World Wide Stout - Dogfish Head Brewery

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.85/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a snifter. Bottled 11/17/09.

Appearance - Pours black and a but transparent at the edge. Lots of chunks at the bottom of this bottle. Very leggy.

Smell - Super vinous. Raisins, port, deep red wine. Lots of sugars. Slight chocolate roast. Boozy.

Taste - A lot more chocolate than the nose. Still very fruity. Winey. Like port and chocolate. Raisins and oxidation. Sweet and boozy.

Mouthfeel - Surprisingly dry. Sweet as hell and medium low carbonation.

Overall - Never loved this fresh, but this is really good. Complex port and red wine flavors.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 02:57:24 | More by Alieniloquium

Soracloud

New Jersey

2.86/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

2007 Vintage and I had a similar experience as a previous reviewer had with this 2007 aged till 2013.

appearance: solid black no head to speak of and no lacing

smell: raisins and a little spice, it reminds me of a bad jail-house mead I made a few years back

taste: pretty sure this has gone south, sweet upfront followed by raisins and astringent, little (very little) alcohol bite on the way down, nothing redeeming at all and its getting worse by the sip.

mouthfeel: thick and coating, little bite towards the end

overall; I know this is a good beer, I have had them aged before but only a year or two, 6 years + has done this one in, I would say of you have one that's hitting the four year mark I would pop it. The higher overall rating is because I know this can be a good beer, just not aged for over 5 years.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 00:53:26 | More by Soracloud

trxxpaxxs

New York

2.89/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2007 Vintage...

A: Pours pitch black with only a bit of frothy dark ran head that fades quickly into a tiny ring along the edges of the glass.

S: The nose is huge with alcohol. Serious amounts for something this old. I also get hit in the face with raisins, caramel, and soy.

T: It starts off sweet and cloying with a big bit of malt, roast, and raisins. As it moves to the middle I get boozy heat, a touch of caramel and some soy sauce. The finish is more raisin and soy with booze and burnt vegetation.

M: Full bodied beer. It's sticky, cloying, and really hefty to start. Sweet malt, caramel and soy lead to an alcohol finish.

O: No thanks. I was hoping this would age well, but after six years it's still gross. I don't hate it, but I'm not going to drink more than a few sips of this beer. Brutal.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 12:50:26 | More by trxxpaxxs

zac16125

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a snifter
Vintage 2012

A: Pours black with some browning on the edges when held to light. 1/2 a fingers width of light mocha head builds then recedes fairly quickly. Leaves only faint patches of lacing.

S: Dark fruits, boozey, vinous. Lots of prune, cheap red wine. Subtle hints of bakers chocolate and roasted malt. There is an almost sour dark fruit characteristic, which gives it a somewhat off aroma. The aroma as a whole is very strong though.

T: Dark fruits, roasted malt, booze, bourbon, oak. Really much better than the nose. I also get dark chocolate, and an herbaceous characters. Very well done.

M/D: Definitely full bodied, but not as thick as I anticipated. Booze characters are present, but its not hot going down. Actually, for an 18% ABV beer the drinkability is pretty damn good.

O: Overall, this one is not for the faint of heart. Big and boozey, a slow sipper for sure. Definitely something I will have again. Not as good as the other 18% or > ABV stouts Ive had, but then again those are BT and Chocolate Rain so thats a lot to live up to! In its own right, definitely a worthy drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 23:40:44 | More by zac16125

vic21234

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Bottled on date of 11/17/09, a good 3.5 years old. This is my last bottle of WWS from the cellar.

A- Pours pitch black with a surprising half to full finger of khaki colored head that quickly fades. Lots of lacing along the side of the glass.

S- Smells heavily of booze still. There are also roasted malt notes, along with some coffee and chocolate.

T- Starts off with slight notes of coffee and dark fruits before leading way to some nice roasted malts. There is an unexplainable taste to it also that is sort of like soy sauce, not so good. This soy sauce taste isnt all apparent but was noted when I swish it around a bit in my mouth. The booze hits hard.

M- Medium to heavy bodied, medium carbonation, a definite sipper at 18% ABV with each sip leaving a nice warming feeling.

One of the first big stouts I ever had, and just getting around to reviewing it now. I feel this one really started to put big stouts on the map. Are there better ones out there? Definitely. But DFH WWS deserves respect.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 23:39:11 | More by vic21234

gillagorilla

Maryland

3.81/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle from 2010

A: Thick black pour with a dark, brown mocha head.

S: It smells very alcoholic, almost like a liquor or port.

T: It is quite sweet and you can still taste the alcohol, but it is no longer a burn. It tries to come through as a burn but it peaks as a porty sweetness. You really get a "spicy" chocolate aftertaste that is quite pleasant. The aftertaste fades quite quickly. Quite malty with a bit of bitterness at the end.

M: It is a weird mouthfeel, which is probably due to the high ABV but lack of burn after aging. It is smooth and thick.

O: I kind of wish I had waited a bit more. It still has the lingering alcohol taste after 2 years (since this is brewed in december). However, this is a good beer and you can just forget about it and it will taste great at any time, after a few years.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 00:07:07 | More by gillagorilla

smooth_aleing

Pennsylvania

4.11/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The color is rich and beautiful, though the head is less than I expected. Starts with a strong espresso/dark chocolate flavor, that gets richer with each sip and as the beer opens up. Great nose, filled with dark chocolate and bitter espresso. Mouthfeel is very smooth, and becomes more balanced as the beer opens. This beer wins big points on the complexity and balance of its flavor, but loses a bit on the alcohol content, which is certainly noticeable.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 01:25:49 | More by smooth_aleing

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

bottle from 2010:

pours a pretty thick reddish black with no sign of head. gave the glass a swirl and it coats the glass like nyquil does on the little measuring cup.

the smell is almost like a mix of grapes, chocolate, bourbon. not as much roasted grain smell as i thought it would have.

the flavor is straight up like a chocolate brandy. very sweet up front, very boozey once you finish the sip, then the finish is a slight roasted flavor and then lots of chocolate. this is a full body, ridiculously heavy beer with low carbonation. definitely a sipper.

as far as RIS go, this is a pretty decent take on it. way too heavy honestly to compare to the others i've had.. heavy enough to almost put it in its own category. not the tastiest stout i've had by any means, but i'm not honestly sure that's what they were going for. as far as an 18% beer goes, i feel it is an extremely tasty treat. you feel the heat, and the alcohol is there, but the chocolate finish masks it pretty damn well.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 00:27:37 | More by facundoCNB

Lucho

Florida

3.99/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Almost black but dark brown with transparencies around the edges. Foams up well for such a huge beer. nice light chocolate brown head of a finger or so that settles to a thin rim around that glass with a nice patch in the middle.

Smell: Chocolate booze hits you up front with a little coffee.

Taste: Heavy alcohol up front but there is some really nice stuff going on here. Chocolate mocha and maybe some very alcohol soaked dark fruits.

Mouthfeel: A little thin for my taste but still good enough that it leaves nice sticky residues around your mouth. The carbonation is nice especially for the high %.

Overall: this is a great beer that I wish I had tried sooner. One of the better DFH brews that I have had. It has a lot of good qualities and some that could use time to settle down. I could only imagine what this beer will settle down to in a year or two. Guess I better go buy another at $10 a pop.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 08:23:07 | More by Lucho

sairvin

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Two versions for this review. One was drank right after purchase and one was aged for two years. I wrote the review to come back later to write this review. As predicted, this beer ages very well. The high alcohol notes completely settle out and a nice caramel dark chocolate note take shape. I tasted dates, chocolate, caramel, a little pineapple maybe from some of the residual hop oils. Enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 03:31:34 | More by sairvin

BWED

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

2012 vintage bottle, purchased and drunk at Monk's Cafe, Philadelphia.
Split with my fiancee, so I got a 6 oz pour into a snifter.

A- Just off black, if that's a term, it shines a little light through. A tan 1/8" head hangs around for the duration, and leaves some nice bits and rings of lacing. When swiveled, a good wine feel of legs crawl down the glass.

S- Lots of dark fruit, winey. Basically boozed up red grapes. From the background comes some of the roasted barley.

T- A caramel sweetness up front, but sweet dark fruit finish up. Red wine-like in the finish, but definitely carries a strong beer character.

M- Wonderfully thick and velvety. The warmth from the booze hangs around in the end, but it's nothing strong. Very mellow for the 18%.

O- This is wonderful, and nothing like any beer I have had before. It has such interesting characteristics, and it's definitely worth getting your hands on. I wouldn't consider this a stout though. Really, I don't know what I would consider it... but I feel like it is a yeast strain away from a quad. Anyway, this was awesome.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 00:31:32 | More by BWED

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

4.06/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 vintage, 12 oz bottle into a tulip glass. Had this one about a week ago; from notes.

A: How about that, it's not entirely pitch black. It pours a very dark red color in general. The head is one finger mocha shade with superb retention given its gravity.

S: One of the most ridiculously prune-forward stouts I've ever encountered. This makes the dark fruit notes of BCBS and Parabola look feeble in comparison. No, it doesn't have the luscious bourbon character of those two (well, of BCBS at least), but it is backed by some rock-solid chocolate and vanilla notes. Yes, it's ridiculously sweet - at this ABV though, it's a moot point.

T: Simply put, a chocolate/prune bomb. The complexity featured is solid (perhaps not as impressive as its gravity would suggest), with augmenting flavors of smoke, bourbon, vanilla, and molasses. Roast notes are missing, or probably just buried beneath all of the sweetness. What ISN'T missing is the booziness...well, actually, it kind of is. It's only really prevalent on the finish and aftertaste; I have trouble buying it's 18%. The price for that is paid by the sweetness level, but it falls short of being ridiculously cloying, thankfully.

M: Creamy, thick, and super sweet. The finish dries up enough to expose some alcoholic heat on the back of the palate. Most of the heat felt from this appears on the esophagus and stomach, really. Carbonation is very low.

O: This is one of those offerings I only desire to have once a year; but during that singular day out of 365, it's just really, really easy to like. Take out some of the prevalent chocolaty notes, and this could almost pass for a great port. Certainly a must try.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 01:53:37 | More by ThisWangsChung

Mertzy81

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance - poured a deep dark brown with a 1/8 inch tan head

Aroma- sweet smell of vanilla, carmel with a slight hint of booze

Taste- alcohol warmth is definitely in the for front followed by a hint of roasted malt. For me the alcohol warmth and booze dominate's the pallet

Mouthfeel- slick feel at first followed by a dry finish

Overall this is a very drinkable stout especially for being 18 percent. To me the amount of booze dominates the profile of the beer wich is something I personally enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 07:30:38 | More by Mertzy81

fvernon

Indiana

4.46/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

2010 vintage poured at about 50 degrees into a FFF Teku. I've just finished a homebrewed imperial stout (aged with oranges and 14.8%), so hopefully that doesn't interfere too much here. Pours out a burnt copper, but very much a true black in the glass- there is about a half-inch of mocha foam that quickly settles to just a ring around the edge of the glass. Even from a distance, I can pick up sherry, raisins, and maraschino cherries - oh, and a good bit of alcohol. Not too surprising there.

The taste is a wonderful dark chocolate brownie with sweet cherries soaked in rum. That's pretty much all that is going on here. Normally I'm not a big cherry-and-stout kinda guy, but the chocolate/rum addition makes it work. The mouthfeel is pretty thick (but it could be thicker); even so, it coats and the taste lingers. Overall, this is an excellent stout - i'm sure it could keep aging, but it's hitting the right notes.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 00:10:18 | More by fvernon

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.14/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled Dec. 2010

Jet black, poured with tan head that lasted less than 5 seconds before it was totally gone, no lace either. Smell is heavy on the roast, some sweet sugars, I got a bunch of dark fruits initially but it seemed to disappear as it came to room temp, chocolate and vanilla, a bit of booze and coffee. Taste has massive roast, vanilla, chocolate, moderate bitterness, a bit of alcohol but would never assume this was anywhere near 18%, coffee and flavours that resemble oak, moderate sweet sugars but not overly sweet. Lightly carbonated, huge chewy body, full mouthfeel. This was a great slow sipper that I feel was opened at the perfect time, drank the bottle over the course of an hour or so and at the 45 min mark this was sublime.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 22:42:28 | More by peensteen

draheim

Washington

4.24/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz (2010) into a tulip. Pours a deep dark brown w/ garnet edges and a 1-finger tan head that settles to a thin film.

Aroma is rich, chocolatey, roasty. Dark sweet fruit, molasses, bitter dark malt. Nutty and earthy on the swirl.

Taste is richly dark and complex. Bitter chocolate, roasty malt, prunes, molasses. Alcohol well-hidden, a pretty impressive feat.

Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, full bodied but still semi-dry on the finish.

Overall a unique, rich, satisfying stout. Almost a cross between stout and quad. I'm duly impressed.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 05:40:52 | More by draheim

NikD

Maryland

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I wasn't expecting the high alcohol content when I bought it but knew by the time I opened it. It wasn't as thick as I expect most stouts to pour. The flavor is good but was ruined for me by the high alcohol level.

The bottle I had was brewed in 2010.

I still have 3 more bottles which I will eventually drink but probably won't be buying any more of this. Maybe I'll let them sit for a while before trying again.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 21:54:28 | More by NikD

Nesued

South Carolina

4.91/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Stamped with a "2007" date. Had this bad boy sitting for quite a while in my "beer closet" along with two of his brothers from the same year. About time I reviewed this beer, for I have enjoyed it several times.

A: Midnight black. Deep, dark and mysterious. After a vigorous pour, a lingering head is present as a thin ring clinging to the sides of my DFH snifter (only the best for this beer) which lingered for the duration. Lacing was present as I swirled the glass. It beckoned to be tasted.

S: Big vanilla and candy notes waft from where it sits warming. Even from two/three feet away, it "announces it's presence with authority" (pardons to Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh). Malty and toasty aromas join the chorus as well.

T: Where to begin... The vanilla is present, as it some rich caramel/roasted flavors and chocolate components. There is a nice sweetness without becoming too overly cloying. Lots of wood and oak components as well. Very, very complex.

M: Dense without being sticky. The gentle carbonation moves the beer around easily;with just enough linger to have you wanting another sip.

O: Thing 1: 18%? Where. I have not experienced a beer that can hide the ABV as well as WWS. Amazing. No heat, just warm and inviting. Like sipping a refined port. Thing 2: Hop-heads, move along. Nothing to see here. This is a sipper that will leave you with a greater understanding of what beer can be, and become. Thing 3: DFH was doing this years before anyone else and with much success. This is a clear example of how a beer that is crafted well, can get better with age.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 00:51:42 | More by Nesued

comfortablynumb1

California

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Reviewed from notes.

Bottled on 11/17/09.

A - Pours a deep brown with a half finger tan head that dissipates at a good rate. Lacing is minimal...

S - Dark fruit, roasted malt, molasses, chocolate, and alcohol...

T - Roasted malt, molasses, chocolate, and a good amount of sweet malt up front. Figs follow with hints of chocolate, and lingering sweet malt in the finish. Alcohol is alot smoother than it came across on the nose. Tasty...

M - A tad thin for such a big brew, but still sits on the lower side of the full-bodied spectrum. Carbonation is on the mild side...

O - Glad I got a chance to try this one. Exceeded my expectations, but still not something I see myself stocking up on and revisiting often...

Cheers...

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 03:16:43 | More by comfortablynumb1

Jfriz25

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Appearance- Dark brown but thinner than expected. Poured a thin light brown head with "alcohol stilts" (according to pk18)

Smell- tons of dark fruit especially rotten plumb, a little alcohol.

Taste- Sweet plumb with booze and a tart cherry note,

Mouthfeel- despite the thin appearance the mouthfeel is very smooth and creamy.

Overall- this was a 2008 vintage so the booze was fairly muted but I was pleasantly surprised by this once. It should be in the same category as Event Horizon, Abyss, ect.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 02:58:33 | More by Jfriz25

Monkeyknife

Missouri

4.23/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the bottle a jet black color with two fingers of light mocha head. Healthy amount of lacing left behind.

Deep aroma of espresso, dark roasted malts, vanilla, dark ripe fruit, and booze.

The taste opened with a big bite of dark chocolate followed by roasted malts and dark ripe fruit. Boozy? Oh yeah, it's definitely every bit of 18%.

Full bodied and smooth with a lighter carbonation.

Delicious. Glad I had the chance to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 21:08:25 | More by Monkeyknife

Gobzilla

California

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

A: poured a very dark brown in color with brownish highlights and barely anyh head that pretty much left no lacing sticking to the glass.

S: lots of booze heat very noticeable upfront in the aroma with signs of dark fruits, some roastiness and a little chocolate character but a little strange vinegar aroma.

T: plenty of booze like the nose suggest with a little chocolate flavor, some dark fruit flavor, lots of malty sweetness, hints of brown sugar, subtle roastiness and a touch of oak.

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

O: to me it was just an average stout and was way too boozy for my liking. It definitely looks like it would be better with a liitle time on it.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 09:54:08 | More by Gobzilla

KazzakusPrime

3.89/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Thin, barley colored head that quickly dissipates. Nice and dark; near black brown with a golden amber surface against the light. This, my friends, is a STOUT.

Smell: Roasted malt, a little bit of the telltale shoyu scent that I occasionally get off of stouts. Not unpleasant, just… curious. Can definitely detect the barley and quite possibly a bit of booze.

Taste: Malted barley is present straight off. There’s a sweetness coming from the barley that I wasn’t expecting, but am certainly enjoying. This is a big beer in a little bottle. Bit of pleasant heat in the middle – boozier than I expected. Barley lingers at the very end, and then another bare hint of shoyu betrayed by the scent.

Mouthfeel: Syrupy, but still plenty smooth and with enough carbonation to carry it all the way through.

Overall: This is definitely a big beer, and though it wasn’t as complex as I would’ve liked, I was still impressed by its bold, smooth character. This is a solid stout that I would be interested in cellaring for a year and seeing where it goes. If a BA version of this came out I would go to insane lengths to get my hands on it.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 04:50:45 | More by KazzakusPrime

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.44/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

On a vigorious pour into my Delrium sniffer i managed to produce about 1/2 inch head. Mocha beige with tiny bubbles and an easy swirl produced an easy head. the color was not as dark as I thought it would be nor as thick. I was expecting motor oil thick but poured rather thinly.
Aroma was lean with some roasted malts and barley. At 18% ABV, alcohol was definitly in the nose.
Taste is very much roasted malts and barley. Alcohol is present with a warming aftertaste and numbs the tongue.
Drinks thin and is a bit sweet but finish bitter well into the aftertaste.
No, I don't much care for this one. Pumping up the alcohol was the brewers main goal here.
Aroma and flavor were one dimensional and lack depth of flavor.
Another overhyped beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 12:38:14 | More by micromaniac129

jdprmd

Missouri

4.75/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Served in oversized snifter 2010 december release

L - thick creamy light tan head, not as dark as most imperial/double stouts but this looks good

S - Wow... a lot going on here; dark fruit, booze but in a good way, characteristics of being barrel aged, chocolate and bits of cognac ... I could go on and on

T - This is the second time I have had this... and it is way better this time... taste imitates the smell exactly

M - very rich and creamy ... just sublime

O - I am surprised at what just a year did to this beer and am glad I have 4 more .. seek this out!

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 01:26:36 | More by jdprmd