Chateau Jiahu - Dogfish Head Brewery

paulthebeerguru

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into an snifter. A hazy, dark yellow hued colored beer is the first thing I witnessed, which suprised me. The head seems to disappear instintly, although it takes about three seconds. The aroma is sweet and malty with a large "hint" of fruit and spice, similar to Don De Dieu from Unibroue.
A taste of sweetness is present first, from the honey, and then the spices kick in. Out of nowhere, the grape juice hits my palate. It appears to be sweet, but not too sweet, but I am still searching for hops...i still can't find them. The tail end of the glass has a warm cider-ish feel to it...maybe its the idea of a 9000 year old recipe being accessible or maybe I am just warm and tingly from another fantastic Dogfishhead brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2007 10:32:04 | More by paulthebeerguru

BeerSox

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle into snifter. The label holds a brief description of the beer as well as artwork by Tara McPherson, showing a woman from the back holding a champagne flute full of Jiahu.

Similar to beer, wort made of rice and barley malt is added to a kettle, but this is where the similarities end. Instead of hops, a mixture of grapes, honey, fruit from the hawthorn plant, and Chrysanthemum flowers (how many homebrewers have added a flower to their beer?), which adds a little sweetness to the boil. Finally, Sake yeast is added for the month long fermentation process. The result is a beer that can’t be classified under traditional methods. Put this one under your Neolithic Rice Beer category if you wish.

Slightly hazy goldenrod hue. A white fizzy head rises to about half an inch, and quickly fades to a thin rim. Scattered bubbles slowly rise from the bottom of the glass to the top creating little pockets of bubbles on the surface. Stringy and spotty lacing coats the glass.

Light malt and honey like aromas start off, with some spicy alcohol coming through. Melon like fruit flavors (probably the hawthorn) add a dull sweetness.

A husky and sweet malt base starts this one off, with some of the rice flavor being detectable, similar to a high powered American Macro Lager. A tea like sweetness is added along with a little bit of spice to balance it. Hints of fruits such as peach and plum add to the complexity, leading to a soft creaminess that tops the mix off perfectly. Full bodied with a lower amount of carbonation giving it a slick oily feel. The finish is sweet with lingering grain and fruit. The alcohol is hidden well, considering it is around eight percent alcohol by volume. The beer tastes beset closer to room temperature, as more elements reveal themselves to add complexity.

Yet another unique beer rolled out from the Dogfish Head brewery in Delaware. This one lives up to their standards as something you typically won’t find from any other brewer in the world. The idea came when a professor from the University of PA asked to recreate an alcoholic beverage that was recently discovered in 9000 year old clay pots. The beer itself still tastes like a fruit or spiced beer, but it has its own uniqueness as well. Sweet with a little bit of offsetting spice. No hops are used in this beer, so it is not susceptible to skunking. If you are drinking one by yourself, watch out for the alcohol. It isn’t easily detectable so it can sneak up on you. Recommended for a try, but I’m sure you will like it.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2007 04:41:26 | More by BeerSox

Morris729

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy golden peach color with orange highlights and a fluffy white head. Nose is quite floral with notes of honeysuckle, rose, and chrysanthemum along with a light fruitiness of ripe banana and champagne grapes as well as a bit of perfume. Taste begins with sweet tropical fruit and honey nectar along with flowery chrysanthemum followed and balanced by powdery yeast, a grape tartness, and peppery alcohol. Quite unique. Be sure not to have this beer too cold—near room temperature seems ideal.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2007 03:03:00 | More by Morris729

IntriqKen

California

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is one of those beers where you had better not be expecting beer.
Pours a bright golden yellow with barely a head.
Aroma is very fresh fruity...softly fruity....and flowery.
Taste is beyond being able to specify. Most predominately would be tangerines and lemons. Slight bitter bite up front like a citrus bite but then lots of sweet fruits like oranges and tangerines...a little purple grape sweetness and some floral hints.
Leaves the mouth without leaving it sticky.
Fine carbonation and citrus bite make for a nice mouthfeel.
Aftertaste is mostly sweet with a mild alcohol burn settling into you tummy.
Very interesting.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2007 21:43:40 | More by IntriqKen

nlmartin

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer was served in a wide mouthed wine goblet.

Appearance: The beer pours as hazy golden coloration. The head was white and about 2.5 fingers high. The head had no retention and quickly resolved to a ring of foam. White flecks of floating sediment are suspended in the beer.

Smell: This beer has a very sweet smell. The beer leads with an unknown fruity sweetness (could this be the hawthorne fruit?), honey, raisins, assorted peppery spiceyness. Bottom line I really like the aroma of this beer.

Taste: The beer is really sweet honey, fruity flavors of unknown origin, raisin / grapes, a pleasant spicey combinaton of pepper and alcohol combined with pleasing earthyness. The finish of the beer is dry inspite of the sweetness. This is a very pleasing beer. I want more!

Mouthfeel/ Drinkability: The body of the beer is on the light side. I think I would like a bit more carbonation to this brew. The beer is very easy to drink and as stated previously stated I want more. This 750 ml bottle passed very quickly. Thanks DFH for yet one more envelope pushing beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2007 15:30:06 | More by nlmartin

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a cloudy medium orange-amber color with modest head. Some chunky floaters also [resent.
Smell is summer fruity, with strong notes of grares and apricot. Also some floral notes are found.
Taste is extremely nice, with a strong friuty taste. The diffferent fruit tastes blend perfectly to produce a nice refreshing summer beer.
Great drinkability for an 8% beer. Alcohol is completely hidden.
Another good beer from Dogfish Head.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2007 12:34:59 | More by tgbljb

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice reddish orange, quite cloudy. Very little head and no real lacing, but hey, who knows what beer looked like way back when. For now, I'm not complaining. The smell is fruity with orange, something berrylike,and a waxiness and earthiness from the rice. The taste is smooth, complicated and interesting. An underlying red rice flavor seems evident, similar to a red rice saki- waxy and earthy notes. There are also substantial honey flavors, so there is a meadlike feel as well. Some slight astringent notes from the Hawthorne. Mouthfeel is very smooth and creamy. Very interesting and quite drinkable- I also love the archaelogical beer project, let's keep them coming!

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2007 01:11:52 | More by Georgiabeer

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml capped bottled poured into several Goblets

A – Poured a very hazy and extremely sediment filled golden yellow, almost a honey color with no real head to speak of. No visible carbonation, nor was there any side glass lace. There were more suspended particles in this then I have ever seen before. Everything was floating and swimming throughout it.

S – The aroma was very sweet. Lots of honey and sweet grain like smells. There was a touch of some light grass and a touch of some kind of light grape or other light fruit as well. This smelled a lot like mead or a honey braggott. Very sweet and very light.

T – The flavor was surprisingly very good. I thought for sure this was going to be like a honey overload or another bland novelty but this was quite tasty actually. The initial flavor was full of honey with a touch of grain melded into the back. This gave way to a more light grape mixed in with honey sort of taste. Hard to describe other then very sweet with absolutely no hop profile at all, but this was to be expected. Very light profile not too heavy at all and not overboard on the sweetness. A good amount of rice flavor mixed in as well, and this gave it a lighter profile on top and helped balance out the sweetness a good deal.

M – Very syrup like feel, albeit much thinner. But with very little in the way of carbonation in here it took on a definite slick like feel and it made it a little difficult to enjoy the finish. Very flat and very mead like, which is fitting with the style I suppose.

D – Now here it is interesting. At first I was not so taken by it and was wondering how this bottle was going to go down, but surprisingly it actually was very drinkable and I was easily able to complete it. No hint of ABV at all and really an effortless drink.

Overall this was quite unique. Something that was very much different then most other things I had tried. There was a certain amount of oldness to it. Kind of weird having something that has been consumed in one form for thousands of years but it works very well. Lots of honey and rice and a good deal of sediment. This was something I would try again with no issue. It was definitely interesting and was worth the price.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2007 23:50:04 | More by mikesgroove

ballewblake

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Duvel glass from the bottle.

Aggressive pour barely gives a head, what it does give goes away within minutes. Lacing is non existent. Color is light orangish, small amount of carbonation bubbles floating to the top. Smell is amazing, fruity, honey, spices. Taste is sweet and then bitter as it goes to the back of the tongue, but not overly. Slightly carbonated on the tongue, after taste is a little warm. I'm having no problems finishing the bottle. A tasty beverage fo shizzle.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2008 03:06:33 | More by ballewblake

blakesell

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Found at the Dogfish head event at Bodega in Columbus on 9/17/08

Poured into a taster glass although the beer is a mere 8% ABV. Which was fine with me, I do a lot of drinking and a little less won't hurt me.

Appearance- Beer pours cloudy and orange. If I didn't know better I would say that's orange juice with a little lemon mixed in. Pulpy and cloudy, it hardly even looks like beer. No lacing, no head, very slight carbonation. Looks like some kind of a spritzer or carbonated juice at best.

Smell- Smells like orange juice or tangerine as well. Orange and many exotic spices, but seems like it has cinnamon and coriander as well. They don't list that as aningredient so I'll have to guess that this is some other scent that I'm not so familiar with. Hints of tobacco and caramel malts linger in there as well. This smells nothing like the Jihau I remember. This seems to have Ginger as well, I'm mistaking a lot of flavors and it could be my lack of experience with chrysanthemum flowers and hawthorn fruit.

Taste- Citric, but not orange, more like a papaya, and pomegranate, the juice flavor here is quite strong and refreshing. It really tastes more like a wine than a beer. This would be a great one from the Dogfish catalog for Sam to take to the woman in his book and argue the point of beer's multitude of flavors that can be found. There is a light fruit punch flavor and a hint of wheat, which is also not listed in theingredients. No hints of malt and absolutely no hops.

Mouthfeel- Creamy, juicy, medium-high in carbonation, and medium light in body.

Drinkability- I like juice, and this is amazing for something to have with breakfast in place of orange or some other juice. I love it, what can I say?

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2008 14:47:25 | More by blakesell

dhd1491

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours with little head that immediately dies leaving no lacing. Medium yellow-gold, intriguingly cloudy. Low to mid carbonation. Aroma is delicate and floral, yeasty. Taste is the real reveal: Nice balance between alcohol burn, bitter floral hops, and sweet spiced honey maltiness. The honey sweetness and clovey spice take over quickly and linger on for a good while. This is a unique tasting brew. For a robust 8% ABV, it is surprisingly light on the tongue and easily drinkable, yet with bold flavors that demand attention. Would be equally at home on a hot summer day or in front of a mid-winter fire.

I have conspicuously avoided spiced and flavored beers, but the success of this tasting has opened a new door of experimentation that I must enter, I fear.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2008 22:00:38 | More by dhd1491

RomaniIteDomum

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ordered at The Brass Tap in Tampa. I definately owe the guys for this one.

Pours a golden color with a nice head that disappears quickly. Little lacing.

Spells like pears, some flowery notes. The grapes are there. Very sweet smelling and rather nice.

The taste is great. Although sweet it is well-balanced and refreshing. Still a small hint of pears, but the muscat grapes and a slight floral taste are there.

It feels crisp and sweet. The carbonation is more apparent in the mouth than in the glass. Very refreshing.

I would definately order this beer again. I'm a huge fan of these old brews Dogfish seems to find. It was a great beer to end the warm Florida night.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2009 06:14:37 | More by RomaniIteDomum

boulderaz78

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I needed a break from my recent binge of trappistes quads, and I thought what better way to mix it up than with one of Dog Head's ancient brews. I grabbed this from the Hyde Park market on 45th in Austin (best beer selection in the city), and I'm glad that I made it my choice. My wife and I are about to go see Little Dragon live and are enjoying this sweet brew while watching Radiohead on a Directv Channel 101 recording. Maybe it's the music, but we're loving this Jiahu. It's sweet but not too sweet. It's amber golden but hearty. It's got a high ABV but you can't tell. It's got a hint of a sweet wine but still has the balls of a solid beer. It's expensive, but very worth it. Well done Dog Fish.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2011 01:29:58 | More by boulderaz78

beerbiatchMD

Maine

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle in a pint snifter.

A: intense gold color with excellent crisp clarity. There is a small amount of white head that dissipates in a few minutes. Minimal lacing.

S: Nose has a crisp malty grapey character and is also pretty sweet probably owing to the honey. I don't get any specific honey notes that I can pick out though.

T: Starts a bit bready/malty, followed by some alcohol heat, than there is definitely a grapey Chardonnay-like flavor. I ends with a subtle bitterness.

M: crisp, a bit dry, good carbonation.

O: a very good and approachable beer. Light, crisp, and refreshing. Would definitely recommend and I'll certain get it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 02:50:33 | More by beerbiatchMD

drotski

Maine

4.3/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a cloudy golden color, with a thick head that quickly disappeared. Medium amount of lacing.

Aromas with hints of wine and fruit. Doesn't smell like any normal beer.

Taste is amazing. Starts sweet and fruity, finishes clean and dry. Very complex, and quite impressive.

Full bodied in the mouth, with soothing carbonation.

Very drinkable beer, and a very special treat.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2006 00:36:55 | More by drotski

scruffwhor

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance- Makes me think of sunshine honey. Lots of gold and yellow with some very light amber. Not a lot of head to sapeak of after the pour. But some good carbonation to be seen.

Smell- Pretty complex mix of sugared grapes, flowers, sake, hooney, and lightly toasted malts.

Taste- Lots of sweet, organic matter hitting the tongue. Definetly some grapes along with somo honey. That must be why the grapes taste so sugary. Plenty of other sweet malt notes with some flowers and herbs that are unknown to my palate. PLus the well known yeast of sake.

Mouthfeel- A touch dry and tart. But mellow with some hints of an odd alcoholiv elemnet that I believe is brought about by the sake. I like sake, but I love beer. What an interesting combination.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2006 08:28:46 | More by scruffwhor

soulgrowl

United Kingdom (England)

4.3/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Amber chrysanthemum gold. Fair-sized white meringue head with decent retention.

Smell: Lagery in its clear, dry crispness, no doubt because of the rice used in brewing. Light and mildly spicy with a touch of funk from the sake yeast. Hawthorn manifests itself as a subtle fruity tartness. Chrysanthemum adds a wild, herbal, grassy dandelion twang, and honey wafts over the surface of the beer like a cool breeze.

Taste: Sweet and unusual, with a strong but not cloying honey character. Spicy with yeast and alcohol, with a very pronounced edge of sake. Chrysanthemum and hawthorn are not very noticable at first, but they come around in the finish to add a very unique, fruity, herbal tang. Dandelions, tea, and apples come to mind. Truly out of the ordinary.

Mouthfeel: Deceivingly syrupy, as it is quite light and dry, but the aftertaste leaves behind a honeyed viscosity. Good, but it could be better.

Drinkability: I would serve this as you would a sweet sparkling wine. It's really an interesting beer but the whole bomber is a bit much for one person. An excellent pair with white chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2007 15:23:20 | More by soulgrowl

jasonjlewis

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Interesting sweet, unique. Decent appearance. head fades fast. Nice cloudy appearance though. Smell was very nice a little bit of banana phenol. Taste was unique. Tastes a little funky. No hops detected, however there are some bitter notes (only slightly). However, nice malt, has a nice fruitiness to it. A lot going on and a funkiness with yeast. Very interesting. A great brew to give wine drinkers and beer drinkers a like. Dogfish head is becoming one of my favorite breweries. They are unique and adventures. Off-centered ales for off-centered people. Well I'm a little off-centered I guess and I love there beers and will continue to pay top dollar to get them shipped to me. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2007 05:29:11 | More by jasonjlewis

GClarkage

California

4.3/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12/17/07- Purchased at Sun Devil Liquors in Mesa, AZ.

Presentation- 750ml bottle with a stamped code on the bottle glass itself. Poured into an oversized wine glass.

Appearance- Golden apricot colored orange pour. Nice creamy 1/2 inch white head but really lacking in the lace.

Smell- Sweet honeyed malt with a touch of mustyness. No hops detected.

Taste- Honey brew all the way. Honey is the overpowering flavor here with traces of rose water and a nice granny smith apple skin flavor. Kinda of floral and perfumy as well. Nice malt sweetness.

Mouthfeel- Super smooth with a low carbonation level. Creamy and lightly thickened. Wonderful light mouthcoating. Was the perfect beer for me to have because the honey and the low carbonation soothed my sore throat and my oncoming cold. How I keep my taste buds another day.

Drinkability- Another quality brew from Dogfish. Great melding flavors and great texture. Think I'm going to buy another to take back home with me.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2007 16:42:31 | More by GClarkage

tgncc

New York

4.3/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The aroma is floral, sweet, buttery, and spicy. The appearance is a hazy orange, thin white head. The taste is complex, mix of grapes, honey, butter, and rice. Sweet and spicy at the same time. The finish is fairly clean, sweet, and yet a spicy ending on the palate, as if from hops, but maybe from added spices. Relatively thick, oily mouthfeel. I love these "traditional" or "historic" ales, and I actively seek them out. My rating generally reflects this love of ancient beer recreations.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2008 03:02:14 | More by tgncc

Zraly

Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice pale saffron color. Dissipating head, but tight bubbles.

Fruity, sweet, and gentle. Flowery in the front, almost violet. A touch of honeysuckle. The honey really comes through in both the body and taste. Light bodied.

Drinks like a smooth, light wine. Finishes like an approachable sake. mmm. Sushi. Or perhaps a spicy Thai curry.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2010 23:21:16 | More by Zraly

BeerLover99

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - deep yellow/golden rod, big bubbly (up + down) white head, very little lacing occurred.

S - big grape, hint of fresh floral, mild spices, honey aroma. very clean, invigorating, nose opening scent.

T - mild white grape/white wine notes, honey, hawthorn fruit is subtle in the finish.

M - medium body, mild tingle on the tongue, slight sticky finish, big carbonation to hold the flavors

D - This was a complete shock to me, excellent and such a differently refreshing beer. I will definitely want to have this beer again, could be a fine Summer beer. If you are adventurous or just love Dogfish Head's search for unique brew experiences, get this!

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2010 14:29:35 | More by BeerLover99

One2Remeber

Florida

4.3/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Been sitting on a keg for 3 months. Pouring into a pint glass (I'm Thirsty:)

A: Golden body, maze color. White bubbly head, 1 inch then turns to almost nothing after a quick minute.

S: Heavy grape aroma with a heavy honey undertone. Smells powdery (earthy, dry) with no real hints of boozy alcohol.

T: Crazy transition of flavor with honey serving as a slip'n'slide backbone. They don't stay long on the palate but sure do hit strong. Starts off with a winey grape taste, going to a flowery leave taste. The honey taste never leaves, it allows the other flavors to springboard off it.

M: Sharp bubbles sting the back throat. A sticky bitter honey feel stays after swallowing and can't get rid of. With that being said there is no alcohol presence so the overbearing honey is forgivable.

O: Does not drink like your average beer making it a great change up instead of drinking wine. A must try but would not be one to have all the time. A type of beer I would bring to a family get together and not for hanging with the boys.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2011 04:18:53 | More by One2Remeber

marburg

Michigan

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

Chateau Jizhou is hard to categorize. Supposedly based on a 9,000 year old Chinese recipe, it's not exactly typical in terms of style.

But who gives a rat's ass? It's good.

Very light, almost eggy white body with a foamy, dense white head. Incredibly effervescent with colonies of bubbles desperately adhering to the insides of the glass as torrents of carbonation try to push them up. A bit cloudy.

Served a bit cold, so the aromatics were dulled. Spicy, a bit sweet, definitely some acidity or burning embers wafting up into the nose.

The amazing quality to this is the smoke flavor. This begins a bit sweet, but that's quickly pushed aside by an acidic quality that borders on liquid smoke. Herbal and a bit funky with light, dried, pitted fruits in the background throughout. Finishes very slick with a very clean, very dry, very polished finish.

What can you say? This is DFH at its finest. Say what you want about their IPAs, this brewery is built on experimentation -- one of the few that legitimately pushes the boundaries. I don't know if this is a great beer, but it's unique and interesting. That, at least, counts for something.

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2005 01:05:53 | More by marburg

cabsandking

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy bright golden/peach color with a big white fizzy head that winds down to some fine bubbled swirls. The nose is alcoholic with big fruity floral esters, yeasty, and some grapefruit notes. The first sip is like carbonated white wine. Yeast's, sour fruit, orange rind, and floral characters follow. As it warms the alcohol intensity gives way to a defined honey sweetness, very much like a mead now. Developing later is something like pine and unripe bananas as well as some sweeter burnt sugar and malt characters lying underneath. I didn’t know what to expect from this concoction but was pleasantly surprised.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2006 19:09:48 | More by cabsandking