Raison D'Être - Dogfish Head Brewery

Chickenhawk9932

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark amber with a slight tan head.

Smells of raisin, earthy beet notes, and malt - burnt sugar.

Taste raisin up front backed by caramelized sugar notes. Body is a bit thin and it is woody and dry like a wine. Not a bad beer, but not great either - it is a little confusing to the palate.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 17:56:21 | More by Chickenhawk9932

stride28

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Drank out of the glass bottle. The smell was pleasant, with a soft aroma that carried a thick sweetness, with definite traces of raisin carried throughout. In terms of taste, the beer is very sweet, almost overpoweringly so. The raisin and sugar are apparent, masking the alcohol until the aftertaste. Overall, the sweet mixture gives this beer a unique and strong character that can at times be overwhelming. Consuming a single bottle of this beer, in my opinion, is enjoyable for its unique and sweet flare; anything more would be a bit too much sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 02:58:35 | More by stride28

mattbk

New York

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: Deep ruby/light brown. Clear. Apeears fairly thick, lightly carbonated.
S: Dark fruit, all the way. Reminds me of a dubbel. Raisins, yes. Maybe a bit of chocolate. Pretty one dimensional, but still good.
T: Hmm, yes, the dark fruit, but the carbonation is actually higher than I would have thought, scrubbing flavor off my tongue. Additionally, it's a bit drier than I would have expected, which leads to a papery sort of flavor. It is possible this suffered from a bit of oxidation, no date on bottle. Still, not bad, lacking in flavor a bit. There is also come chocolate in this flavor profile as well. The chocolate is just a bit out of place. No alcohol in taste.
M: A bit drier than I would have liked, and more carbonated as well.
O: Definitely not a bad beer. Just a bit lacking in terms of complexity and flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 02:26:56 | More by mattbk

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.09/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer is auburn hued. Autumnal colors of ruby, crimson, russet. Small off white head that fades pretty quickly to a thin, wispy layer atop the beer. The aroma offers sweet malt, toffee, raisins, brown sugar, clove, a touch of holiday spice. Really sweet throughout. Bitter kick in the finish. Sweet raisins soaked in the booze. Fun to try, but best in small quantities. Too sweet. I don't consider this in the Belgian style at all. Where is the yeast and bread character that is so appreciated and associated with a Belgian strong dark ale? I appreciate the fact that Sam brews interesting beers, but I won't return to this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 03:10:48 | More by Huhzubendah

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.16/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle into a goblet, pours a rich brown with a short tan head that dissipates quickly leaving some lacing, clear

S: Belgian yeasty smells up front mixed with raisins, plums, prunes, figs, heavy on sweetness

T: sweet malt flavors with notes of prunes and raisins, sour cherry, bready yeast

M: full bodied, alcohol is there, aftertaste is subdued and malty, good carbonation

O: not a bad American made take on the style, flavors are a little light, nice as it warms up, would be a good into to the style as the taste is less aggressive

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 00:21:53 | More by M_C_Hampton

beerme626

Kentucky

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle from Good Foods in Lexington, poured into a tulip glass.
A: A nice one finger head on a dark, syrup-colored beer
S: Lots of raisins and malt. Nice, but not enticing.
T: Yummy, but not stellar.
M: Could be more. Sits pleasantly, but just sits.
O: A good beer that could be more.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 01:50:50 | More by beerme626

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: clear bronze. Wispy off white head.
Smell: rich, sweet, yeasty, fruity, and some floral as well. In a word, great.
Taste: more of the same. Not quite as complex as the nose but rich and bold and full.
Overall: just outstanding. Unusual and fantastic. One of the first 'big' beers I had some 6 years ago when I was turned onto craft. Seems small compared to the monsters I've had since, but this, unlike many beers that early on seemed top tier and later disappointed, is great with every revisit.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 23:57:34 | More by cindyjeffsmith

SlothB77

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a mug from a 12 oz bottle

A: Amber-brown, almost scarlet, thin light tan head.

S: Very weak smell of raisins and cranberries.

T: A smooth, sweet and sour taste. Not bitter at all. A subtle but distinctive flavor. Maybe a little shoe polish or leather.

M: Light carbonation, light acidity, light-bodied.

O: A very nice beer. Because the flavor is subtle, this is one beer you can have several of in a night and not be overwhelmed. I think this beer gets better as the night goes on (no, that isn't the case with all of them, haha.)

Serving type: nitro-bottle

01-05-2013 23:07:46 | More by SlothB77

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a deep brown color with little to no head. Lacing is ok. Very translucent except for the dark color. Tinges of red throughout the body.

S- Starts off with a big sweet flavor with hints of dark fruit flavors. Semi-sweet caramel flavors are also prominent throughout. Caramel and dark fruits become the dominant and presiding flavors. Pretty complex.

T- Very similar to the scent. Starts with big caramel flavors and some sweetness. The sweetness reminds me of brown sugar. Caramel is dominant throughout the drink, but the dark fruit flavors pick up midway through. Belgian yeast is detectable at the end with a slight earthy flavor. Raisins are only slightly present in the dark fruit flavors. Ends with a lingering caramel malt flavor.

M- Relatively high level of carbonation. Not quite as thick as the deep color and flavor profile would suggest, but still slightly creamy. Alcohol is well hidden and non-detectable. A good session beer.

Overall, this is a very solid beer. Not one that is overwhelmingly good, but one for a good change of pace. I think this would be a good starter beer for people looking to get into the other Belgian styles (dubbel, trippel).

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 00:09:58 | More by boilermakerbrew

MadScientist

New York

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: A medium-dark copper with good clarity. The head is tan and thin, the ring of bubbles around the glass last but the rest dissipates. There is some lacing on the glass that quickly slides down back into the beer.

S: Green raisin and alcohol are the first scents to hit your nose along with a Belgian yeast pepper aroma and malt sweetness. The fruitiness is moderately-strong with moderate alcohol, yeast and malt aromas. There is a little graininess to the malt in the background. no perceived hop aroma.

T: A moderately light malt sweetness and hops bitterness with some of the moderate alcohol balancing the sweetness. The balance ends ups slightly towards the bitter. There is a light raisin and plum flavor with moderately-light peppery notes and a light alcohol sweetness. The finish is medium and the aftertaste is of sweetness and fruity flavors.

M: Medium-full bodied with a moderately-strong carbonation and some alcohol warmth.

O: The fruit component is a bit lighter than you'd expect both from being brewed with raisin and for a Dark Strong although the brew calls it a Belgian Brown. When I think if this as a Dark Strong it seems disappointing thin on the flavors and note fruity enough but when I think of a Brown brewed with Belgian yeast this all makes sense as is fairly enjoyable which is how I scored it.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 01:34:25 | More by MadScientist

ColdWaffles

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Looks as it said it would. A nice looking "mahogany" colored ale. Started with a nice head that died pretty quickly. Not much lacing.

Smell: Sweet smell, I can pick up some of the raisin along with what is almost a "soft" apple cider smell.

Taste: Raisin, beet sugar, yeast, booze. A lot of flavor here, just might be trying to do a bit much.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with a sweet richness that demands your attention.

Not something I'd personally go back to, but an interesting beer none the less.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 00:30:48 | More by ColdWaffles

Gobzilla

California

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: poured a dark amber brown in color with pale yellow highlights and a very thin head that left very little lacing sticking to the glass.

S: lots of sweetness oozing out of the aroma consisting of belgian yeast, dark fruits, burnt sugars, plenty of caramel with signs of booze, ever so slight hop presence and mild apple fruit notes.

T: the raisin dark fruit character was more dominant on the palate alongside belgian yeast, burnt sugar, carmel sweetness, well balanced booze heat, a touch of apple notes, and a hint of hops.

M: the brew was medium in body with a moderate amount of carbonation which had a dark fruity, sweet,slightly hoppy, boozy and sticky finish.

O; I thought it was an OK belgian strong dark but had great dark fruity character

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 22:31:14 | More by Gobzilla

partypak

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +29.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This tasting was a two year bottle from the celler. served cold 40f the head was a 1 inch in frosted mug.. left fast mice lacing in the glass. nice red brown color. taste smooth and creamy no sharp notes a nice smooth finish. this beer tames out so good with age. the draw back this goes down easy and fast be careful this is in a class by it self one of the best.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 22:47:27 | More by partypak

Etan

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle.

A: Reddish brown with a nice off-white head.

S: Cloves, bubblegum, grapey candi sugar, melted caramel, and raisins in the nose.

T: Caramel, brown sugar, banana, lots of raisin, touch of booze, a bit yeasty, light roasted malt, grainy and mildly sweet in the finish.

M: Medium-bodied with zesty carbonation. A bit sticky.

O: I recognize why some people don't like it, but I've always liked this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 03:55:42 | More by Etan

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a wine glass at cellar temperature.

L – Deep amber color with a 2-finger bubbly tan head. Decent retention but not really any lacing. Clear with a good amount of bubbles. Head characteristics aren’t really up to par for something that calls itself a Belgian-style ale.

S – Caramel, brown sugar, toasted malt, figs, raisins, and peppery yeast.

T – Sweet nearly all the way through with caramel malt, brown sugar, and dark fruits like raisins and figs. Toasted malt shows up mid-taste and spicy, peppery yeast comes in at the finish. Tasty, but just not as complex as good Belgian strong dark ales.

F – Medium-bodied with decent carbonation, a sticky and mouth-coating feel, and a sweet, spicy, and slightly dry finish. Surprisingly, peppery yeast flavors linger rather than malty sweet flavors.

O – This is a pretty good beer. Unfortunately, it runs the disadvantage of belonging to a style with some of the best beers out there. As I said above, it’s tasty but just not as complex as it needs to be to graduate to the plus-4 tier. Still, I’m glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 20:15:57 | More by BlackBelt5112203

TBoneJones

Texas

3.38/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark, cloudy cherry mahogany, effervescent and all but lacking a head.
Smells kind of nice..raisin, cedar, some tart fruit.
Tastes like an astringent, brown-sugary dark ale intertwined with tangy fruit. Not my favorite combination, but I'm glad to try this brewery's experiments as always.
Mouthfeel is decent, not a lot of carbonation to speak of.
I wouldnt seek this one out again. I thought this paired horribly with aged cheddar, although i blame the cheddar to try and keep my opinion beer-focused. I would, however, like to try their D' Extra version of this.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 02:54:49 | More by TBoneJones

Ethanol4one

New York

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was sold as a strong, Belgian style ale at Yardhouse in Florida, and it looked great in the glass, dark and crimson.

But the head was just not there on tap in the brew pub with 113 lines. I think a thick Stout style head would work wonders for this beer. Aroma was nice, flavor was spice, like a strong liquid mince meat pie or fruit cake, but with very thin, light body that sends a very clear signal about the ABV lurking in the pint. One or both of two things would help matters: a slightly more sour taste, and a head to speak of.

Of the two, the thing that would drive an impulse buy would be sight-- I'd immediately order it again if I saw this served with a 2 finger head of tight Champagne yeast bubbles next time I'm looking across the bar somewhere that serves it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2012 22:59:50 | More by Ethanol4one

doubledteague

Texas

3.18/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into frosty pint glass.

A- Mahogany brown, head was very slight.

S- Smelled Great! Smells some fruits maybe a slight carmel smell, and by the smell thought it would be delicious.

T- This is where I was let down. Immediate taste of the fruit but that was very brief and faded fast, taste just did not match the smell.

M- Light carbonation, definitely get the 8% abv here.

O- Just about average. Will most likely try this beer again. Feel like I was missin something. Want this beer to be better than what it turned out to be.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 17:08:58 | More by doubledteague

Hendy011

3.28/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - one finger's head, amber brown.
S - sweet, like grapes, fruity smell.
T - sort of smoky, aftertaste smoky, dry, alcohol dominates aftertaste.
F - optimal light carbonation, a bit coarse.
O - decent, was recommended but wouldn't re-recommend. It's a bit smoky, very dark, which is just not my preference in ales.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 04:17:50 | More by Hendy011

AmitC

Indiana

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle dated 7/27 2012. Poured from a 12 oz bottle into snifter.

One finger thick off white colored head that dissipates fast. Non-existent lacing. Mahogany colored. (Amber copper with ruby hints). Some bubbles. Very hazy. The lower part of the beer formed a differently colored thick layer of wooden copper color but then mixed well with the rest of the stuff.

Smell :Typical fruity smell expected of a Belgian ale with some mild alcohol. Moderate to low carbonation. Some caramel. Good aroma overall.

Taste: Malt forward with a lot of Belgian style finish. Very fruity and refreshing with some different beet like taste. Slightly sweet. Dry finish. Almost no hops.

Mouth feel: Low on carbonation. Some yeast presence makes it silky. Medium feel. No astringency.

Style Rate: 4
Personal Rate: 4

A good brew overall. I like it so far, as this is my first belgian strong dark ale. Two others from Unibroue are waiting in the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 03:13:59 | More by AmitC

sirdrinkwell

Florida

3.35/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A-Poured into a pint glass, Raison D'Être is more a honey amber than mahogany , with moderate head that quickly disappears.

S-the nose is bready, with an undercurrent of earthy dark fruit. Yeast dominates.

T-Tartness of raisin and plum are more evident as I drink, with a spicy yeast undertone. There is a bit of sugary sweetness but it is mitigated by the tartness and spice.

M-Medium body, rich .... There's also a tarty aftertaste.

O-I have yet to truly dislike anything from DFH, but at the same time I have yet to encounter anything anything they make that truly appeals to me. In that sense, and given all the DFH hype that is out there, I find this to be another underwhelming brew, and I find it hard to believe that anyone could have named this "American Beer of the Year" in any year. As a Belgian Dark, in particular, this is not something I would seek out again.

Salud!

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 02:59:46 | More by sirdrinkwell

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The first time I tried this beer, I didn't much like it. Now I've had it again and I am beginning to think that the first bottle I got was somehow old or had been poorly kept. I like it a lot better now than my prior review indicated. Thus, I'm doing a completely new review on this one, and changing the scores.

Brown with amber notes and clear. One finger head and so-so lace.

Definitely a bubblegum component to the aroma. Fruity and a little spicy, with some maltiness.

Flavor is more bready and toasted malty but still has some bubblegum character, a little spiciness, and some raisiny fruitiness. Alcohol is pretty noticeable. A bit muddled and chaotic.

Body is slick and thick, carbonation is pretty low, and alcohol is noticeable, moreso than it should be for an 8% beer.

Overall it's a beer in chaos, but it's not bad. I really don't think this fits the Belgian strong dark ale category nearly as well as it would fit the brown ale category, except for perhaps the yeast. But even then, the usual Belgian notes just aren't there to the extent that you'd expect.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 17:02:42 | More by AlCaponeJunior

PatriotsRule

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Delicious dogfish head, as always quite a yum
A: Amber-brown with a nice off-white head. Great head retention and decent lacing
S: Roasted caramel, malts and hops. Very refreshing sniff
T: The caramel is there and the beer is well balanced
M: A bit filling, but it is quite delectably smooth. The 8% abv is masterfully masked.
O: I can see why the name for this is, in French, Reason for Being. I will be for this right 'er!

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 00:19:46 | More by PatriotsRule

williamjbauer

West Virginia

3.4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled, served in a weizen glass

Clear mahogany with 1 finger thin bubbly khaki head with a head that quickly fades minimal stringy lacing and a touch of alcohol legs.

Mild aroma of green raisins, alcohol, earthy malt

Initial flavor is bready, toasted malts, followed by a weird sour transition that floods my palate and confuses me a bit, raisins, green apple, with very presence booze taste and warming at the back palate. Very mild herbal and earthy hops near the end. Never very sweet. Mild bitter finish

Medium body, moderate carbonation, wet mouthfeel

Overall this beer didn't not impress me, I was really hoping the raisins or malt would be highlighted but overall I didn't enjoy the taste from beginning to end and was just left a bit confused at the inspiration for this brew. The alcohol is out of balance and nothing in the flavor profile of the beer left me wanting to try more.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 19:09:57 | More by williamjbauer

cyclonece09

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter. Pours a nice deep maroon color with a small white head that dissipates quickly but leaves a little lacing. Smells of fruit dominated by raisins. Tastes of raisins and slight grape taste with some wine-like hints. Beer is carbonated correctly, goes down smooth with only a slight taste of fruit aftertaste. Overall, a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 02:32:45 | More by cyclonece09