Chateau Jiahu - Dogfish Head Brewery

cupcakequeenie

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- The beer poured a deep golden color with a pale head that faded fast.
S- Immediately hit with the honey scent which is fine by me. The non-sweet obsessed person might find it a little overpowering.
T- Again, I tasted the honey with a bit of the grape undertone. There is a slight tartness that I assume applies to the hawthorne berry. It was crisp and fresh.
M- Medium feel, not light but definitely not syrupy. Light carbonation.
D- I could easily drink this, I didn't feel that the alcohol was overpowering and the honey made it easy for me. I would think that some people would think it was too sweet to have too much of.

Overall, I am really glad I grabbed the bottle of this and will buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2009 17:34:56 | More by cupcakequeenie

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

ricodewey

Delaware

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

Unique. I wasn't sure I was drinking a beer but a sake infused ale. Almost no head present but a nice pour. A nice smell but definitely overtones of rice? Based on a 5000 year old Chinese recipe the rice/sake taste is to be expected. The mouthfeel was good with flowery tones pervasive to the tongue. The drinkability was very nice. At almost 10% abv you wouldn't expect such drinkability as this but it went down very smootly (too smoothly). Overall, a very nice drink but I still feel that I was drinking a slightly carbonated herbed infused sake-beer. Good job DFH.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2006 23:32:15 | More by ricodewey

PattynSuicide

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance- A cloudy orange color; looks like unfiltered apple juice. Has little white specks floating around. Head was a little thin, leaving only a thin white ring around the glass.

Smell- This smells like a really fruity wine. I do get quite a bit of grapes and honey. Very sweet, a teeny bit floral as well. Very nice scent overall.

Taste- A little sweet, sort of like a muscat wine. There is a honey and grape after taste that is very pleasant. The first sip was surprising, but not in a bad way.

Mouthfeel- There is very little carbonation, but then again, I had a really old bottle. It feels a little heavy, again, like an unfiltered apple juice.

Drinkability- It is extremely tasty. I could have finished the bottle by myself, but it's not something I'd drink all the time.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2009 03:39:09 | More by PattynSuicide

velvetimagery

Georgia

5/5  rDev +31.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

750 ml capped bottle poured into a tulip.

This has got to be one of my new favorites. I loved absolutely everything about this brew. The color, smell, taste. Absolutely perfect.

A beautiful golden color with a fluffy head.

Smelled rich and complex. Very earthy.

Very complex taste, but not overwhelming. Perfect herby, bready, rich, warm flavors.

Very easy to drink. Not overly strong so the bottle went very quickly.

Overall, an absolute treat. Delicious. I will be keeping a regular stock of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 19:44:23 | More by velvetimagery

LOM718

Maryland

4.93/5  rDev +29.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I had this last night before dinner, I've been waiting all year (I missed it last year).

Appearance - nice light golden hue, like a golden sparkling wine

Smell - hint of grapes, honey and spice, light and floral

Taste - Sweet! Sweeter than I expected, you can taste the muscot grapes and the honey, there's clove and a slight syrup taste as well

Mouthfeel - like sparkling wine, light and effervescent, there's a hint of syrup as well

Drinkability - I wanted another when I was finished, however, due to the sweetness it would be hard to drink more than 2 (it's also 9%). But I will definitely drink this again!

Way to go Sam (again!)!! I love the ancient brews and this one is exceptional!

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 19:49:11 | More by LOM718

IrishRedBeard

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

appearance: Light amber with virtualy no head.

smell: Honey, exotic fruit. This doesn't really smell like any other beer I have ever had.

taste: Mead, grapes and other fruity notes. Doesn't really taste like beer but, it is very good.

mouthfeel: light, with very little carbonation.

drinkability: very easy to drink and very pleasent.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2010 05:54:39 | More by IrishRedBeard

dweeuu

Virginia

4.09/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this served through Randal the Enamel Animal with sake and some sort of fruit at the Dogfish Head brew-pub. I enjoyed it, but the fruity overtones were a bit much. I would recommend this as a dessert beer, it tends to overpower everything else.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2013 04:33:43 | More by dweeuu

seedyone

New York

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Curious back story drew me in.

Split a bottle during an afternoon's Round Robin.

Looked like a perky Rose wine or a pink champagne with 7-UP advertisement effervescence.

Initial taste was unanimously honey which mellowed w/each sip. The sake influence almost slipped in unnoticed, but was worth the wait, like an old friend arriving at a party full of strangers.

I'd hit it again.

July 2010
NYC

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2010 02:36:53 | More by seedyone

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

johnpalisi

New Jersey

2.93/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Creamy white head with good retention,golden amber in color.fragrantly fruity honey apple and grapes.very sweet kinda reminds me of sweet apple cider.dry,sweet bitter mouth finish.if your into sweet beer this is defiantly for you. Big fan of most dog fish brews but it's a bit sweet for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2010 01:27:17 | More by johnpalisi

ScottieByNature

Ohio

4.55/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from a champagne bottle into a tulip glass.

A - Beautiful light golden color, plenty of effervescence. The light head left a bit of lacing and made almost a marbled pattern on the surface.

S - Hints at a Belgian, with aromatic notes that reminded me of a Chardonnay or a Pinot Grigio. Also thought I caught some strawberry and banana notes in there, made me think of a tropical Starburst!

T - Beautifully clean and crisp with the honey and fruit flavors contributing nicely. I half expected this one to be cloying and have a strong alcoholic heat to it, but quite the opposite. It was just the right amount of sweet, and the 10% abv is hardly detectable in the taste. Very tasty!

M - Medium to light body.

D - Surprisingly drinkable for the abv, goes down very easy.

Overall, an excellent bottle of beer! Was sad when the bottle was empty. It's no wonder this was the last bottle left at the store! Would probably go well with some spicy stir fry.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 22:52:28 | More by ScottieByNature