Chateau Jiahu - Dogfish Head Brewery

socon67

New York

4.22/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours light orange with a thin white foam. Cloudy, and minimal lacing.

S - Smells sweet with plenty of spicy notes. Scents of grape and pear.

T - Filled with spices right from the start. Noticeable taste of white grape; like a decent chardonnay. Very earthy.

M - Medium bodied, minimal carbonation, and medium bodied. The spices make this raspy. Need to contrast this with bland food.

O - Of the ancient styles by DogFish, I like this better than Midas Touch, but not as much as Sah'Tea. For people who like spiced beers, this is a must try.

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2011 00:05:41 | More by socon67

Phelps

Arizona

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed in a small snifter at Tops.

Dark gold with soft haze. One finger of wispy white head fizzles away after a minute, leaving nothing, in the way of lace.

Maybe it’s due to similar ingredients and brewing processes, but I get a very similar aroma in all the ancient ales. Like the others, this one’s sweet and a little spicy. Coriander, clove and flowers before a base of honey and fresh Apple. It’s like white wine, smoothed out.

In the flavor: sweet breadiness, peppercorns, white raisins and a slap of dough at the swallow. Slightly drying, with a hefty finishing note of grain alcohol.

Gentle, massaging carbonation in a viscous, sugar-packed medium body. The slightly tongue-numbing booze warms my cockles.

Like its Ancient Ale brethren, Chateau Jiahu is okay, but not terribly complex for all its unique ingredients. It’s also a bit boozy. Worth trying, but not worth paying for again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-27-2011 23:05:09 | More by Phelps

Demer

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours pale hazy yellow with almost no head.

Smell of Muscat grapes, apples and bubblegum and tons of sugar and sweetness.

All I get in the taste of this is honey sweetness and bubblegum. It is not pleasant and its a little tough to get through. Too sweet for me. I felt like I was drinking liquid bubblegum.

While I can respect what Dogfish is doing and I see the craftsmanship that went into making a beer like this. It is really not my thing. I am glad to have tried it but I probably would never drink it ever again. I respect it but not its just not my cup of tea.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2011 14:21:46 | More by Demer

hopking311

Florida

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

Wow.. appears golden, light, little to no head.. not very lacey..

Smells, slight citrus.. earthy, winey..

good carbonation.. light bodied

Tastes moderate sweetness, bitterness of lemon, grassy, earthy.

Overall very complex.. I can tell Im blown away when drinking a beer Im a loss for words..
I cant wait to age a bottle for next year.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2011 03:06:58 | More by hopking311

forcedlaughter

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had this about a year ago and wanted to try this newest batch to see if I liked it as much now as I did then.

Looks like a white wine with tons of carbonation. The head is purely based on the pour and consists of big bubbles that fade.

Smells like tangy fruits, alcohol, grapes, something else I can't quite place like an earthy or leathery scent.

Tastes great. A little on the sweet side, but my wife, who does not like beer, really enjoyed this. It's more of an alcoholic beverage than a beer. I get the same earthy, fruity, alcoholic taste as I smelled.

Great mouthfeel. Feels like it would be perfect on New Year's or something. I will definitely grab a bottle each time it's released. Something that will become a tradition with my wife and I.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2011 16:44:00 | More by forcedlaughter

rtepiak

Poland

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

had several years ago in bottle...

notes from brewpub visit at rehoboth beach

would have to say that with all the ingredients use, its really hard to distinguish all those different qualities as the beer just seems to come out rather sweet and strong. pour is like a lighter colored barley wine. a finger of head. nose of grapeskins and honey... the sort of malty bit o honey candy you get with some beligian. the rice is pretty much a silky feel to the addition to the beer. the yeast is something of a sake finish to it. but all the wonderful details like the chrysanthemum is lost. the hawthorn berries have a similar note of sourness as the grape. big beer with a lot to offer... to boldly sweet... too strong that the malt characteristic overpowers.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2011 05:19:55 | More by rtepiak

stewfnrocker

New Jersey

3.33/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

it came out an unfiltered light tan orangeish color. a slight head. The nose I caught a very sweet smell of honey, lighter fruits like grapes, apples, and pears. The taste was pretty much spot on, very sweet to the palette. Lots of honey and fruits, a slight alcohol flavor underneath which was expected with a beer that has 10% abv. The mouth feel is a bit full to medium body. I guess having such a sweet taste, but sort of balanced out by the carbonation. Overall, I like what Dogfish Head does, but this wasn't one for me. A bit to sweet for me, almost like a mead. To say the least it wasn't a bad beer, If you like sweeter beers in the style of a mead you will like this, no you probably will love this.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2011 16:05:58 | More by stewfnrocker

mdaschaf

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at the DFH brewpub.

A: This beer came as a very hazy golden color. No head and no lacing left behind at all.

S: Very sweet, grainy with some honey sweetness. Some light fruits and a little bit of a grassy aroma as well. Some spice too.

T: Very sweet, a nice honey flavor and some grapes, but the grapes are light, more like green grapes.

M: The mouthfeel is really nice, it is sort of syrupy, but a little thinner than medium. Decent carbonation, almost like a mead in a way.

O: Overall, pretty enjoyable. Probably not something I would buy in bottle often, but if it is on tap at DFH, I will probably get it again. Pretty easy drinking with no sign of 10%.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2011 00:07:02 | More by mdaschaf

benclimbs

California

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

had during sf beer week on tap, just found the notes to it.

look is good, bubbly with no head or lacing, very champagne like w/o the head

smell is lots of grape juiceyness, like white welches grape juice...A LOT like Midas Touch

Taste, a lot more intense than midas, still veyr sweet, winey character, apricots, lots of honey, flowers, white grapes and spice.

overall - its a 4.0 beer, very enjoyable and unique and pleasant...but VERY dogfish

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2011 21:57:17 | More by benclimbs

oberon

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Mellow in Greensboro.Poured into a goblet a medium to darker golden with a thin quick to fade white head,white grap juice aromas along with sweet honey,a little leafy heb in there as well.Sweet white grape skins and honey flavors dominate,there is enough of herbal dryness in the finish to keep it from being overly sweet.Its pretty good,its not nearly as complex as I would have thought,nice to try it but one and done is good enough for me.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2011 21:50:16 | More by oberon

kinupanda

Texas

4.63/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Fresh from the tap and into a baby snifter. A beautiful, golden amber color, almost a glowing orange, with a quickly-dissipating head; perhaps the most impeccable pour I've seen. The smell is equally as nice, made of wonderfully balanced honey and floral aromas, with almost a subtle banana-like quality from the fruits. An exploding bouquet of fruit flavor; the subtle carbonation allows the sweet honey to be the star. The finish is crisp, with a lingering clean dryness.

FourthBeer potential: VERY HIGH. In all honesty, I was enjoying this beer way too much and drank it too fast. The high ABV is completely unnoticeable, and is almost dangerous because more is better for this one. An excellent effort by Dogfish Head, but does that really surprise anyone?

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2011 04:08:45 | More by kinupanda

DoktorZee

Alberta (Canada)

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

Had on-tap in a goblet at the Draught House.

A - light golden in color with practically no head. Looks clear and crisp!

S - initial some floral notes resolving into a yeasty smell (different in character from the typical Belgian)

T - very smooth in character with an initial sweetness that tickles the tip of the tongue resolving into a warm booziness and an intermixed bitter floral finish

M - slightly syrupy in character, but is rescued by the carbonation just when it's almost too cloying

D - Even with the heavy mouthfeel the sweetness makes this really slick and an easy drink. Danger Will Robinson!

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2011 19:25:36 | More by DoktorZee

dogfishandi

New York

3.38/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

had this on tap at coles. served in an 8oz goblet.

served with absolutly no head or lace. golden red body. decent clarity.

not a huge aroma. fruity wine like with some kind of a vomity apricot like smell. not super appealling.

very sweet wine/ mead like grape, honey, vomity apricot, tropical fruit, light alcohol with a semi dry finish.

the heavier side of medium in body. medium to light carbonation. surprisingly alcohol is not too noticable, but you feel it when your done with the glass.

not super drinkable. a goblet is no problem, but i definatly wouldnt want a whole bottle. it didnt go well with my black and blue burger, i didnt really think it would. i wouldnt recommend this nor would i buy it again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2011 15:58:46 | More by dogfishandi

Bmoyer0301

Pennsylvania

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

Appearance:

Poured into a standard snifter glass off draft. Off the tap this baby is a murky hazy yellow deep golden color with hues of straw thrown in. A very thin one half finger thick cream colored head that has loads of bubbles rising from the bottom of my glass. On the swirl the viscosity seems to be a little thick leaving a nice amount of legs on the glass walls.

Smell:

Very very sweet, lots of caramel and honey which are the front and center stage. Some other sugary spice that I cannot put my finger on. No real heat alcohol, yeasty, bready and some grapes come in. Bananas and cloves ?

Taste:

Almost cloyingly sweet, very strong honey notes like a mead. Again bananas and yeast, and some cloves kick in. Slightly tangy almost like duck sauce at a Chinese takeout place.
Orange molasses, not a drop of hop presence and in the finish you can slightly get a hint of the alcohol.

Drinkability:

Pretty thick and chewy and very sweet so it is going to be a slow one. But this is still very good and was a nice after dinner styled beer could I have drank 2 ? hell no, but be sure to give it a shot becuase its definitely one of a kind.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2011 16:57:33 | More by Bmoyer0301

CaraAndMike

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Preliminary review from a draft serving: amazing aromas and flavors from the Muscat with a strong honey taste. Herbal spiciness on the initial finish, but then a slightly sharp lingering alcohol bite.
Complex and interesting but does not initially compel me to have another; slightly flat on draft, so I want to try this from the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2010 01:33:36 | More by CaraAndMike

Richardberg

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - pale yellow, not much head in our pour.

S - white grape, green apple, pear, almost cider-like

T - much of the same, bathed in honey sweetness throughout. Not cloying, just a pleasant background

M - extremely light. Feel could almost be like a sake, but not as dry.

D - a little boozy at the finish, but otherwise smooth and easy to drink...chug, even if so inclined.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, 320 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach

10-31-2010 18:43:59 | More by Richardberg

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

So this is "the oldest living fermentable beverage recipe" huh? I had this on tap at the Alehouse in Fairfax, VA.

A: Poured a golden, honey-like color with a mild frothy head and tons of rice flakes floating around. The carbonation was below moderate. Cool looking beer!

S: Grapes and honey first, followed by a very in-your-face sugariness. If someone blindly put this one and "Midas Touch" up to my nose back-to-back, I would have guessed that this was a mere extreme version of the other.

T: Very sweet, extreme even, with honey and grapes glore. The rice flakes add a neat, earthy, oriental flair. So this is what a Hawthorne berry tastes like huh?

M: The mallowcreme-like sweetness is very cloying and that totally isn't my thing. A bit more carbonation would have done wonders to balance that out. On the plus side, the ABV is hidden under the sludge of candy sweetness.

D: I respect what they did here and I totally get it, however, I had trouble finishing the glass.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, 320 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach

10-23-2010 13:27:46 | More by Chaney

glid02

Georgia

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

On-tap at the Porter Beer Bar in Atlanta.

Pours a clear golden color with a half-finger white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of sweet light malts with good amounts of candi sugar. Also present are moderate amounts of honey and lighter hints of indistinct light fruits.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Crisp light malt flavors kick things off and are joined almost immediately by smooth and subtle honey flavors. Midway through the sip the malt flavors sweeten even further with the addition of medium fruit flavors and carry through to a crisp ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with active carbonation.

Drinkability is also good. I finished my glass without any problems and could have another.

Overall this was an interesting beer but the flavors weren't quite distinct or smooth enough to make it anything more. Still, worth a shot, especially if you're a fan of DFH's other experimental beers.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, 320 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach

10-01-2010 00:53:27 | More by glid02

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A giant ass goblet on draft at the hulmeville inn.

A- a small cap of white head when it comes to me that settles in a bit to a small ring. Crystal clear yellow orange in color.

S- rather subdued nose with honey and a touch of spice I can't place.

T- sweet sweet sweet. Honey out the ass and a mild earthy spice.

M- rather slick and syrupy with a very lite carb.

D- its an interesting brew but a bit off of what I look for in a beer. Now with some cheese and clover honey we might have something.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, 320 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach

09-21-2010 01:41:34 | More by oglmcdgl

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.33/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Chateau Jiahu has a light orange body and just about no head. Pretty color, but lacking besides that.

The aroma is somewhat interesting, definitely showing off grapes, honey, and a mixture of things that I can't really place.

Chateau Jiahu tastes a little bit like some sort of wine and an English barleywine mixed together with some spices added. The honey and grapes are definitely noticeable, and they are backed up with sweet malt. I don't know if it's my imagination, but I swear that the combination of rice and sake yeast actually adds a flash of flavor reminiscent of sake. That could be my imagination, but I did have this beer on-tap without reading anything about it before hand, so it could easily be a viable observation also. As for the other ingredients, they are certainly noticeable, but I can't really sort them out. For me, they add a perfume or potpourri type quality to the flavor.

The body is moderate and carbonation is quite low. Overall, a little more carbonation might do this beer some good actually.

I like Chateau Jiahu, but I don't love it. It is an interesting beer with a lot going on, but I sipped it for a long time, and was thinking about what I was going to order next about half way through.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, 320 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach

04-29-2010 22:58:21 | More by Hojaminbag

TMoney2591

Illinois

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

Served in a glass akin to a flute, but not quite one...

Pours a slightly cloudy golden amber, with a very small head and appropriately minimal lacing. The nose is honey, peach, white grapes, lemon, and coriander. The taste is similar, with notes of honey, white grapes, citrus, blood orange, and lemon zest. The body is on the heavier side of medium (or the lightest side of heavy...whichever), with relatively low carbonation and a somewhat syrupy feel, leading to a high but hindered drinkability (it would be a bit higher if the body were slightly thinner and the ABV a tad lower). Those ancient Chinese had a winner here...

Serving type: on-tap
@ Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, 320 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach

03-15-2010 03:42:43 | More by TMoney2591

BretSikkink

Mexico

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Lightly colored but mostly white head, served atop a mostly clear, orange-ish body. Not much retention or lacing. The nose is vinous, floral, and sweet. Funky and spicy, in a slightly "off" way.

The flavor is much more pleasing, if not terribly different, from the nose. Lots of white grape notes, sweetness of honey, some strong floral notes presumably from the chrysanthemum. The mouthfeel could use a boost in carbonation, but otherwise it's a fairly well-done effort. Interesting and worth seeking out on its own merits.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, 320 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach

12-03-2009 04:21:02 | More by BretSikkink

jwarren2388

New York

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: Had this one on tap and was quite surprised to see it. Poured into a pint it had a beautiful opaque golden tangerine hue. Basically no lace from what was a quite thick head.

Smell: I love the aroma here its quite different yet welcomed from the general handful of scents you find in beers besides nuances. The muscat grapes make a nice appearance and mesh well with the honey. The floral chrysanthemum is delicate and there's even a touch of banana in there. Hawthorne may or may not be in there but my nose has never come across it before so i'm kind of sniffing blind (stuffed up?).

Taste: This one is quite sweet but not cloyingly so. The grape and the honey aide in making it have that delectable taste but are rounded out by some fruity pineapple and banana-esq and subtle lavender floral notes.

Mouthfeel: Quite good, and fairly carbonated and rests on the palate at times.

Drinkability: Extremely complex and needs to be sipped to be thoroughly enjoyed.

Overall: Distinct and experimental, I enjoyed it but others may not due to the sweetness even though its not overpowering.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, 320 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach

11-14-2009 18:32:07 | More by jwarren2388

grayburn

South Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very interesting beer, my only problem is that it just doesn't stand apart from Midas Touch or Theobroma, the flavors that I am looking for are only hiding in the background. The creative current behind the beer is quite interesting, the alcohol is well hidden, it is quite drinkable. The body is very light as can be expected from the rice, a lingering sour-sweetness hides behind medium-heavy carbonation. I had this on tap at the Dogfish Head rest. and pub in Falls Church Va, and I must say I was expecting the beer to be poured slightly warmer. At close to 32 degrees, it took a while for this to warm up enough to be flavorful, and even then it was a bit light for me. Regardless of the outcome, I love the ideas but forth by Sam and the team at Dogfish, way to pave some new (old) roads.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, 320 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach

10-08-2009 18:55:33 | More by grayburn

drabmuh

Maryland

3.38/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This was served on draught at Dogfish head pub in Gaithersburg, MD. Beer is clear, light yellow / orange, no head to speak of and minimal lacing, low carbonation. Aroma is fruity sweet, smell of grapes. This beer tastes like chardonnay. Seriously, white wine with grain. I'm not digging this beer. All and all its a fine beer but definitely not my favorite from DFH. Worth a look, hard to drink though.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, 320 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach

09-20-2009 03:21:33 | More by drabmuh