Chateau Jiahu - Dogfish Head Brewery

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Kickbacks in Jax. 2009 vintage. Poured into a snifter. Hazy, copper body, off white head, low retention. Clear, minimal lacing. Aroma includes caramel malts, orange marmalade, grape juice and maybe a touch of vanilla. Taste really dominated by grapes, sweet grapes. Amazing how all traces of alcohol have disappeared and now this beer is amazingly drinkable at a very high abv. Paired quite well with a spicy shrimp risotto.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2012 06:09:51 | More by KickbacksSteve

bmwats

Louisiana

3.55/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a standard pint.

A: Golden hue. Pours about a half finger, foamy, white head. Settles quickly, leaving sporadic foam on the surface. Beer ring lacing, collects, and sinks into the body.

S: Butter, glue, honey, and a little fresh flora.

T: Lightly malted. Honey and orange citrus. I think some pomegranate and triple sec in there, too.

M: Syrupy body. Clings to the palette. Sweet, almost cloying... lingers throughout.

D: Sip. Not hugely sweet, but the sweet finish that lingers makes it difficult to power through.

Atmosphere is good. Decent body, but nothing much to speak of in terms of lacing. Nose is a very interesting combination of components; sweet and fruit, plant and...dairy?... Flavor is syrupy and honey sweet with some solid fruit compliments. This should probably come in a smaller vessel, due to it's cloying characteristics. Overall, this is a good...but interesting...quaff.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 04:05:00 | More by bmwats

GoatsUdder

California

4.25/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I went through some of our special speakeasy beers, as I call them, the other day at work. I was surprised to find Chateau Jiahu, which I was looking for during one of my anthropology classes (I would never dream of bribing a teacher! How dare you suggest!) I'm sitting here now and I just cracked it open and poured some for the husband and myself. It is 10% ABV and has a rating of 10IBU's. Upon pouring you'll notice little to no head and a very light aroma. The aroma was very sake like with a hint of honey. The flavor was like a rice gelatin that you get during the new year in china town seasoned with honey. I get a light honey flavor at the back and a definite floral taste in the middle tones, I thought it tasted saffron like but my husband says it's really the chrysanthemum. I have never had hawthorn fruit so I don't quite know what to look for but I get a definite back throat, late harvest sweetness that I assume comes from grapes.

Sam and Dr.McGovern have indeed done it again! This is a beautifully crafted, almost wine-like beverage. I definitely can taste the flavors from the Sake yeast they used which creates a definite roundness in the overall feel and flavor. Brava!

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 00:53:31 | More by GoatsUdder

superspak

Michigan

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 2012. Pours lightly hazy golden amber color with a foamy 1-2 finger white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Good foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of honey, pear, grape, clove, herbal, apricot, bread, earth, bubblegum, pepper, light banana, and yeast spices. Damn nice and unique aromas; great balance and complexity. Taste of honey, grape, pepper, herbal, pear, apricot, floral, clove, earth, bread, banana, orange, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of light fruits, herbal, floral, clove, earth, and light yeast spices on the finish for a good bit. Very nice flavor balance and complexity; with zero cloying sweetness for a 9% beer at 10 IBU. Fairly clean finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly creamy and slightly slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with hardly any warming noticed at all after the finish. Overall this is yet another damn nice experimental ancient ale from Dogfish Head. Tons of flavor complexity and balance; very smooth to sip on for a 9% beer. There are also a lot of interesting flavors and aromas I cannot describe, but they work well. Very impressive.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 05:46:43 | More by superspak

Jamesthebrit

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: A pretty unassuming beer. It's amber orange... Head dissipates quickly... uhhhh hazy. Yeah. Bottle has a sexy girl on it (which may or may have been the reason why I bought it (what? that's a fine reason))

S: Very tart, with some yeast backing and a sweet grape element. Much like a big bodied white wine. Alcohol is noticeable but not overpowering.

T: Again much like a full bodied white wine. Very dry subtle flavors. A sweet finish which is a little odd as the beer is pretty herbal throughout the experience. It has an earthy bitterness to it rather than a floral bitterness. Complex but not necessarily mind blowing.

M: Sits very light with a dry gritty sweet finish. A dry finish is fine but this one is a little too spread out.

As a sipping beer this was pretty good. Like when I was just watching TV and not really focusing on it it was fine. But when I really got to trying to appreciate this one it wasn't that great. Depends on what you're looking for but I think there are beers that are similar but better than this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 23:25:12 | More by Jamesthebrit

DonDirkA

Arizona

4.55/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The nose is very flowery and sweet with hints of honey. Slight hints of fruitiness like grapes and oranges. Honey sweetness up front dominates, then a wine-like fruitiness washes over the tongue and blends with a flowery brightness. At the tail end the sticky honey flavors take back over and sticks around on the tongue leaving you with a lingering sweetness but a dry finish. This is one of the best of the Ancient Ales in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 23:50:07 | More by DonDirkA

ginemesis

North Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- Amber colored with little to no head. Very clear.

S- Hints of bubblegum, too sweet and fruity

T- Tastes like i stuck a wad of bazooka gum in my mouth. Similar to the 120, but less hoppy

M- A very smooth feel while slightly thick

O- A good sipping beer, but not one I would want to drink regularly

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 02:07:44 | More by ginemesis

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a Dogfish snifter

A- pours a rather transparent shade of orange with a one finger white head that fades quickly. Lots of carbonation, but not too much. Looks nice

S- slight grape aroma, but not a whole lot going on here. Bleh

T- the grape and honey are noticeably sweet...slight booze coming through too, which is odd given that this bottle is a year old. Huh

M- medium bodied and pretty nice

O- just kinda there. Not worth the 12 bucks I paid. All these Dogfish ancient ales have the same base flavor, and that irritates the hell out of me.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 23:51:01 | More by bigfnjoe

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 11/2010 notes. Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours clear orange amber. Slight head and light lacing. Nice aroma of fruit (pear and apple among others) and honey. Simple, but tasty blend of honey and light fruit flavors, moderate body. Honey flavors are reminiscent of Midas Touch. A bit sweet, but very pleasant to drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 03:31:46 | More by LiquidAmber

badun

Florida

3.05/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I'm rating this comparatively low because it tastes like a grossly overpriced mead. It is good, if you can stand the sweetness, but you can make something equally as tasty for far less money at home. It doesn't get easier than mead and I think Dogfish Head is really pushing it to sell a bomber of this for $12+. There are some distinctions in the taste because of the ingredients they used, but overall the taste is simply too reminiscent of good ol' mead. I won't buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 23:21:58 | More by badun

grittybrews

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a rich gold with a finger of white head with an aroma of honey, citrus, grape, and light floral notes.

Moderate carbonation and a light, sticky mouthfeel. Lots honey and a grape up front with hints of orange and light spice. Sort of a gewurztraminer wine character with a clean rice backbone.

Pleasant for a couple sips but the sweetness overpowers everything here.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 16:36:08 | More by grittybrews

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle served in a snifter.

pours a bright, slightly hazy golden yellow with a foamy finger plus white head that dissipates fairly quickly into a thin cap, collar around the glass. lacing in spots.

nose delivers a candied fruit-like sweetness... honey and grape/grape juice, a touch of spice... has a certain BSPA quality to it and is a bit vinous... really nice aroma, though it makes you worry the taste will be overly sweet.

comes close. the honey and grape are evident, along with some banana... my first thought is that finishing the bottle will be a project; but after a few sips my palate warms to it and i find myself really enjoying it. flavors seem to compliment each other nicely. well-hidden 10%ABV.

slightly syrupy, medium-bodied mouthfeel; pretty well carbonated. the unique kind of beer that will warrant a revisit, just not a lot in a sitting.

originally reviewed: 01-07-2011

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 21:57:32 | More by BostonHops

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a clear golden-orange color with a finger of frothy off-white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some nice lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of honey, light fruits, grape, bready caramel malt, and a bit of spicy yeasts.

T - Starts off with a mix of light fruits with some pear and apricot alongside some grape, honey, and a bit of coriander. Through the middle, some more honey comes through with some more spices and yeast flavor with a bit of caramel bready malt. The finish is a mix of honey, sweet malts, light fruits, some grape, and some sake yeast, with a hint of booze.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet, lightly spicy and warming finish.

D - Very drinkable. Really nice and complex and nuanced. Good mix of unique flavors that really come together nicely.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 04:56:34 | More by ngeunit1

RollBounce

New York

3.38/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light bronze color, nice amount of foam and carbonation, nose is thick and sweet, thou very subtle, hint of fruit that i assume to be Hawthorn. Full mouth feel, caramel, prickly pear, rice and lemon. Bitter finish that is some what syrup like.

Overall; An interesting brew. Good mouthfeel and appearance. Reminded me of a popular German beer in a green bottle that starts with an "H". Great with a Klondike Heath bar.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 20:03:19 | More by RollBounce

Rukasu

District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A- Pours a honey golden with a single finger head

S- Heavy on grapes and floral -- Muscat wine, rosewater -- fruity yeasts

T- Big floral and sweet grape taste. Hints of honey, pear and peach.

M-light to medium bodied, champagne like. Mild astringency and a subtle alcohol warmth with the 10% ABV.

O- DFH's big bottle brews are always hit or miss. This one is somewhere in the middle of the road. Enjoyed a bottle with a salmon banh mih which I thought would be a good combination, but the beer was too sweet for the meal. However, the complexity of fruits and florals is very interesting and pleasing.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 00:59:17 | More by Rukasu

Bobheed

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Bright golden with a tiny bright white head

S: Lots of spices. I'm getting some coriander and honey. Also a lot of pear aromas

T: Tastes almost like mead. It's got a real honey sweetness and a fruity pear/grape thing going on. I'm also getting huge earthy characteristics

M: Medium body, very crisp and dry

Overall this one is damn good. It's not something that's always available, so if you have the chance, grab one. Especially if you like sweeter beers or mead

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 02:52:28 | More by Bobheed

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a BrewDog cervoise glass. Bottled 2009. From notes. Reviewed 9 July 2011.

A: Opaque but translucent yellow. Little head and some lace.

S: Pears! Apricot. Very fruity and super-pleasant. Sweet and reminiscent of jam.

T: Grapes. Sweet fruit. Apples. Apricot. Interesting and rather nice. Too sweet to be excellent in my book, but vaguely worthwhile. Hrm...

M: Not as interesting as I'd hoped.

O: Not quite my thing (so sweet!) but interesting and perhaps worth a look.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 07:29:14 | More by AgentMunky

SHODriver

California

4.08/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: poured into a duvel tulip. pours a bright and clear yellow with a finger of white head that dissipates to a small mat. as small stream of bubbles is seen rising through
S: very interesting aroma with a bit of grape juice detected, some spice and a little bit yeasty. It smells very nuanced and unique
T: slightly grainy and toasty to start with some spice flavor a little bit of honey sweetness and some grape flavor. Very fruity and unique. Aftertaste is more fruitiness that slowly fades.
M: medium bodied and although the carbonation seemed quite effervescent it is surprisingly soft on the palate with minimal prickliness
O: An interesting and tasty beer. Definitely not something you can get every day and pretty well crafted. A bit heavy on the grape flavor at times and reminds me more of a Belgian than anything. Still a good beer and worth a try if you have an open mind.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 03:57:49 | More by SHODriver

webmanspidey

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a DFH snifter, this is very fizzy and champagne-like with a pale golden color. Smell is sweet, reminiscent of white wine. The taste has a lot in common with white wine as well. There are lots of white grape flavors, sugar, and very noticeable alcohol. Pretty odd, and doesn't have much in common with what you normally expect from beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 00:31:57 | More by webmanspidey

barrelldog

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

It appears to be a beer, it smells good, it tastes good, and it feels good in my mouth. overall it's a 10% that tastes like a 5% so enjoy that. This is a beer that was researched from 9000 years ago! how many beers that you have tried can say that? not just another boring IPA that for some odd reason everyone gets excited about. It is unique, and for that I say - good job dogfish head!

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 18:28:05 | More by barrelldog

smakawhat

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle, dated 2010, into a snifter glass.

A creamy white head is produced with a little bit of stickiness and leopard lacing. Body hits with a fruity lemon yellow and orange, dense and opaque, almost orb glowing in appearance. Pretty nice looking.

Extremely mushy ripe fruit on the nose. Tropical and mango/guava angle perhaps, fruit punch sense and a faint light herbal heat.

Palate is very creamy rushing in some mild banana, but a huge mushy mango, and other yellow to orange fruit senses. Apricot soft jam, hints of peach. Mouthfeel is extremely creamy feeling bringing that fruit punch angle more so than the beer, but still giving a sense of malt density. A good sweetness of subdued honey also, but nothing cloying or outrageous.

Having had a fresher one of these in the past, I remember not being as impressed, but this one just seemed so nice and felt real good.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 16:44:02 | More by smakawhat

azdback

Arizona

2.95/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into my Phoenix Ales pint glass. Pours a crystal clear yellow. What little head there is is bright white and receded fast. Lace isn't going to stick around at all.

Smells of white grape juice and yeasty bread. Also some wine.

Taste is super sweet. That yeasty bread comes second. The 10% ABV is masked well, but still comes though at the end.

Mouthfeel is less than average. Less than expected carbonation. Quite watery.

Overall, this was an interesting beer to try. I would not buy another one. Thanks to Jonathan for the gift.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 05:28:36 | More by azdback

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Sam Adams signature (pint) glass.

Appearance: Amber but not your basic amber, sediments floating head is somewhat thin and to the point that I cant give you a measure meant. No Head at all if poured correctly.

Smell: Has a smell of cheap wine and I cant complain. It feels sweet before even tasting it.

Taste: Honey, no not the girlfriend type but this beer should be called some type of "honey brewed ale". Listen just because this beer is a awkwardly sweet beer should mean you should turn it away.

Mouth: Medium carbonation, unsurprisingly smooth.

Overall: Grab it, honey, wine-ish and alcohol, mix the three and you get this beer. I honestly could not complain. Sometimes you need a beer like this to remind you what else is out there. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 03:03:26 | More by BlurryVisi0n

DoubleJ

California

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Let's share it! Shared with several people at the EAP in São Paulo, on to the beer:

What is this, white grape juice? It looks like it. The body is toasted orange with a few carbonation bubbles. There's no head on top, and needless to say no lace. Its nose is an improvement. Alcoholic grape juice is what this reminds one of (not the super sugary Welch's stuff).

I don't know what else to say, but this tastes like alcoholic white grape juice. It may sound boring and degusting, but it is reasonably tasty. Its body has a texture which is somewhat syrupy, and on the thicker side of the spectrum.

Like other Dogfish Head re-creations, Chateau Jiahu is a fun one to drink, yet one I wouldn't drink often.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 17:50:01 | More by DoubleJ

zrab11

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a golden color with a nice 2 finger white whisky head

S- Has a interesting aroma of honey and alcohol and i'm def. catching some grapes and maybe some spices as well

T- Wow def. a transition from the nose a little. His a floral flavor upfront and then its followed by a nice honey/cinnamon flavor and then moves on to some grab and more honey flavor and ends with a nice crispness

M-light to medium bodied with Good carbonation

D-Overall i enjoyed this brew. DFH always has tons of interesting brews to choose from and honestly some of the experiments they do are hit and miss. But this one was a hit to me.. I felt like it was really complex and brought a lot of different flavors to the table. A very drinkable 10% beer. if it wasn't for the nose u would have no idea it was 10%. Def. give this one a try if you can!

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 12:26:49 | More by zrab11