Midas Touch - Dogfish Head Brewery

Portertime

Florida

5/5  rDev +34.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow! What a brew. This beer had a superb taste that I enjoyed to the last sip. Honey and saffron tickled my tastebuds. The purple labeled bottle with a big gold thumb print was also attractive. I whole heartedly recommend this beer to anyone who wants a distinct, flavorful beverage. It's even nine percent alcohol so it'll get you krunk!

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2006 02:40:51 | More by Portertime

DawnL

New York

5/5  rDev +34.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I'm really biased here. This is one of my favorite brews of all time. I've had it maybe 20 times from various batches and vendors. Each time the beer was golden with a luscious head. The mead-like qualities from the honey are balanced by the spicy floral notes of the saffron. The muscat grapes add another dimention of sweetness. The citrus from the hops is a nice touch since muscat is generally low in acid. The muscat jus adds a beautiful fruit component of apricot and I could gush on and on. I'll quietly step back and finish my brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2009 00:30:50 | More by DawnL

wages

Missouri

4.95/5  rDev +33.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a fluted glass.

appearance - 4/5 - Pours a golden color with a thin head. Mine has chill haze something fierce. That might be from low fridge temperatures, nut sure. I can still read through the beer. Leaves a fair amount of lacing.

smell - 5/5 - Sweet aroma of honey and grapes, almost like wine.

taste - 5/5 - More like a sparkling wine than a beer. Lots of grape flavor (reminds me of Nehi grape soda) sweetened by honey. I don't know what saffron tastes like, but there is a subtle herb-like flavor which I presume must be the saffron. I'm not picking up the slightest bit of hops, but surely there are hops in there.

mouthfeel - 5/5 - Moderate level of carbonation fortunately keeps this tasting more like alcohol than soda.

overall - 5/5 - For a sweet beer, this is far from overwhelming. I think the sweetness is at the right balance. I've tasted many other sweet beers that really put me off, but not here. This beer is chill haze away from being perfect.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 23:52:39 | More by wages

mempath

Pennsylvania

4.93/5  rDev +32.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

since it's a fruit/herb ale, i figured just slam it into a tulip instead of my actual DFH pint.

light then vigorous pour creates a nice thick head that settles not fast nor slow. no lacing, but it stays curdled up toward the lip as it dies back. within a couple of minutes, the surface appears slightly as a veneer of creaminess remains. LOOKS substantial (had one of these last year...thought i had reviewed it...i did, but not here...somewhere in one of my journals).

nose is pure, sharp muscat/muscadine (i'm from mississippi so the smell of the primitive grape is brought back from the crypt!)...just amazing smelling this. i know there's more going on, but i think the other elements are keeping the muscadine note up front and keeping it from smelling like wine. there is a mead sense coming through. magick.

yeah, this is mead ale with archaic grapes and herbs and it is just as amazing as i remember. truly a stellar brew and no wonder DFH remains one of my favorites for their innovation and courage. not too sweet (i know it will sweeten as it warms...but i think i'll finish this while it's still cool!), nice sour note, the alcohol is present but very embedded into the whole. stellar. didn't i say that already?

mouthfeel is perfect for this type of brew. not as flat as you would expect. not flat at all, actually. a thick rim of foam remains and i get more bristling carbonation that keeps this almost heavy drink from drowning itself and me. as the glass goes down, some interesting lacing develops. looks like an oracle...

very drinkable in my opinion. as a hophead. this redefines (predates?) what sweetness in an ale should be. neither thick nor thin. perfect all by itself. if you can handle the ABV, sure it's a session brew! i assume you are a gladiator or soldier or minotaur if you can down a 4-pack of these...

even for folks who like basic beers, this would be a treat and they could definitely handle a bottle or at least SPLIT one with you.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2009 15:06:10 | More by mempath

GimpyCane

Florida

4.9/5  rDev +31.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

My wife and I first had this brew about 2 months ago and we are hooked. As soon as you pop the top a blast of well balanced honey, saffron and a hint of vanilla hits your nose. Poured a copper hue w/ a small head that fully diminished. The good thing about this brew is what you smell is what you are going to taste. Full body, syrupy, honey sweet and full of spices that goes down warm and w/ a hint of alcohol. Careful this brew packs a punch at 9% ABV a four will start off a nice buzz. Way go to Dogfish Head for making a one of a kind of brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2006 23:59:55 | More by GimpyCane

Malina

Texas

4.85/5  rDev +30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - A rich golden color, with no head to speak of, but a light lace ringed my glass throughout.

S - Smell is faint, but with just a hint of the honey to come

T - Wow.

It comes on strong with sweetness that feels as though it's fast approaching cloying, but it never gets there. The grape jumps right out at you, and then immediately transitions to a taste of honey, but again, the flavor, and not the overbearing sweetness. It's hard to 'notice' the saffron, but it contributes to the warmth, and it would be most noticeable if it were missing.

As a bona-fide hophead, it first seemed to lack the bitterness I crave, but I soon found my old friend so well blended with the other notes that it was hiding in the the richness, instead of jumping out and slapping me in the face.

M - Though not seeming particularly carbonated as it laid in wait in my glass, as soon as it hit my mouth, it came alive with a crispy froth that was exciting from start to finish.

D - Deliciously easy to drink, but at its high ABV, it's TOO easy to drink, while out. On the upside, that nearly forces you to slow down and savor it.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2008 22:42:05 | More by Malina

TheKingofWichita

North Carolina

4.85/5  rDev +30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a hazy orange yellow color with a thin white head and good lacing. Smells of muscat grapes, saffron, white wine, malts. Godly. Tastes sweet from muscat grapes, saffron, some citrus. Hops are there but they only lighten the sweetness just a tad. Mouthfeel is exceptional and drinkability is insane. One could drink half a gallon. Not good for your liver that it tastes so awesome.

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2010 14:16:55 | More by TheKingofWichita

ElCommodoro

Texas

4.85/5  rDev +30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a cloudy apple juice colour with no head whatsoever. The smell is a bit like beer, but mostly fruity, reminiscent of apricots. It's also distinct from the dried fruit smell of some dark beers.
The taste is very unique and distinct. It has a lot of qualities not typically found in beer, but still retains a strong beer-like presence. It's a bit sour in the way that sour apples or sour grapes are sour. Not the green apple taste of a poorly brewed beer. This actually compliments the beer quite nicely. It has a honey flavour as well and despite my usual aversion to honey, this flavour compliments the beer quite nicely. There are some hops and other spices that balance out the beer very well. I can't place what the spices are. The bottle says saffron. I'm not an herb expert, so I don't know what saffron tastes like. Maybe that's what's making this beer so awesome. The hops are light, but present enough to give the beer just the light astringency it needs. Overall, the beer is sweet and light in flavour and the alcohol character is quite discernible, which I like, but no so harsh that most beer drinkers might have a problem with it. I personally like an alcohol presence in my beer, so I welcome lots of strongly alcohol-flavoured beers. I'd consider this one to have a medium alcohol character. It's not overbearing. Basically, this beer is fucking sweet. If you have the funds and the availability, try it.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 07:40:23 | More by ElCommodoro

simmons

New Jersey

4.8/5  rDev +29%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

My buddies and I saw Dogfish Heads Midas Touch and it looked very apealing to us. It came in a 4 pack and was high priced at $10.99 but we decided to try it anyway and it paid off. This stuff has to be the smoothest and best tasting beer ive had, stouts excluded...theyre pretty smooth. Midas Touch has a nice honey flavor which is probably why it is at 9%. I had this beer about 6 months ago and seeing it on this site again i am going to get another 4 pack tonight just because how good it is. Iv noticed that Dogfish Heads beer seem to be kind of harsh tasting and insaine but this is their best work. cheers to brewer/owner Sam Calagione

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2004 20:53:04 | More by simmons

auxiliary

Rhode Island

4.8/5  rDev +29%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

appearance - Has a light copper color to it, with a nice head and some lace left on the glass.

smell - Alcohol, grapes, sugars, and dark fruits.

taste - Sugars, honey present here, with the alcohol. Has a great taste, very smooth beer, something like i have never had.

mouthfeel -Real smooth feel here.

drinkability - Nice sipper, nice beer to age, even though it is aged LOL Read up on this beer on Dogfish, interesting.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2008 02:49:30 | More by auxiliary

erica

California

4.78/5  rDev +28.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Midas Touch is wonderful! I love the idea that they got the recipe from King Midas' tomb, it was a great move for history and beer. The color is great, being a dark orange or red-amber color, and I just have to smile when I start pouring. I'm a sucker for sweetness, and this is sweet! The taste isn't sickeningly sweet, though, tasting a lot like spiced wine mixed with beer. Strong and thick, it makes me feel nice and warm inside!

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2003 16:26:46 | More by erica

BigJTrucker

Oregon

4.78/5  rDev +28.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A deliciously different beer than i've had before. Pours with almost no head, and what little there is quickly dissipates. Color wise, i'd put it somewhere near a strong tea color. Smells more like a mead than an ale. You can really smell the honey and grapes used in the recipe, and taste them as well. Very sweet, like a Gewurztraminer or ice wine. Can't tell it's 9% abv.... Very well done. Highly recommended, but if you are not a fan of sweet, then you wouldnt like it.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2007 07:47:04 | More by BigJTrucker

meday

New Hampshire

4.78/5  rDev +28.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into my Smuttynose Tulip Chalice

Dark golden crystal color with a quick disappearing white head

Aroma of honey and sweet grapes, like walking downwind from from a vineyard of a cool autumn afternoon.

Sweet grapes dominate the initial taste, then yielding to a more subtle bouquet of floral, melon, and honey.

Bright, clean mouthfeel

Very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2009 14:32:27 | More by meday

mcann2pu

Delaware

4.78/5  rDev +28.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance- Pours into my dogfish head shaped pint glass a beautiful amber color; About a finger's worth of light head.
Smell- sweet smell of grapes
Taste- sweet grape taste;
Mouthfeel- Carbonation at first, smooth,
Drinkability- Great, Good beer with a different taste.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2009 02:34:07 | More by mcann2pu

mattman688

California

4.75/5  rDev +27.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This beer is amazing... Great smell, strong sweet sweet wine smell. very little head even when you pour fast. The taste is so complex... strong moscato feel to this with a brief honey aftertaste...short review for a great beer...too busy to type, must finish my beer!!

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2008 03:11:24 | More by mattman688

CrawlingSpirit

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +27.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

My first review...gotta say something, right? Nothing I have ever drunk[en] has done what this one has...I am in a better mood [not that I was in a bad mood beforehand...] upon drinking this brew. I must say...the ancient Egyptians were certainly onto something, indeed! I know no beer-ology terms to supplement this subjective observation but I do know that, despite the approximate $13/4-pack cost, this brew is truly exceptional..Hands down. If you like good fruit beers, then you will love this as it is arguably the best ever!

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2008 00:56:47 | More by CrawlingSpirit

numinorian

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +27.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A a light golden amber color to the liquid with a creamy white, but fairly thin head that refuses to diminish. Spotty lace is left on the head.

S a good full force nose with a young fruit taste to it, such as pear and grape. A bit of a cereal smoothness and notes of honey.

T First and foremost you get hit with the honey. Good notes of sweet ripened fruits with a bit of pomegranate. There is a noticable hint of alchahol, but it is balanced out by a perfect ammount of malt.

MF the mouthfeel is what really setts this beer apart. A thick and full creamy beer, much more than the golden color would suggest. If you didn't account for the taste or smell this beer is like a creamy stout.

DA A very easy drinker, but you can't pound these babys down, but that's perfect. Who would want to waste all this taste?

Over all I think this is an under rated beer, worthy to sit in the beer halls as a good experimental beer that came off just right. With this great taste and cute story how can you go wrong?

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2009 02:42:45 | More by numinorian

Pblives

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +27.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Picked up a 750 mL at Dave's Bellport Cold Beer & Soda at the Dogfish Head Tasting. I poured it into a beer stein and this is my review...
Appearance- Clear, inviting, head quickly receded to about one finger, light amber color
Smell- Sweet like honey yet nutty, leafy
Taste- A combination of pinot grigio meets grape juce with a splash of champagne, subtle bitter aftertaste, good balance of flavors with no apparent alcohol taste
Mouthfeel- Heavier than you expect a light beer to feel like with minimal carbonation, smooth with malty accents that remain in your mouth
Drinkability- Easy to drink and enjoy, no alcohol flavor, slightly more carbonation would have been preferred but I will definitely have another :)

Serving type: growler

02-20-2010 20:05:14 | More by Pblives

hollydae77

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +27.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I just really enjoy this beer, I wasn't sure at first...but didnt have a glass with me so I had to drink it out of the bottle. When I drank the other 3 in the pack I used a pint glass, and it was SOO much better. In the glass it definately brought out the different depths. I could definately sense the "dryness", and got a touch of the saffron. I couldnt really taste any melon or papaya (that was in the description). Just a good brew!

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2010 04:46:14 | More by hollydae77

BobbyBeerman

Illinois

4.72/5  rDev +26.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: As the name implies, this poured a golden copper color. The head was thin that took a while to thin out to a wisp that persisted but didn't leave much lacing. It's clear with obvious carbonation trails.

S: The initial aroma is a nice balance between the spicy saffron with the sweet honey. The other aromas aren't that pronounced but I think there is a hint of vanilla.

T: The taste doesn't disappoint. The one-two punch of honey saffron is right up there with a nice warming sensation as it goes down. I don't really get the grapes up front but more in the lingering taste.

M: Smooth. Even weighing in at 9% ABV you don't taste/feel it.

D: The spiciness keeps this from being too sweet. This is great as a sipping beer. It would be great as a session beer as long as it is limited. I would love to use this to introduce some of my novices to the bigger world of beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2009 02:40:32 | More by BobbyBeerman

Dadoftwogirls

Florida

4.72/5  rDev +26.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Wow! This seems more like a desert beer. Very sweet. Complex and unique to say the least. I can't really even describe it. This has to be one of the best "sweet" beers I've had, if you consider it beer at all. Very pricy at about four dollars a 12oz. bottle. In my opinion it would be the perfect beer after a heavy meal to finish the night. At 9% ABV three or four and you'll finish the night right with a great desert finisher. Would go great with multiple deserts like heavy chocolate, cheese cake, etc... Only a 4 on drinkability because I think more than 3-4 would overwhelm most. In my opinion this is a classic, true, above average cutting edge brew that challenges the norms of beer making. A must try at least once.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2010 04:56:11 | More by Dadoftwogirls

trbergman

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into a tulip.

A - Pours a medium-dark orange-gold with a thin head that dissipates quickly. Streams of fine bubbles flow steadily from the bottom of the glass.

S - Aromatic and strongly perfumed. Honey and muscat grapes are both clearly present. The beer has a delicate, sweet aroma with floral highlights. Smells of violets and a garden in full bloom. Any signature of the malt is harder to discern; beneath the floral aromas of the adjuncts, there are hints of earthiness and toast.

T - More balanced on the palate than the nose would suggest. While its honey helps to dry it out a bit, the beer's muscat content contributes a telltale nectar-like quality. Some malt comes through in the middle, adding earthy and bready flavors to the mix. Bitterness seems to be at the barest threshold level - just enough to balance the sweetness of the grapes - and no hop flavor is evident.

M - Medium body with a very lush feel on the tongue - soft and silky.

D - This beer is what you make of it. If you expect the standard offering from most craft beers, then Midas Touch may disappoint. If, on the other hand, you enjoy both wine and beer and expect a weird hybrid of the two, you will probably enjoy what Dogfish Head has done here. This could easily stand in for Moscato d'Asti where a somewhat heavier offering is desired.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2009 00:14:07 | More by trbergman

KarlHungus

Minnesota

4.7/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a clear golden-orange color. The head is half an inch in height, and recedes slowly into nice lacing. The aroma is honey, pears, pale malt, and flowers. There is a lot going on in this aroma with a lot of complexity. I really like the way this beer smells. The taste is just as bold as the aroma with lot of flavors all competing with each other. Again, I really like the way this beer tastes. The mouthfeel is medium-full bodied with effervescent carbonation. Overall, this beer really impresses me. I can't see myself drinking this all the time, but I could easily see myself pairing this with food often and successfully. Way to do DFH for recreating this fine beverage.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2009 19:19:02 | More by KarlHungus

OStrungT

California

4.68/5  rDev +25.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a pale golden yellow color with a thick, fluffy, white head. The head fades slowly, leaving many thick laces.

This beer smells of honey. Not as strong as mead, but it definately has a very strong honey aroma. Behind that, it smells spicy with some yeasty aroma. It also smells quite sweet.

This beer tastes very honey like. It is also surprisingly sweet. It is almost too sweet, but not quite. It has a slightly spicy flavor also.

This beer goes down smooth, despite the very sweet flavor. It leaves a honey like aftertaste.

This beer would make a decent sessnion beer. The only problems are that it is so very sweet, and the alcohol content is up there.

Overall: This beer is great. I am definately going back to O'Brien's for a few more before they run out.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2006 23:17:31 | More by OStrungT

pilotgod

Oklahoma

4.68/5  rDev +25.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Normally I just cover the A, S, T, M, D and give an overall impression, but after drinking the four pack and experimenting I am going to embellish a bit here in the hopes that if someone is going to give this beer a try they do, but keep in mind, it is unfair to really compare it to anything else.

As most BA's will know, this beer is made up of a wide
range of specialty ingredients and is based on a recipe from clay tablets and jars of a brewed beverage found in a tomb in Turkey dating back 2700 years. This should be noted since it determines how to approach this beer.

The first bottle I had was chilled in the fridge, poured into a chalice glass and consumed. Based on that it was ok, but really nothing exceptional and that dissapointment had me wondering what to do with the other 3 bottles. I then thought, this is a beer more closely related to a mead than what I would call beer being a 21st century beer drinker. Also, 2700 years ago, Frigidaire wasn't around so at best, cellar temp is what your going to get for a spring beer in Turkey without refrigeration. Based on this I took the bottles out of the fridge and let them stand for about 30 minutes then I consumed. The difference was amazing. The below notes are based on that tasting. I didn't have a thermometer, but I would guess that serving temperature was around 50 and warmed to 60 or so before I finished it. It felt cool to drink, but not cold.

Appearance: Pours an excellent golden honey color and will coat the glass if swirled, like a lower end wine. The initial head is very good, but does dissipate quickly, but not entirely. It leaves bits of lacing on the glass as it is consumed.

Smell: Honey is the first thing I noticed and with the warmer serving notes of citrus comes out, more than just the grapefruit or orange you will normally see in citrus, this also presents with hints of melon and tropical fruits.

Taste: As stated above, the temperature changes this beers character dramatically. I've never liked "warm" beers, but this one is exceptional. I would drink this anytime and honestly feel that to chill it is a crime to your tastebuds.

Mouthfeel: The feel is very much comparable to a mead. The alcohol while detectable is not as prevalent as was expected. The carbonation is light and barely apparent. There is a bit of tanginess that can be detected.

Drinkability: I would've given this a perfect 5.0, but that's only when it is served at cellar temperatures. If served in the high 30's to 40's like most beers a lot of the taste is closed off and the beer becomes underwhelming.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2011 03:54:05 | More by pilotgod