02:28:55 | More by DmanGTR

jucifer1818

Florida

2.83/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

a: typical darkness for a stout of this variety.
4/5

s: Roast coffee and barley, with some slight caramel sweetness to balance it off. No hop aroma
4/5

t: Chicory starts off with a strong coffee flavor and a suprising amount of creamyness, but the beer's flavor is domianted by the after taste (where the Chicory really takes over). Dry, dry dry. This is one of the dryest beers Ive ever had. It litterly feels like the water is being sucked out of my mouth when my sip is over. Very heavy on the tannins, and a tastes a bit of chilled old dark tea (or better put, Chickory tea, which tastes exactly like this brew, except with some malty sweetness added to it). No hops flavors are detectable
2.5/5

M: described well in my taste section, its a odd combiantiion. It starts off creamy, almsot like a light milk stout, but then quickly moves off to heavy dry flavors. Overall Id say that I found this dryness to be too much and made drinking the beer hard, and saw it as the beers most serrious problem.
2.5/5

O: To appreaciate this beer you really have to like the dry taste of the Chicory root. If you do, this brew is for you. However, it is not what I was expecting or really, what I enjoyed. Despite the fact that I really liked its aroma and beginning taste, I could not stand its dry tanniny after taste that just made it hard for me to finish the brew.
Not a bad brew by any stretch of the imagination, but by god, It was bad for me, and those who don't know what chicory tastes like, I suggest you find out before laying $$$ on a brew like this one, or elese youl be in store for the same dissapointment I was

A very personal 2.5/5, but I suggest that lovers of Chicory-flavored tea and coffee give it a whirle. You will probably enjoy it.

those who do not care for the stuff, like me, obviously should stay away and go to more familiar territory. Its not the beer you, Especially if your not a fan of VERY Astringent flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 18:56:58 | More by jucifer1818

superspak

Michigan

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into signature pint glass, late 2012 bottle release. Pours crystal clear nearly pitch black color with a nice 1-2 finger dense tan head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, dark roasted coffee, roasted malt, light caramel, toast, light wood, light char, floral, and slight licorice. Fantastic aromas with great balance, strength, and complexity of roasted flavors with the added coffee and spices. Taste of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, roasted malt, toast, light caramel, light wood, light char, and herbal earthiness. Lingering notes of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toast, light caramel, light wood, and herbal on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance, robustness, and complexity of roasted flavors, with only a light amount of added spices noted in the taste. Zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth and moderately creamy mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice stout! Very nice balance and robustness of roasted flavors; extremely smooth to drink. The aromas kind of made the taste a letdown, but this was still very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 06:54:50 | More by superspak

MaddMatt639

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Tasted on January 13, 2013:

A: A very dark brown/black color when poured and has about an inch of foam that remains very well.

S: Very strong chocolate aroma right up front. Coffee scent isn't as strong, but still there. I smell something else that I can't distinguish. I'm assuming it's the chicory since i'm not sure what that smells like.

T: Very strong chocolate notes right off that bat. Coffee notes are stronger in the taste then in the smell. Coffee has a burnt flavor to it. There is a very noticeable cream taste in the end.

M: Long lasting coffee taste that stays on the palate. A rather creamy texture left in my mouth. Not heavy in the mouth at all.

O: I'm not the biggest fan of stout's, but I find this one rather enjoyable. If i'm in the mood for a strong coffee tasting stout in the winter, i'll give this one another go.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 08:25:58 | More by MaddMatt639

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours very dark. Minimal light penetration. High SRM. Head is a huge scooping of fluffy cream. The head dies off slightly but stays true. It leaves tons of lacing, even before the first sip.

S-Quite roasty with an underlying zest. Chocolate, coffee and ash. Has an herbal character to it as well; almost dirty.

T-Roast and chocolate first followed by a clean grassy flavor. Lingering herbal flavor too. Charred to a certain extent. Soil-like (dirty). Root beer and anise. Much more agreeable than I was expecting.

M-Light but its only clocking in at 5.2%. A bit watery but very drinkable. Flavors seem to disappear very quickly.

O/D-Pretty solid, the 'chicory' label has made me avoid this beer for years. Its actually pretty decent. I thought chicory was spicy for some reason. A four pack of this is too pricey and does not deliver any 'bang for your buck'.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 15:56:08 | More by VelvetExtract

timn

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a dark brown. Dark, but not super dark. Some bubbles visible. A small amount of head.

S: The strongest smell is coffee, along with some chocolate. Nice aroma, but honestly, this didn't smell a lot different than a normal stout.

T: This starts out a lot like a typical stout, with perhaps the coffee taste coming through a bit stronger than normal. The real difference comes with the finish, where some of the more complex flavors come through: a woody / earthy flavor that ends with a strong taste of smoke. It's an interesting flavor in a beer, which is probably the best way I can describe it.

M: Fairly thin with some carbination. I wouldn't say the mouthfeel was a high point, but not bad either. Above-average.

O: This is an... interesting beer. Like all Dogfish Head brews, this is quality and certainly above-average. That said, it's not one I plan on drinking regularly. It feels sort of like an experiment (which isn't a bad thing) -- a good quality beer trying something different. It works, sort of, it's just such a different type of flavor in the end that I don't think I would be turning to it a lot. But, it is nice overall, and worth giving a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 04:03:19 | More by timn

mattbk

New York

3.81/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

A - Thin, black, not much carbonation.

S - Nice chocolate, coffee aroma, bitter, too not bitter though. Promising.

T - Interesting taste. Coffee-like, yes, but different. A bit tangy actually. Fairly roasty, not too bitter, which I like. Just a little bit of sweetness. Fairly dry. I like this. Certainly not the best stout I ever had, but pretty solid.

M - Yeah, too dry and watery for a stout. It doesn't lack sweetness, just thin. It does contribute to the drinkability though.

O - I do like this, above average I would call it. It has a nice taste, and it is quite drinkable. Lacking in terms of mouthfeel and maybe lacking some complexity.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 02:42:41 | More by mattbk