Red & White - Dogfish Head Brewery

talkingpoints

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +28.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I rarely can say a beer has it all, its been a year since I sold my store so I haven't explored as many beers as I would like lately. Being a wine salesman this beer caught my eye. I am not a traditional lover of the dogfish line, used to find them too hoppy but since I'm a wine salesman now can appreciate them much more. My friend John form Northeast WS recommended this one too me. Love the reddish tint the beer has, not too hoppy but rather an elegant hop mixture.

The only flaws I find in this beer are the price and availability. Can taste the pinot noir influence on this beer and it is just right. This is the winelovers beer because it refeshes you with all the flavors you expect in a beer and wine simultaneoulsy. Gotta love this experiment , the alcohol level was just right not like some others which just yell sugar at the higher alcohol level. Will drink this again and again.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2007 00:47:33 | More by talkingpoints

billybob

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +28.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

poured a reddish copper color with a very large off white head that held exceptionally well and some nice sticky lace to the finish. aromas of strawberry and spice. very smooth and with the complex taste of the pinot noir and coriander and hint of citrus from the orange peel puts this beer over the top.mouthfeel medium carbonation just right. this beer has it all. i like dogfish head brewery i think they brew excellent beers.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2007 15:46:55 | More by billybob

thebrood1987

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +28.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

You definitely get that strong scent that you get in a quality witbier the orange and corriander scent with an oats smell. I also get some grapes in the smell as well.

The taste really has a nice bite from the carbonation reminding you that yes this is still a beer and an herbal hop bite comes into play on the initial sip and aftertaste. I get the orange and corriander with a sherbert taste and creaminess. I also get the grape must taste mixing in with the orange flavors.

The taste is sweet and definitely knocks you back on your first sip. It definitely tastes like an Imperial witbier but with an extra juicyness not found in any witbier I've had. I also get a faint woody oak flavor in there as well. This is a unique beer that really took me for surprise with how much flavor can be packed into one beer. I'm not a huge witbier fan but this still was a big enough and unique enough of a beer to catch my attention to buy a growler fill.

Serving type: growler

07-01-2012 05:33:52 | More by thebrood1987

czfreeman

Michigan

4.97/5  rDev +27.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I have been very excited about trying this beer, nice Sunday treat.
Pours out a cherry hazy toned, murky thickness,beautiful white effervescent head. Tons of yeasts swirling around, looks utterly delicious.
Aromas- yeasts, funkiness, cherry-oaks, ruby red grapes, tangy berries, cranberries. Aroma is of a light cherry lambic with a huge dosage of fresh yeasts. Notes of pinot and Belgian yeasts create this delicate interplay that is utterly complex and fantastic for picking out the nuances of each.
Taste is up front in-your-face super yeasty witbier. Then you are met with a flood of oaks, sour grape tones, smoky pinot tones yeasts, finishes pure pinot with lingering Belgian spiciness
Mouth feel is thick, powerful, yet end slightly sweet and spicy. each sip is Belgian Wit and Pinot in a delicate yet perfect balance.
I cannot even fathom how they managed to accomplish this beer. In a world where beer geeks and wine snobs hate each other, refuse to understand why the other likes their beverage of choice, Dogfish has managed to take the best of both worlds and combine them in this awesome drink. It isn't really beer, it isn't really wine. We'll just call it a peace treaty.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2008 20:59:27 | More by czfreeman

Franchise

Oregon

4.93/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thie offering from DFH pours a reddish burnt sienna leaving a thick off-white head that clings to the glass but fades into the beer leaving a small trace. The aroma is ripened fruit, pineapple, banana, plums, prunes, brown sugar very typical Belgian witbier aromatics.

The taste starts super fruity, honey, candy, again very fruity but leaving a bit of bitter balance that helps keep it in check apples, pineapple, dark pitted fruit abound finishing syrupy and just a touch of bitter earthy tart woody feel to the finish. Fantastic worth every penny!

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2008 14:48:27 | More by Franchise

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.88/5  rDev +25.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I have to say to start that I am a huge fan of Pinot Noir in addition to being a beer lover. This brew was fantastic for its lovely evocation of that wine as well as having great beer flavors all its own. In my mind it is the perfect marrriage of beer and wine. The beer pours a beautiful pinkish orange with a reasonable head that fades to a rim that sticks around and leaves some slight lacing. The aroma is of bubblegum, fresh pressed grapes, banana, and cinnamon. There is also a whiff of clove and earth. Slightly sweet on the nose. The flavor is great- more bubblegum at the start followed by a nice parade of pinot noir flavors: cherries, earth, some oak, and a vague grapiness. There are also nice notes of spice- coriander, cinnamon, and clove. A touch of vanilla from the oak just before the finish, and a final hit of sweet cherries right at the end. Absolutely fantastic. The mouthfeel is nice and creamy and with the perfect heft for the flavors. Even with the high abv this beer is extraordinarily drinkable, I wanted more and more and the alcohol was not discernable at all. The Wit base is the perfect marriage with the Pinot Noir flavors. A stunner.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2007 01:45:27 | More by Georgiabeer

blackearth

Minnesota

4.88/5  rDev +25.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Purchased from Discount Liquor in Milwaukee, WI. Poured into a wine glass, this beer showed off body that was orange with a reddish tint and a nice white head. Aroma is of oak, vanilla and pinot grapes. It has a soft, very wine-like mouthfeel. The wheat flavors really shine through and are accented by the grape wine tartness. No signs of the 10% alcohol. Excellent drinkability. I need to get some more of this.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2009 21:47:52 | More by blackearth

geexploitation

Indiana

4.85/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

One of the prettiest beers I've ever seen: it's got a ruby, winey hue with some orange notes laid over a base of amber. Slight pink, delicate head that sticks. On the nose, lots of coriander (especially as the beer warms) and some citrus notes; what you'd expect of a big witbier. However, there's a berry fruit note in the background, and as the beer warms a nice oak note (more buttery than toasted, but not too buttery) comes out. Some present alcohol in the nose.

Tastewise, fabulous complexity. Smooth oak and berry notes, vibrantly acidic citrus (from the wit aspect of the beer, not so much from hops), with some sweetness in the mid-palate (oak? residual pinot noir sugar?). Spicing is pronounced, as is the oak aspect, but none of these elements trip over each other. Instead, they mesh together superlatively. The mouthfeel is just as complex as the nose and the taste, with some hoppy roughness, witbier acidity and oak smoothness playing together brilliantly. The one detraction is some raw alcohol that doesn't add anything positive. Very drinkable; lots of flavor hooks and enough smoothness to make drinking this easier than it should be. A potato chip of a beer: impossible to have just one sip.

The more of this I drink, the more I like it. DFH is very hit or miss IMO, especially with its special release oddities, but they hit it out of the park on this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2007 22:04:12 | More by geexploitation

meeekyh

Colorado

4.85/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Here we have a beer hard to nail down. It came in a 750ml bottle and I poured it into two glasses, one St. Bernardus chalice and a belled flute. The color is a remarkable red-amber with an off-white, smallish head. There is decent lacing but not great retention.

Nose on this one is neat and resembles what I might expect knowing what is in this beer. I note the oak and the tangy-dry grape juice, the orange and coriander like a traditional witbier, but then there is this hoppy awesomeness, Hallertauer maybe. I am really pleased with this as a departure from normal as to beer in general, meaning; I can't peg this as fitting into any specific style but welcome the kind hop notes in addition to the complexities afforded by the adjuncts.

Tastes mirror the nose but end with a pronounced wine character. The beer flavors tend to fade a bit as the warmth settles in and the wine flavors take over. This beer should not be underestimated as to its complexity and balance, it is far superior to most wines I have tried and easily on-par with the really good beers.

Mouthfeel: there is plenty of body here, and a nice, light carbonation. The finish is slightly dry and clean.

I like drinking this beer and find it really easy to do so. It is tasty and alluring, although it is more than average beer in cost (by a stretch) it compares well to decent wine in price and far outshines it in depth, complexity and balance.

Please do not buy this thinking it is a standard witbier. It only resembles one and does NOT typify the style, although I do recommend buying it, and drinking it, and sharing it.

Slainte!

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2010 02:46:21 | More by meeekyh

velvetimagery

Georgia

4.85/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

i Thought this brew had an incredibly beautiful color and a nice light head. The smell was fantastic. Very complex. The wheat was obvious in both aroma and taste. With the first sip I was quite surprised at how much the pinot noir took over in the flavor. I was quite pleased and would recommend this to any adventurous drinker.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2011 03:39:45 | More by velvetimagery

duracell

Quebec (Canada)

4.85/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

750mL bottle into a tulip glass.

A - Beautiful gold/honey color with a surprinsingly clear body for a Witbier. Large off-white rocky head with a decent lacing and a good retention. 4/5

S - Very spicy aroma. Definitely close to a Witbier (clove, coriander, orange) but with a wooden wine smell as a backbone. 4.5/5

T - Taste is so complex! Close to the aromas but with a strong maltiness and some bready yeast. Tannins are present from the pinot juice giving it a red wine character. 5/5

M - Definitely one of the smoothest beers I have ever tried. Full body, medium bitterness. Semi-sweet finish with a dash of alcohol that lingers, making you have another sip straight away. 5/5

O - An epic beer! Very smooth, well balanced and very complex complex flavors which linger forever. One of the brews which sent me over the moon, the time of a drink... Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 00:49:39 | More by duracell

edmedina

Virginia

4.8/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow...what a great beer. Seriously how do I put into words how impressed with this one from Dog Fish? Let me start with pour. It had very little head and poured a nice clear ale brown. The smell was rather complex. I'm dealing with allergies so I couldn't pick out anything specific but I could tell this would going to be something special. The taste was not at all over powering. It was both sweet and spicy. This is definitely worth picking up.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2007 01:20:30 | More by edmedina

BMoney575

Michigan

4.8/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled on 2-25-08
Bottled on 2-9-07

Pours a deep red/orange, very thick, with a huge foamy white head. The lacing covers the entire glass as you drink it.

Smell is very sweet, I get a strong hint of malted milk balls. A vegetabley sour fruit character comes next, adding a lot of complexity.

Taste is also quite sweet, with a caramel, candy-like character. It also tastes somewhat aged, in a good way, much like a wine. In fact, it really becomes more and more wine-like. Sour grapes and leaves add a great earthy quality and the alcohol dries out the finish.

Mouthfeel is absolutely perfect. Carbonation is spot-on, and the thickness lets the flavors coat the inside of your mouth.

Drinkability is staggeringly good, considering the higher abv and big, sweet flavors.

Overall, a beer I have been wanting to try for a long time. Well worth the wait, and right up there with my favorites.

Score Edited: 4-4-08
2008 Vintage

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2008 00:39:21 | More by BMoney575

chefdaddy18042

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

One of Dogfish Head's strongest brews out of their numerous selection. A beautiful combination of a pinot noir and a witbier. Not many breweries would even attempt this brew. I think this is an amazing combination. Pours a reddish, dark orange color with minimal white head. almost zero visibility, much cloudiness. Some bubbles which caught me by surprise. Smell of coriander and oranges as you would expect a white. then the red wine flavor comes into play with the taste. married beautifully, and goes down like you expect it to...smoothly. overall, exceeding expectations and worth every penny i spent on the case.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2008 02:10:54 | More by chefdaddy18042

MQ4188

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dogfish Head which is known for hitting you with a hops extravaganza did the Belgians proud with this one.

Appearance: Beautiful cloudy-orange color which had been taken from the tap into a small snifter at the Dogfish Head Pub in Fairfax, VA.

Smell: Fruity, Ester, Orange blend that seems to hang close to the snifter. Coriander is present but not overwhelming.

Taste: Starts with a clean orange taste followed by the coriander then a more dry than sweet finish like a wine with some woody / oak finish.

Mouthfeel: Small bit of carbonation but quickly diminishes. Sweet and dry mixes together rapidly which makes it magnificently smooth. This one is not a syrupy sweet one.

Drinkability: Outstanding. This one with a 10% ABV makes it more like a dessert or sipping wine and one that wine snobs that turn their nose up to beers and ales would appreciate.

This one was well thought out by Dogfish and there is no wonder this is a year rounder on their tap list.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2010 12:54:39 | More by MQ4188

bodegajohn

Wisconsin

4.72/5  rDev +21%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours ruby red in color, obviously from the Pinot Noir barrel ageing. Aroma is wine and fruit. Good mouth feel, effervescent and full. Flavor is boozy and full, but you can taste the corriander in the background. This a typical Dogfish Head offering unique and well done, yet not fitting exactly into a BJCP catagory, i.e. comparing this one to Hoegaarden, Sterkens White or Wittekerke is not fair. Definitely not apples to apples, more like apples to tangelos in this case.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2007 17:40:16 | More by bodegajohn

atsprings

North Carolina

4.72/5  rDev +21%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer poured a rich red color with a decent off-white head that was slow to diminish and left slight spotty lacing on the glass. The aroma had both the characteristics of a witbier and the fruitiness of a red wine. The taste was one of the most unique things I've ever experienced. This beer had all the characteristics I expect in a witbier with the taste of pinot noir, just as advertised. Even though I don't drink wine very often, pinot noir is one of my favorite styles. The tastes that come through in this beer make this a wonderful experience. This is a very unique beer that is worth every penny, even at $11.99/750ml.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2007 07:52:28 | More by atsprings

hdofu

Maryland

4.7/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

What a beer. It reminds me of an abbey ale and also Magic hat's circus boy, only much more intense. Very fruity. Has a citrus smell, a blood orange color. Taste is complicated tasting of citrus, pepper and raspberry. The feel on the tongue is smooth and oily. For a 10 ABV, this beer is extreme but perfectly appropriate in place of a wine. Would definitely drink again.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2008 08:25:29 | More by hdofu

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark, cloudy amber/ orange color with a thin foamy white head that quickly setles. Citrus orange peel aroma with malt and smokey wood or oak hints. Very smooth and well balanced with sweet citrus fruit and lemon peel countering the smokey oak dryness. Slightly sour aftertaste. Very quaffable, high ABV very well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2008 08:50:23 | More by corby112

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

4.65/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

GLASS: Pilsner Glass
TEMP: Cellared @ approx 45 degrees
Fresh bottle, sent to me by TPerkinsBrewer

Nice, clear, medium-hued golden amber color, with a slight pinkish tint. Three finger head of thick, frothy, white foam with a slight pink tint. Retention is great. Lacing is thick and clumpy.

Smells like you'd expect a nice Belgian brew to smell.
Yeasty, citrusy and a touch of wheat. Very nice spicey notes come through. A little sweetness, too. All with a nice floral touch.

Citrus fruits smuggled in a floral bouquet. Pears, apples and peaches. Nice level of spiciness. Some candi sugar sweetness, to balance it all out, abit. Raisins, white grapes and hints of black currants. Slight touch of banana.
The finish is very smooth. Not too sweet, although there is a touch of sweetness. Not too dry, either. Almost like a wine finish, more so than a beer.

This beer is so creamy and yet so smooth, light and easy to drink, also. Probably the closest a beer, for me, has come to feeling like silk.

Truly, a highly drinkable brew. Especially a nice spring or autumn day. Which is what it's like here, today, during the second week of February. (Wow.)
Supposedly, this beer has 10%ABV, but I can't detect it, at all. This fruit-bomb is so damn smooth.
To quote Tracy Jordan, "I love it so much, I want to take it behind the junior high and make it pregnant!".

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2009 04:09:45 | More by coldmeat23

mbaratta1982

New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- a brilliant orangey-reddish color, with creamy white head, good retention. There are large off white sediment particles suspended throughout the beer.

S- slightly sweet smell, with orange and coriander

T- Characteristics of the white ale are up front with the spices of coriander and citrus. hops are present but do not over power. The beer finishes on the dry side with the flavor profile of the wine. It finishes smooth

M- Feels a little thin, but overall very good. carbonation has a great balance for the beer.

D- For the ABV, it does not get much better than this. Alcohol taste is present but in no way over powers. I wish i had bought more.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2010 05:44:23 | More by mbaratta1982

nickthetick

Maryland

4.65/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: pours a red orange into a Ommegang tulip type glass with a half finger of off white head. It leaves little lacing. It appears slightly hazy and held to the light a brilliant copper.

S: toffee, cherries, coriander. Sweet oranges.

T: sweet malt in the front followed shortly by orange and a little spice. The hole experience is full of red wine aspects and soft tannins. Caramel, toffee and sweet mixed red berries linger on the back.

MF: strong and very effervescent, full body, very warm.

D: great great great beer! I could see myself sipping many of these on early spring evenings and late summer days.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 00:20:58 | More by nickthetick

hobbes2112

Texas

4.63/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours with a huge offwhite foam that sticks around for a long time if untouched. Once I started to drink it broke down. Color is light, almost a peach or pinkish. I guess I should note that I am pouring into a fairly small hotel cup, so it will take several pours.

The smell is clean, Belgian straight away, corriander, oranges. There is an X factor here that I can't quite nail. Maybe it is the Pinot Noir but it isn't immediately obvious to me. Good though. Taste is similar to the smell at first but the middle and finish have much more of the wine influences. The aftertaste is very berrylike and I really dig it.

Like most DFH beers I am a fan. They are easily my favorite brewery. I know the Bros. are pushing for "drink local" but sorry...DFH is too good not to have in the line up.

Also...as a "big" beer @10% I can't really give this a high drinkability score. 4 is the max I give out for something I can only have one bottle a night.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2008 04:20:58 | More by hobbes2112

brandnew711

New York

4.63/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I drank this from a 750 ml bottle. The 10% abv is masked very well, this beer is very drinkable.The color is an orange/amber with a solid head.The initial mouthfeel is fantastic. It is a classic dogfish creation. It is almost like a blend of hoegaarden and a fancy red wine. You get a slight of the wine taste and the end. Overall this is one of my favorite dogfish brews.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 23:11:04 | More by brandnew711

specksnreds

Texas

4.63/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I look forward to this one every year, and each year seems a little different than the last. Some with more pinot in the nose, some with more maltiness. Either way, I like it.

This year's caramel colored pour has the requisite pink blush, with little head and a touch of lacing. Nose has a sour note that I don't usually detect, and plenty of big malt. Not much wine/barrel, but there is an oakiness in there. Palate is lovely in a big, velvety way. Wit? Not even, but I don't care. Definitely more barrel on the tongue with a touch of sweetness. Bitterness, but not galore. Finishes sticky and sweet, and that's fine by me.

This years tastes like it's had some age on it, almost a bit anomalous. I'll do a side by side with last years, and see what shakes outta the bushes.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 02:10:15 | More by specksnreds