Fort - Dogfish Head Brewery

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On-tap @ Prime 16 into a DFH Signature Glass.

A: Ruby-amber body with cherry glints; small white head quickly disappears, leaving a tiny ring around the edge. Just what I'd expect from a beer this strong.

S: Alcohol, toenail polish (in a good way); tart raspberries on the finish. Big, bold, and inviting.

T: Crisp raspberries, warm booze, and a tart finish. Powerful, aggressive, and straightforward. I'm a fan.

M: Medium body with mouth-coating stickiness and just enough bubbles to stave off cloyingness.

D: Extremely impressive for the astronomical ABV. Simply Awesome.

Notes: Highly tasty and drinkable beer that packs a killer punch. Very extreme, very cool.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2009 00:36:08 | More by woosterbill

drunkboxer1

Texas

3.73/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had an eight ounce glass on draft. I didn't know what this was when it was ordered, so I was a little surprised. Surprisingly it has a fair amount of carbonation, a few little bubbles. I kinda expected it to be almost still. Definitely a wine like/still cider like character to it. I guess the fact that there is actually fermented fruit in it is not surprising. It was a nice beer, fairly interesting, but at this price I wouldn't buy it again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2009 20:06:16 | More by drunkboxer1

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Dive Bar in Worcester on Thanksgiving Eve. Served in a small 6 oz snifter. Bright orange color. Nice white head for such a tiny beer. Smell was a bit boozy. Taste was a lot more boozy than I expected. I can see now why the serving size is limited. Huge wallop of raspberry flavor comes through. Nice bite of hops on the back of the tongue on the finish. Lingering alcohol burn on the palate. A quality beer, but I feel that it's one of those extreme fruit beer that nice to try, but I don't feel the need to ever order one again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2009 18:30:55 | More by morebeergood

drabmuh

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Long story short, opening night at Birch and Barley, the wait staff was not sure what the different taps were. Someone told me that they had Life and Limb on draft so I ordered it and it turned out to be Fort.

Poured in a modified strange, served on draft at the Birch and Barley/Churchkey opening. White tight head forms quickly with moderate to high carbonation to support it, falls as you drink leaving lacing on the glass. Brown / orange in color, lots of haze, cannot see through this beer.

Aroma is complex and sour. Smells like alcohol, dried fruits, lots of sweetness, some apricots, some raspberries, honey, and citrus. Hard to pick up any specific hop character but its there.

Flavor of the beer is pretty odd. Strong / warming forward sensation. Kind of biting on the back of the tongue, almost has a wine like character to it. Hop bitterness is lost in the sour / sweet tones of the fruit. Really like dried cranberries or some other berries. Drinkability moderate, mouthfeel full.

Overall, a good experience, even if I never got my Life and Limb.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2009 14:09:04 | More by drabmuh

dasenebler

Maine

4.3/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at DFH night, Novare Res (Portland, ME)

Poured with no head whatsoever. Cloudy, dark straw color. Think unfiltered apple juice.

Nose was huge and awesome. Fruity alcoholic esters, with tons of raspberries obviously.

Wow, this is a strong beer. Very hot, almost not beer-like at nearly 20 percent. But, it's tangy and yeasty, with a great fermented fruit flavor. Acidic, but not necessarily sour. Not overly sweet like many of the stronger DFH offerings. Nice berry aftertaste. This is actually a delicious sipper of a beer. Incredible stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2009 05:01:57 | More by dasenebler

fightingirishcmk

New York

3.08/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Had it on tap at Cock n Bull in Sarasota. Poured into an 8oz glass, with very little head that receded quickly. There was no lacing left on the glass. Pink/Red, not a typical beer color at all.
S: Smells of raspberry (surprise!), as well as some lighter malts, a bit of caramel. Could not smell any hops aromas.
T: I acknowledge that it is slightly difficult to make raspberry flavored products that don't taste medicinal... unfortunately, this one does taste medicinal. My first sip, I said "this tastes more like a mixed drink". While it did improve after the first sip and taste a bit better, the alcohol was very pronounced and not entirely well hidden. The raspberry was very tart, and it masked the malt and hop flavors, making it taste like a sweet raspberry mixed drink overall.
M: Alcohol was very forward, carbonation was light, and it was a bit sticky in the mouth.
D: It did get more drinkable as I drank, the first few sips were rather harsh and unenjoyable. That is somewhat to be expected for an 18% beer though. I am glad I tried it, but wouldn't be very likely to buy it again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2009 02:06:23 | More by fightingirishcmk

thirdeye11

Texas

3.05/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Presentation: Last night at The Flying Saucer in Addison they were having their 13th anniversary party and tapped 5 rare kegs; this was one of them. Poured from their draft tap into a wide bowl wine-style glass with a stem.

A: This beer is absolutely beautiful. A reddish-orange color that almost appears to be on fire as it catches light around it.

S: Smells extremely phenolic indicative of its 18% alcohol content. It is not hidden whatsoever. What it does have in burn though it makes up for in beautiful raspberry aromas.

T: I liked this beer, but it is extremely strong and does not hide it. Tastes of raspberries and warm alcohol that I prefer as the drink warms up. I think the alcohol burns less as the temperature warms which is converse to what the Alstrom Bros thought.

M: Very nicely carbonated for this type of beer. High carbonation was needed, and it was present.

D: This is a sipper in the purest sense of the word. I bet it took me 1.5 hours to finish 8 oz. of this. I don't drink liquor straight, but at times I certainly felt like that's what this was offering.

Overall I"m glad I got to have this, but I would not get it again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2009 19:43:56 | More by thirdeye11

BretSikkink

Mexico

3.83/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Served bright orange with raspberry red highlights - incredible color for a beer, really. No head, not much lace, but that's okay cause' I know what's coming...

You can smell the booze on the nose, along with some sweet fruitiness. I thought from the bottle that there was a lot of cherry character, and I'm getting a lot of that on tap as well.

Big as hell. Sharp booze, but honestly it's less noticeable than in the bomber I had. Very thick, slick mouthfeel, with tons of fruit. Even some chunks of what appear to be berries.

Check this one on tap for sure, especially if you were a little disappointed from the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2009 22:13:14 | More by BretSikkink

Damian

Massachusetts

2.17/5  rDev -40.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 1

Drank on-tap at Eli Cannon's Tap Room, Middletown, CT

Poured a cloudy, salmon-magenta with a thin, wispy, white film that quickly disappeared. The beer was very lambic-like in appearance.

The aroma was quite alcohol rich. Vodka-like with faint indications of ripe berries and a slight sour quality. It was not until the near end of the drink that the berry aroma really came forth. Candy-like notes of raspberries and strawberries were apparent. Unfortunately, it was a bit too little too late.

The taste was overwhelmingly alcoholic. Once again, vodka came to mind. Some faint berry flavors appeared mid-palate. Somewhat wine-like. The finish was slightly acidic and sour with the alcohol dominating once again. Notes of lemon peel came through in the aftertaste, along with a touch of syrupy sweetness.

Mouthfeel was light and fluffy on the palate with a fine, spritzy, lively carbonation. Practically champagne-like.

Drinkability was absolutely awful. This beer reminded me of a terrible sort of "jungle juice" concoction that I may have drunk in college. It seemed like every aspect of the beer was too thin to keep up with the extreme 18% ABV. Maybe if it were aged it would mellow out to a more palatable digestif. Until it did, I would stay away from this.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2008 05:37:51 | More by Damian

blakesell

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap at Gravity Head '08 in New Albany, IN. Poured into a 4oz large shot glass, thankfully, not 10oz like everything else.

Appearance- Surprisingly has head for such a big beer. Head was a finger thick upon arrival, but it still lingers fifteen minutes later, and clings to the sides of the glass. Looks like baby gots some legs on her as well!

Smell- Raspberry and BIG alcohol. Smells like a raspberry liquor, which I guess essentially it is. Still is quite malty and has the aspects of still being a beer.

Taste- Whoa. When I tried to go for a large sip, it caught the throat with a firey grip. Raspberry is thin but alcohol remains BIG. Raspberry burn lingers and does not dissipate. I like this beer, but it's definitely not for keeps.

Mouthfeel- Thick, full bodied, warming and palate destroying. I would call this a one time brew for drinking.

Drinkability- 3 may be a little high, and it was nice and warming, but it was still a good beer. I don't think I'll be revisiting it anytime soon, but it was not a bad beer by any means.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2008 19:48:29 | More by blakesell

marcpal

New Jersey

2.48/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Poured into snifter from the tap at Dogfish Head brewpub in Rehoboth.

A: Amber color with a pinkish hazy hue to it. Bubbly carbonation, champagne like at first and minimal amounts of lacing on the pour.

S: Raspberry and fruit sweetness and then a bit more sweetmess and raspberries. This does not smell like a beer at all, and alcohol really not evident yet..

T: Here comes more of the raspberries, and the sweetness- and the alcohol does make its presence felt. Did not enjoy this one too much, far prefer the other DFH big beers but this is more of a hard mixer, not pleasurable to me.

M: Champagne like fizz matching the taset. There is a cloying sweetness and it is matched by the alcohol remaining in the back of the palate.

D: Not very drinkable based on the sweetness overbearingness and the high levels of alchohol. Would strongly prefer DFH other high price, high alcohol offerings by far (WW, 120, and others)

This is one of those beers that leaves you wondering afterward if it really is a beer? Not such a good thing to me but interesting. I could see it being a good drink with a dessert or as a sipper. It really takes something special foodwise to cut through the sweetness of this thing.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2007 20:27:02 | More by marcpal

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on-tap at the Dogfish Brewpub in Rehoboth Beach.
Served in a snifter as an apricot colored beer with scant head.
Smell is very fruity with very strong berry notes.
Taste is of berries without being too sweet. It really is a great taste and the alcohol only slowly arises as the beer warms.
Leaves a nice berry taste in the mouth without the sweetness that you would expect.
As drinkable, almost too drinkable, as you can get for an 18% beer. I was surely aware of it the next morning.
My wife an I toured the brewery the next day and picked up a bottle for New Years Eve. I will see how that compares to the on-tap version.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2007 23:56:17 | More by tgbljb

slvrmon82

Delaware

4.47/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - It's a thick creamy gold color. Thick can't see through it at all. Very heavy appearance.
S - Pure raspberries. No doubt about it. It hits you as soon as its in front of you. I was excited just by the smell of this beer.
T - Amazing. Delicious. I was blown away that it could be that high in alcohol and taste so good. There is so much fresh raspberry taste that it is hard to call it beer.
M - Pretty nice. Very nice sipping beer in the winter. Not much of a summer beer. Heavy on the palate and the tongue.
D - Average, I couldn't have more than one or two of these beers. It is heavy and stays on the palate for a while. Can't wait to have some more but couldn't see drinking much of it in the summer.

Dogfish always blows me away with their beers.

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2007 01:35:54 | More by slvrmon82

jasonjlewis

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer has a decent head and retention for a beer that is so high in alcohol. It's nose is strongly of rasberries with some subtle malts coming through.

This beer is very sweet. I didn't find it overly boozy for 18% alcohol. It was just a beer on steroids. A fault of it is that it is very sweet. A fuckload of sugar had to have been added to make this 18 %

Still a decent brew. I enjoyed it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2007 23:16:07 | More by jasonjlewis

sacfly

Maryland

3.35/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Happy new year. Had paired with raspberry crème Brule at the DFH New Years Eve dinner.

Served an impressive deep red color with a hint of purple, well, like raspberries. No head, minimal carbonation. Smell is of raspberry (imagine that) a hint of cherry(?) and a bit of vodka.

Taste is solvent like alcohol and raspberries. The alcohol burn is distracting and takes away from the full enjoyment of the beer. Aftertaste is more of the same. I got used to the alcohol burn towards the end. Went well with the desert!

Fresh from the tap? I recommend skipping that and buying a bottle to age for a year or two (or more…). If it settles down with time, this could be great. As is right now, it was still OK.

Hard to rate, because of contrasting likes and dislikes in the catagories. For example, the taste of raspberry was awesome, 4.5, but the solvent alcohol was a 2 at most.

Note that his is a draft review. I have herd that the bottles are good right now… they don’t have nearly the solvent quality that the draft version has. I will update my review after cracking a bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2006 01:15:40 | More by sacfly

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The family stopped by the Dogfish Ale House for a Christmas Eve lunch. The Fort was served on tap, in a snifter and chilled.

I first had Fort last summer at the DFH pub in Rehobeth. All I recall is high alcohol and bewilderment over what fruit was in this beer. This time around, the brewers took the time to get everything right and it shows.

Appearance: The ale comes in a snifter with a small to neglible head. It is coppery-red, with an emphasis on the red from the raspberries.

Smell: Thiere is a definite raspberry smell here. It is a pleasant aroma, similar to Lindemans, but not as sweet and overbearing. The alcohol (18%) also makes itself known.

Taste: A great tasting fruit beer! The raspberry is present, but not too strong. It mixes well with the ale and provides a great lift in the taste. The alcohol is very well masked, making this a potent brew.

Mouthfeel: Unlike the first batch which lacked Raspberry content, the fruit is quite evident now. It is a mild sweetness that mixes well with the alcohol and malt. There is no overpowering hops feeling to scour the palate.

Drinkability: I've got to give this a '3' as it weighs in at 18%, which seriously limits the drinkability. Despite the ABV, I will try another one, next time I find it on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2005 19:51:15 | More by akorsak

chOAKbarrell

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

$9 per snifter, on tap now at the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Maryland.

Vibrant reddish hue with no head.

This is the best way I can describe this beer: It starts off tasting/feeling like a raspberry lambic, then halfway through (as you start to swallow) the taste/feel changes to more of a raspberry-flavored wheat beer, and then on the finish, it takes on the syrupy sweet strong-alcohol characteristics of Dogfish's World wide stout, or 120 min IPA. Nice and complex, this beer definitely works in stages.

At 18% alcohol, this beer goes down suprisingly smooth. I suppose most people couldnt have more than 1 glass, but this is a great dessert beer for sipping after your meal, which is what I did.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2005 03:54:10 | More by chOAKbarrell

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Quite psyched to try this forte at the brewpub last week with a couple BA buds.

Pours a clear mellow twinge cherry red with absolutely no head cap to speak of.

Aroma is light dry vinous in effect, with a suggestion of the cherry aspects.

First swigs: Impressive dry delicate (again) vinous dry chardonay like that amazingly hides the awl-kee-hawl aspect. 18%???!!! Knock me over with a feather! This "ah-hem!" BEER (so to speak) is a beguling mixture of hooch, beer and wine.

Forte has a thin escaping light body that seemingly escapes from the glass to my gullet. Oh, wait... I poured it out like that.

Last swigs: Is FORTE sooo good because it's only available at the brewpub? No. I'm not going to give the old "I had some and you didn't so it's great" act, but it is impressive enough to say WOW! and Sam Calgione is amazing at his craft. Seriously!!!

Beer is good, except at DH...GREAT!!!

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2005 13:33:47 | More by blitheringidiot

PopeDX

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

This really shocked the hell out of me. Considering that there's not much of anything to balance the 18% alcohol, it's really quite drinkable. Any other beer near that percentage that I have had is balanced by a large malt presence or has a really thick body. This is really more like mead than beer, and any meads with that much alcohol that I've had all drink really hot.

Pours a nice color, like a more translucent cherry juice. No head. Smells exactly like cherry Twizzlers. Slight alcohol taste up front, shifts into a fruit mead taste on the tongue, finishes a bit hot, but not in an offputting sort of way. No fusel alcohols detectable, which is really a testament to the great yeast handling done by the brewer. I could sip this all night. The amazing drinkability of this and of all the microdistilled products made at the brewpub are a true testament to the skills of the brewer/distiller there (and I'm such an ass for forgetting his name...I believe his first name is Mike).

Can't even imagine how awesome this would be with a couple of years under it's belt.

Pleasepleaseplease bottle it soon!

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2005 14:41:55 | More by PopeDX

luvND

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap at Rehoboth in a tulip. Color seemed light pink to me, though the bar was dark. Little to no head to speak of.

Nose was very nice. Definite alcohol. I guessed cherry as the fruit, but my wife said raspberry, after reading more here, looks like she was right. Still, seemed like marachinos in alcohol to me.

Taste up front was sweet, no hops to speak of and brother, let me tell you, big alcohol in the end. I think I could have done the flamethrower act after this one. After the alcohol dissipates, it does remain somewhat sweet however.

Overall, another great experiment from DFH. I would never drink more than one of these and I don't know what this would be like in a bottle, but an interesting concoction and one I'm glad I tried none the less.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2005 02:05:49 | More by luvND

francisweizen

Australia

3.43/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

This is the new 18%abv brewpub/fest-only brew from the fine folks at DFH. This is an interesting brew to say the least, but i'm not sure if it was worth the trip down to Rehoboth for. This is a dark ruby red/pink champagne colour with a small head of off-white foam that quickly fades to just a small rim of lace. The aroma is pretty good. I pciekd up some HOT booze, fresh raspberries, and some funky, spicy undertones. The taste was good, fruity, but a bit too hot for my tastes. It also seemed one-dimensional with just the booze stealing the show. The mouthfeel was medium bodied, and not too thick for an 18%abv brew, but the drinkability was below average for me because of the overwhlmingly hot liquor flavor this brew has. Still it's an interesting experiment in brewing, and with a little twaking or two years of age this could be a fruit/strong ale contender (ala kuhnhenns rasperry eisbock)

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2005 21:24:05 | More by francisweizen

Strix

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2009 vintage

Approximately peach colored, slightly hazy, some head that lingers as a ring.

Sugar, alcohol, slight berry note.

Sugar and booze (reminiscent of Samichlaus) definite rasperry finish. Quite floral.

Mouthfeel slick, coats the mouth.

I was quite impressed by this, really. High ABV melds with the fruit, very Samichlausesque.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 04:26:51 | More by Strix

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.96/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

2011 vintage.

Pours a super-hazy rosy dark-orange. Head formed easily in the tulip and has remained a near three-finger constant. Laces, too.

Raspberry skins, floral perfume, floral hops, tart cherry, and pomegranate berry. Nice, after two years.

Raspberries and flora, and I don't mean sour critter flora. Flowery and still somewhat hoppy. Boozy burn in the finish with some lingering white wine-like sweetness, but not 18% booziness. More of that tart cherry/pomegranate and red currant fruitiness in here. Touch of strawberry leaf. Malts have notes of toasted pecan and treacle syrup. Interesting.

Dangerously drinkable. Medium-to-sticky body and feel with a lot of leftover trapped effervescence. You just have to fight the lip-smacking.

Excellent stuff. I miss the hoppier fresh version I've had on-tap, but this was fantastic, too. I feel like this is, at least, close to the sweet spot for this brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 05:20:46 | More by thecheapies

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours an amber color but with a shade towards red/pink - definitely showing some raspberry color. Head is decent at pour, lingers, and laces for a bit along with the beer but then disappates. Smell from this 1 yr old brew is somewhat boozy but with a berry sweet note present. Taste is heavy sweet upfront with candy showing, alcohol burn on the back of the throat through the middle (but expected at 18%), and then raspberry and candy to finish. A treat to be enjoyed every once in a while!

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 01:51:49 | More by Oakenator

Kadonny

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 750 bottle into a snifter glass. This was a one year old bottle.

A: A clear reddish maroon color with a tiny off white head. No lacing at all.

S: Wow, lots of raspberry on the nose coupled with some sugar sweetness and loads of alcohol.

T: The raspberry flavors are massive. They mix with a huge sugar and candy sweetness that stays through. Towards the finish the massive alcohol comes in to take over on the finish. It's not totally off-putting, but it makes a massive showing. Sweetness finishes it out.

M: Full, coating, syrupy sweet and very little carbonation.

O: I give DFH props for really making this a huge raspberry bomb. Where I question it is who wants 750ml of this huge alcohol sweet bomb? Why not just make them 12 ounce bottles and then one might be able to enjoy one at a sitting. There were two of us and we couldn't finish the bottle. Again, I give them props for their forward thinking on beer, but this one misses the mark on drinkability.

Good, but far from great.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 13:32:37 | More by Kadonny