World Wide Stout - Dogfish Head Brewery

Winter

Wisconsin

2.68/5  rDev -35.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured an (opaque) black with an extremely thin brown head that subsided to nothing after a minute. Aroma consisted of soy, coffee and a touch of dark chocolate. The taste-- wow. Mouthfeel is very smooth for such a high alcohol content. Touch of sweetness up front. Alcohol becomes abbrassive at the top of the throat, but warms as it goes down. Flavors of coffee, chocolate and alcohol are present in the finish.

This is a very powerful stout. Overall taste is a bit of a turn-off. The alcohol content in here is pleasing, yet does not blend well with the flavor of the beer. This is alright, but just too much. Kudos to Dogfish Head for creating the World's strongest beer. I wonder if flavors would mellow with age?

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2002 17:27:20 | More by Winter

JISurfer

South Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

This beer brutally beat my tastebuds! It was like wine on steroids. Had a very super strong taste, like cough syrup mixed with wine, so the fruit is definately there. When I poured it, it had no head or carbonation at all, which was a first for me. Left a thick ring around the glass, just like a good wine would. The alcohol taste was a little too much for me, but it was an experience. I had some trouble finishing the bottle, because it was so rich in taste. There was like 10 different tastes going on. Although it was very strong and rich in tastes, I probably would buy it again, even though it's $9 a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2002 16:34:30 | More by JISurfer

sponberg

New York

4.53/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out like an old Michelin - black & flat. Very little carbonation, because the yeast have passed out from exhaustion.

Smells of alcohol, raisins, dates, and dark toast. Take a sip. Now pick up your eyeballs. A huge assault of flavors - coffee, chocolate, raisins, plums, dates, figs, licorice, a hint of green apple - tied together by one chewy mouthfeel and a massive (yet somehow balanced) alcohol kick. So similar in many respects to a really good port, but with background notes of an Imperial stout. There may have been hops in here at one point in time, but they ran screaming out of the brewery. Finishes with a sweet, fruity aftertaste that's quite appealing.

The previous version was a bit better balanced IMO, but this is still one massively enjoyable and unique brew. On a snowy night by the fire, I can think of very few that would be better.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2002 22:51:04 | More by sponberg

ElGuapo

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

whooooaaa, this is the most in your face beer i have ever had. the aroma is all over the place with coffee and alcohol before you even pour it. the pour is black with no head, as i would expect out of such a high alcohol beer.

this beer is thick and rich. it is very smooth, and it will warm you up as you drink it. lots of alcohol in the flavor that gives it wine like tastes. i must say that the alcohol does not hurt the taste like in other potent brews. you also get a nice roasty coffee flavor to remind you that it is a stout. this is something else, and must be tried by all.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2002 06:50:02 | More by ElGuapo

bewareOFpenguin

Massachusetts

1.7/5  rDev -59%
look: 4 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

I know a lot of people will disagree, but this beer was "unbearable". It poured a nice black color, no carbonation that I could notice. I could smell the alcohol 5 inches from my nose. My first sip produced a "whiskey" grimmace. This was just painful to drink. Tasted like powerful cough syrup. I am a big fan of high ABV beers, but this was to much. The last 1/4 glass was just agony to finish. I needed a Prelude to wash the taste out after.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2002 07:00:11 | More by bewareOFpenguin

IrishRedRock

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

3/18/06: sampling the 2001 for the first time. Indescribable.

8/7/05: This beer is so much different than a fresh sample see below), so my ratings are adjusted accordingly. It's much, much better and not nearly as hot...though it still packs quite a boozy punch. I had gotten to try a small sample of this in late 2003 and noted even at that point that it was much more drinkable than a really fresh sample, so I figured another year or two would do wonders. That idea was correct. This beer is fantastic. Pours still with a bit of carbonation that dies out after 10 minutes or so. I chilled this in the fridge for only about 15 minutes. Muddy brown body. Aroma imparts strong notes of rum, vanilla, raisins and plums. Beautiful. Slick mouthfeel with nary a trace of carbonation at this age.

Flavors come from all angles, though the hops have diminished a bit, leaving more room for the fine spiced rum and dark fruits, and a choppy malt backbone, and all the while the alcohol is there...oh, its always there. Very alcoholic, though not what I would term as "hot" as I would a fresh sample. The alcohol, though very noticeable, is in no way overpowering.

This vintage, with a little age under it, is easily one of the finest concoctions I have ever drank. I still have a few bottles but am always interested in getting more. This is indeed a special beer, one to be savored...and shared.

12/22/02: Hooo boy this is a kick in the pants just like I knew it would be.

Pours black, with no head to speak of. Dominant aroma is alcohol, obviously, but as it warmed I picked up some raisin and a lot of coffee. The aroma all around is quite potent.

The first sip reveals the complexity of this beer, and its blatant strength. Flavors of chocolate, coffee, dark fruits and rum stand out. Initially, it seems as if you are drinking rum, but as the beer moves further through the palate it becomes more stout-like, leaving with a strong alcohol bite. This one will make your lips purse. I have much respect for this brew. Took me a good long time to finish the bottle, but it was certainly well worth savoring.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2002 13:04:43 | More by IrishRedRock

doho95fu

California

4.83/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Holy Smokes. This is good stuff. It pours out a blackish purple, almost looks like a slightly carbonated port and the smell is not far off either. The smell is grapes, chocolate, and ...... not sure. The taste is big and it did remind me of port with that hard alcohol taste that follows the upfront flavor of brown sugar, chocolate and spice. My lips were sticky like I had candy after each sip. This is a brew that needs to be taken slowly although this warning is probably not necessary since I can't imagine someone crashing through a sixer (especially at $8 a 12oz).

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2002 21:38:36 | More by doho95fu

Jon

Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Uh, yeah, this is something else. I guess I knew what I was getting into when I bought this, but I wasn't expecting to thoroughly enjoy it. Pours an opaque ebony color with a small, fizzy head that dissipates in seconds. No lacing qualities, but they're not to be expected. Aroma is of sweet malt, alcohol and not much else. Taste is similar. As the label states, they use "ridiculous amounts of barley" and you can surely taste it -- sweet malt, alcohol, raisins, etc. all make their mark. Mouthfeel is a bit oily, but really quite solid overall. Very reminiscent of a port wine. For a stout of 23% ABV, this is incredibly easy to drink, not that I would regularly. You owe it to yourself to try this beer if you can find it. Wow.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2002 19:38:36 | More by Jon

sprinkle

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer is pretty big. The actual abv. is 23% and you can smell it, almost like a whisky nose. Not much on the nose exept alcohol and a little molasses. The viscous is like a Thick dessert wine,this is just a dessert beer. The mouthfeel is alot better than the nose,taste of anise, maple and sweet,sweet malts. The sweetness is the only thing that covers all that alcohol.I recommend everyone to at least try this beer, just for what it is. But at $9.19 a 12 oz. bottle not everyone will, I would rather have a Bell's Expedition Stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2002 23:14:57 | More by sprinkle

mzwolinski

California

4.85/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Interestingly enough, I didn't know the ABV on this beer when I opened it. I'd just heard good things about it so thought I'd give it a try. It's hard to remain ignorant for long. You don't even need to make an effort to smell the alcohol on opening this beer. The smell recedes a little (not much!) to make room for licorice, molassess and some spicy notes. Pours black, with no head whatsoever. How do you rate a black hole on appearance? The taste is, well, big. Tons and tons of roasted barley, chcolatey malt, with a decent level of hop bitterness, though not enough to keep the finish from being fairly sweet. Dark fruit (raisin, fig) and lots of peppery spices abound as well. Someone else mentioned Turkish coffee as an analogue, and they're dead-on. With a huge chewy body like this, I kept expecting to encounter black sludge at the bottom of my glass. Still, very smooth and creamy. Warming, delicious, and complex. A category-defying beer, but a good one nevertheless!

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2002 21:00:58 | More by mzwolinski

ADR

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

The "new brood" (2002) at all its toxicity is here in Minnesota, and yeah, like $6.99 for a single 12 oz bottle is going to keep me from NOT trying this malt monster.

Dark ruby black, lots of fruit smells are activated in the pour, including a major amount of prune-tasting liquor -- definitely cognac-like in deepness. Let's not speak of a head as there is none on this thick "Turkish coffee". Massive, massive mouthfeel, a Yukon Jack straight up can hardly match the sugary stickiness in the back of the epiglottis. Lots of prune, raisins, gently kilned oak wine casks, but also some pronounced cherry whacks mid mouth. Only the burning alcohol stops me from tasting even more. Hops? Well, overall, this beer is somewhat recognizable as a beer. Oh yeah, alcohol. Well sure, diesel fuel in the aroma, fades to sweetness and finishes like a fire-breathing dragon. At almost 50 Proof, you get a full 12 ounces of the stuff. Evaluation? Well, whew...

I drank my last bottle in August 2005, and there still is a trace of carbonation as well as more malt emphasis.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2002 12:35:30 | More by ADR

mophie

Delaware

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

Black, with tinges of ruby peeking in through the edges when held to the light. Rigorous pour produced a healthy, rocky tan head that faded fairly quickly, leaving a thin tan trace around the rim. Initial wisps of tan lace dissipated, then disappeared altogether. Smell is of plums, grapes, some chocolate, with a sweet, rum & coke aspect. Taste is also quite sweet, just-this-side-of cloying. Again rum & coke comes to mind, but also port wine, grape, caramelized dark fruits, roasted chocolate malts, and alcohol. All in all, though, the alcohol seems exceptionally well balanced for a brew of this intensity. An incredible experience, though I'll have to try a few more (not tonight, though!) to see if I prefer this over the 18%.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2002 18:04:35 | More by mophie

Jarod

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It poured into the glass a deep ruby/cherry/blackberry color. The head was very little and did not last long. No lace apparent in the glass. The aroma much like the appearance was of fruit, berries (black, cherry, plum), malt, alcohol, caramel almost like a wine. A nice port to be exact. The taste started off with the alcohol on the tongue, then the berries and the fruit seemed to arise as well as the caramel/sugary, slightly sweet was left at the end. It was a thick brew. This seemed to get better as I left it sit in the glass and get warmer. The flavors seemed to jump more as the temperature rose. I loved this, for so many reasons. The complexity of the flavors and smells, the quality that was put into it, the alcohol content, and I can only imagine how this would either pair up with food or in it.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2002 09:42:34 | More by Jarod

purplehops

Maine

4.85/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Whoa Nelly! This stout (nectar of the Gods) pours a deep black cherry red. The head is for the most part faint if at all. The aroma is a blend of blackberry, plum, cherry, malt, and alcohol. Similar to a well aged port. The taste is ambrosia and alcohol. It is slightly syrupy, but with that much grain and alcohol (23%+ for the 2002 batch) it's to be expected. This is a true sipping beer. The complexity of this ale will keep you sipping until you can't stand up. Each sip is a different order of flavors and sensations. The after taste is alcohol and fruit. This stout is like 100 year old cognac. It is for those special occasions and not every day. I only wish that it was in a smaller bottle ( 7oz. - 6oz. ). The 12 ounce bottle is more than enough for two.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2002 12:43:00 | More by purplehops

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This years Dog is supposedly at 23%abv....Yikes!! Poured a thick, inky, impenetrable black, with no head or lacing to speak of. The aroma was definitely rich, a bit chocolatey and alcoholly (huh?). Body was quite near full, and real smooth, too! My first sip....and it was like "Bam! , let's kick it up a notch" (or 5 or 6!). Whoa! Super rich and strong, lots of choco flavors as well as sweetness and mucho more alcohol! It really has a fantastic flavor, yet you MUST take your time with this one. Rated up there for drinkability not due to wanting a lot of them, but for it being a bier not to be turned down. And though supposedly stronger than Sammy Triple Bock, it is considerably much more palatable! Skol!!

overall: 4.2
appearance: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | mouthfeel: 4.5 | drinkability: 4.5

408

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2002 11:43:14 | More by Bierman9

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2001 tasted in 2002. Notes added 2004.
Clear?... Pitch black in color with a thin but dark reddish collar. Intense and complex aroma: molasses, licorice, cocoa, sweet malt, dark fruit- dates, figs?, prunes, raisins, alcohol. The body is quite full, almost syrupy, and lays in the mouth. Rich, thick, creamy, smooth! The flavor is clearly sweet - almost too sweet - but with a massive character and complexity. Very rich, dark and fruity with a thin cusp of roastiness that helps to anchor it. The alcohol clearly comes through but does not overwhelm. This is a beer that defies definition.... far more than a stout, way too dark and sweet to be a barleywine... just "World Wide Stout"! Without question, one of the best beers in the world! Only time will tell as to whether or not this beer will really age well, but based on the one I just had (tasted June 2004), it's coming along exceptionally well.

2003 tasted in October 2005.
The 2003 version is, IMHO, a far reach from the quality of the original 2001 bottling. Vinous fruit and alcohol immediately hits you in the nose, and it's not particularily backed by much although there is some sweet caramel maltiness. The fruitiness, however, dominates with notes of sweet red wine, red grapes, juicy red berries, currant, fig and sticky-sweet raisins. The body is as expected, full-medium, and with a moderate, very fine-bubbled carbonation (it does not seem to be bottle-conditioned) that just lightly caresses the tongue to awaken the taste buds. The alcohol can be felt going down, and it lingers almost like like the heat from a shot of Jack Daniels. The flavor follows the nose with little variance, offering tons of dark, juicy and vinous fruit backed by minor notes of chocolate, coffee and caramel. It finishes with lingering notes of dark fruit and (what I consider to be a little too much) alcohol. So, even though the alcohol may have been reduced from the slightly higher 2002 version, I think it may have been produced a bit faster too - and it's suffered a bit because of it.

2005-2006 tasted in May 2007
Unfortunately I don't know what year this is, it's a short-fill from Brian Selder's basement. Bright green cap though. I'm guessing 2005 -2006. In any case, BACK IN BUSINESS!!! The alcohol is contained and it's amazingly rich and complex with notes of raisins, coconut, almonds, filberts, prunes, cashews, pineapple, cherry, dense dark sugar syrup, a touch of wood (not sure where that's coming from), and apples. There's a waft of heavy alcohol on the nose but it doesn't really carry into the flavor - there is some heat though. Very nicely done. Certainly worth cellaring for many years to come!!!

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2002 16:10:14 | More by NeroFiddled

beerluvr

New Jersey

4.85/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Not for the faint of palate!! Pours black as night into the glass with a short lived head. Light cannot penetrate this beer, even when held directly in front of a lightbulb. Nose is roasted malts, some dark fruit and alcohol. Taste is sweet, with coffee, vanilla and alcohol notes, very warming finish. It's amazing how it hides it's strength, although the alcohol content is high, it's really decieving. a masterpiece of the brewer's art, this one! Caveat Emptor...this is one dangerously drinkable beer, good thing it's expensive, @ $5.99 per 12 oz. bottle!

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2002 20:44:09 | More by beerluvr

Andy

Massachusetts

4.97/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Dark as night, great tan head. Quickly subsides. Deep dark malt mixed with strong alcohol hints. The malt base is so deep it fills your lungs with delight. Perfect in aroma. Complex flavor. Sweet fruit (green apples), mixed with dark malt. Alcohol is present throughout but balances the beer to perfection. Bitterness resounds in the finish like coffee. At the $6/bottle per 12 oz bottle, it's well worth it.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2002 12:16:12 | More by Andy