Red & White - Dogfish Head Brewery

EkimGram

New York

3.86/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Taken from my beer journal dated 3/6/12

Appearance: 25.6oz bottle poured into Duvel tulip. Colour is a nice, translucent, orange-brown with a finger-thick head that leaves a healthy rim. Moderate amounts of visible carbonation.

Smell: Spicy clove and yeast are first and foremost followed by strong bubblegum and bananas.

Taste: Strong and bitter clove mixed in with sweet malts and a slight bitter hop.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a light, silky touch.

Overall: If there was one single word to describe this beer it would be elegant followed by finesse. It doesn't have the greatest flavours in the world but I can taste the level of craftmanship that has gone into this brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 02:29:54 | More by EkimGram

Kadonny

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 750 bottle into a snifter glass.

A: A lighter orange color with some slight reddish hints to it. A nice two finger white fluffy head.

S: Huge coriander and Belgian yeast smells with some darker fruit and some sweetness.

T: Belgian yeast and coriander are strong on the flavor initially. From there I get the pinot flavor with darker fruit and malt sweetness. I am not getting a bunch of orange directly, but some citrus fruits come through the sweetness. No oak flavors but the alcohol pokes through at the end.

M: Sort of yeasty sweet with alcohol. That's about it.

O: Anther DFH beer that I really don't get. It was "OK", but nothing more than that. By the end of the beer I had enough.

I love a lot of DFH beers, but this is not one of them. I've recently had 2 of their beers I won't seek out again, this is one of them.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 16:38:13 | More by Kadonny

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Completely opaque orange hue with a very thin bubbly off-white head.

Aroma: Orange, bread, some spice, a hint of alcohol.

Taste: Big warmth from the alcohol throughout. Some nice syrupy orange flavor as well as the spicy notes you expect from the style. Not sure I taste the barrel aging element here. Even though the palate is mostly alcohol dominated it is still a nice balance of flavor underneath. Peppery aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Between medium and full in body, almost like syrup at times. Average drinkability with a wet feel.

Final Thoughts: I'd say I'm happy with this one but not my favorite DFH. Great for the style though. Would I drink it again? Can't say I'd pass it up.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 00:54:32 | More by JamesMN

LeRose

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Can see where this is a love/hate. Not much going on in the aroma for me, maybe a whiff of grape. Attractive orange color with thick head on pour. The apparent ;lack of aroma lead to a surprise in the taste - wasn't expecting much. Somewhat sweet, a little thick on the mouth feel. Can taste the wine notes/grapes for sure, but some nice citrusy notes to balance it off. Sweet but not heavily so - some warmth from the alcohol. Thought this was well-balanced overall. It was a great change of pace and would probably go great with a cheese/meat plate or as a meal accompaniment. Kind of thoughtful tasting if that makes any sense - tasted it and went "hmmm" or said "interesting" several times during consumption.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 14:47:16 | More by LeRose

Philousa

California

3.15/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a nearly opaque pumpkin orange with a dense white head. I get lots of spices in the nose up front. Allspice, orange peel, peppercorn, sweet fruit juice, and a bit of thyme or other light spices. No real hops, but it could have contributed to the light spice aroma. Malt seems light. Orange flavor with allspice is the dominant flavor. I also get lemon, some of the citrus acidity some of the wine is evident in the muscat grape flavor, oak is also present, but only slightly. The orange peel mixes with an herbal, flowery, nectar hop flavor. Definitely used noble hops. Feel is very balanced, hats off for doing that with a 10% ABV. Finish is dry.

This is a very drinkable beer with many facets. Although I may not like all the facets presented, it's still a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 19:00:32 | More by Philousa

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

When i poured this beer, it has a nice honey colored body with a nice 2 finger head that hangs out for a couple of minutes until it lays down to a thin lace. The smell has some belgium yeast and a wine/grapes smell to it. The taste has wine/grape taste up front, also i get a little spice of coriander and some citrus closer to the back of the tonuge. Some dark fruits are present also.. It defently has a very complex taste on your taste buds. The mouth feel is good,very nice carobonation and is a little heavy but not to heavy though and overall i'm not a big fan of wne flavored beers, but this one is really good and i think it is at least worth trying once.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 03:15:38 | More by chefhatt

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

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

2.7/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bottle into a DFH snifter. The pour is a hazy apricot orange with a slight hint of red. The head is very fine and 2 fingers high and it leaves some nice lacing on the glass. The nose is faint, but I do get notes reminiscent of a Belgian wit. I get some orange and coriander and a slight, woody, almost grassy kind of aroma.

The beer has a medium body and a very firm mouthfeel. Carbonation is not too high, but the flavor still seems quite intense. The beer gives very strong, syrupy, over-ripe orange and pineapple flavors on the front of the palate. At mid-palate, some wood, cherry, and oak flavors start to creep in along with a bit of alcohol. The alcohol is definitely noticeable here and it does not help the composition at all. Moreover, the dark fruit notes that are contributed by the pinot noir juice clash quite badly with the over-ripe citrus notes. I don't find the flavor to be pleasing at all. The strong syrupy fruit notes, subtle woody flavor, and presence of alcohol make me think of cough medicine.

I really wanted to like this beer. The description of it sounded like a brilliant and delicious concoction. I like witbiers and I like red wine. It seems natural I would enjoy a beverage that tries to combine the best of both. Unfortunately, I do not. I will say that I believe this beer has an intense and complex flavor profile and tastes exactly the way the brewer wants it to taste. I am sure it will please a lot of people. I am disappointed that I am not one of them.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 00:34:21 | More by deadonhisfeet

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

this is a nice complex brew from dfh, but a night after drinking a deconstruction from odell, any other blended wine barrel beer just isnt going to match up. the appearance is cumin powder dullish yellow in color with some haze and an aroused white head a ciouple inches high. the nose is corriander and orange right off the bat, ive smelled this many times before, but then comes the tannins from the vino, tart and grape musty. the flavor is much less provocative than the aroma, and sall the flavors seem to come together into some sort of mixing the fingerpaints together flavor where nothing distinct but alcohol can be tasted. as it warms, an oaky earthen flavor comes out in the finish, but something still seems to be missing. mouthfeel is solid, perfectly carbonated and right on medium bodied. its smooth for the strength, and could match up well with some farmy cheeses. overall not my favorite dogfish brew, but as always i appreciate its originality.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 23:46:07 | More by StonedTrippin

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: It has a nice deep golden/orange color to it. It has a nice thick off-white head that dies down moderately and leaves some lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of Belgian yeast, citrus, coriander, red wine, dark fruit and some oak.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has Belgian yeast, citrus and coriander, some spiciness, the dark fruit really comes out here (mainly grapes and raisins) from the pinot noir and some woody oak.

Mouthfeel: It has a low/medium carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with great flavors and aromas. I love this beer, I wish it was more accessible!

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 20:23:18 | More by SebD

KajII

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

[Suggested Glassware: Snifter]

The pour was a clear peachy orange with a large (2-3 finger) white frothy head that receded slowly down to a large puddle and collar, and possessed some excellent sheets of lacing.

The aroma was mildly sweet with a grain malt and a moldy Belgian yeast and had notes of citrus (orange), a mild hint of red wine, dark fruit (grapes & plums), oak cask, and a bit of coriander.

The taste started off mildly sweet with a hint of dark fruit and a mild wine presence, and then became moderately yeasty with a light spicy citrus note and a slight alcohol presence at the end. The flavor lasted an average time after the swallow with a nice spicy wine flavor left behind.

Mouthfeel was a hair above light in body with a mildly dry texture and a soft carbonation.

Overall an impressive tasting brew, unlike anything I have tasted up to this point. The mild "Pinot Noir Cask" flavor blended remarkably well with the Belgian yeast, thus hiding the high ABV and making it a most enjoyable drinking experience...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 18:27:57 | More by KajII

larryi86

Delaware

4.18/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle, 2011, poured into a snitfer

A- A clear reddish-orange with a two finger white head.

S- Orange peel, coriander, floral notes, some oak, some wine.

T- Wheat, orange peel, coriander, oak, some floral notes, finish is bitter with earthy notes and oak.

M- Smooth, medium to full body.

O- A nice beer that aging has not hurt. Alcohol is well hidden. This is easy to and has good balance and complexity.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 22:18:16 | More by larryi86

DMarlinJ

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I really like the look of this beer. I would have given it a 5 but for a witbeer, I was expecting a little cloudiness and this had none. That's OK for what I like in the look but it's not the look for the style. The head was thick and settled to a nice thin slick. Attractive lacing too.

I picked up the notes of corriander and orange and some earthiness maybe from the wine. Got more of the alcohol as it warmed.

I liked the lightness and it is refreshing but the flavor is not my favorite. The first taste is good but the imediate after taste is kind of sour and musky but then it does finish clean with no displeasing taste.

The feel is very nice. I liked the feel and taste of the initial head. The carbonation was right on and the balance between a creaminess in mouth that finished dry after the swallow was nice. The lingering feel became a little astringent after awhile for me. A salty snack helped that.

For the most part I enjoyed this beer but the taste is not for me. Good flavor and aroma. Not sure if it was completely true to style but I would try it again and I want to try some more witbeers to compare.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 00:59:45 | More by DMarlinJ

elNopalero

Texas

4.48/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This pours a translucent gold with tremendous foam that dies down & tightly compacts. There’s lacing! And the bubbles leave streaks. Looks amazing in the glass.

I get an estery, almost ‘saison-like’ aroma, reminiscent of white wine with a light grape musk and a hint of coriander. Flavor is light and crisp, reminding me of an effervescent and dry white wine. The alcohol isn’t evident at first but makes more of a presence as it warms, developing into an almost boozy finish. I had no idea it was 10% however, as it hides it well.

A nuanced, delicate, light dessert wine… in beer form. This was delicious.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 07:20:16 | More by elNopalero

BlurryVisi0n

New York

4.08/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serve in a Sam Adams signature pint glass.

Appearance: This beer comes off your basic amber with a little heavy on the orange side not to mention the bubbles that keep floating plus it has a pretty large white head that rose to maybe 3/4" off the body.

Smell: Heavy yeast in your nostrils, with a strong feel of butterscotch.

Taste: This is one complex melody of beer, it is hard to pinpoint how you taste buds will react.

Mouth: It is smoother not crazy and definitely doesn't feel like a 10 percent abv level beer.

Overall: I first had it about 2 years ago and was wowed, today still so because of how unique it is it is beer that carries the properties of other to create it's own identity. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 00:41:49 | More by BlurryVisi0n

Greywulfken

New York

4.4/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: deep gold beer with a lasting finger of head that drops ample lacing

S: wine, citrus, wheat, and wood

T: a really juicy taste - don't know it rates for the style, but what a delicious beer: grapes, orange citrus, oak, wine, coriander (I presume); the beer is fairly sweet, but has an air of dryness, too. The wine character of this beer comes through in the full, but the wheaty, citrusy, and spiced flavors meld in perfectly.

M: lush, medium bodied, but again, juicy and full-feeling

O: had this at about 55-60 degrees F, and for me it was on the nose - such a rich beer - way better than I expected, but I've only had two other "witbiers": DFH's Positive Contact and SA's Imperial White. I'd place this beer in-between the two in terms of sweetness and body. It wasn't as heavy and over-the-top as the Imperial White, but it was sweeter and richer than the Positive Contact.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 16:06:26 | More by Greywulfken

czieber

North Carolina

3.45/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance and head retention are excellent and right for a witbeer. This bottle only aged for about a month and a half, so the fusel alcohols were still present in the smell, over shadowing some of the orange and coriander notes. Taste is sweet, slighly cloying, with fusel alcohols also present. Low frutiness and spice, probably masked by the sweetness. Overall, a good high-alcohol witbeer that should be stored for a few more months to let the fusel alcohols die down.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 22:40:08 | More by czieber

SHODriver

California

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

A: poured into a DFH snifter for better aroma capture and since this isn't your average witbier. Pours a hazed orange with a slightly pink hue to it with an finger of white head that is slow to fecede to a small mat
S: smells of wheat, corriander, orange peel, and faintly fruity grapes
T: tastes of fruity esters/alcohol, wheat, corriander, a bit of yeast, slight oakiness, orange, and grapes from the pinot noir must. aftertaste is more grapes, corriander, and alcohol
M: creamy with soft carbonation and a medium body
O: pretty tasty and a nice twist. alcohol is a bit apparent but still nice.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 22:25:36 | More by SHODriver

siege06nd

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a nonic...

A. Pours a clear goldenrod. Big two finger eggshell-white head. Settles to a quarter finger and lingers. Excellent lacing. Shockingly clear for a wit-bier, though.

S. Coriander, orange juice, belgian yeast, candied sugar, cherry and grape juice, and some oak. Smells excellent.

T. Lots of residual sugar, along with the aforementioned orange, coriander, and maybe even some clove. Finish is very woody and slightly drying...the wine notes really come out here. The yeast tempers this a bit, keeping it lighter and smooth. It's sweet, slightly cloying, fruity, and has a nice wine barrel character on it. Excellent.

M. My only nit...it's a little flat. Needs a light step up in carb. Flavors, however, are balanced perfectly. Body is medium.

O. I really enjoy this beer. Coriander and spice are a little on the strong side, but the integration of flavors here is spectacular, and the barrel just adds to the enjoyment. Not a traditional wit by any means, but a really nice treat, crisp, refreshing, and with a very well-hidden ABV.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 20:18:24 | More by siege06nd

drabmuh

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Dogfish head snifter because I can. At the time of this review, this is #19 on the "Top Beers - Witbier" list on beeradvocate.com.

Beer is reddish with a haze and a big white head of medium and large bubbles, moderate to low retention and moderate carbonation. Looks fine.

Aroma in vinous and sweet, some alcohol, mild spice.

Beer is too heavy, it is thick on the palate and weighs it down. The fruit gives it a little bit of a solventy or candy like flavor. It is a little too much on all front and won't be a repeat for this guy unfortunately. Love you DFH, but not this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 19:28:25 | More by drabmuh

VaterRoss

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle into weizen glass

Pours a cloudy orange, darker than a wit for sure. Good sized thick and foamy light orange head that hangs out as a small skim of foam for most of the drink. Smell is mostly wit with a slightly dry wheat base but with some definite heavy sweetness lurking behind, maybe some orange in there. Taste is heavy wit with a prominent dark fruit taste that must come from the pinot noir. Surprisingly heavy and boozy for a wheat base, like a fruity weizenbock. Some spiciness in the taste that mostly asserts itself in the mouthfeel. Medium in body (heavy for a wheat) and carb

Overall impression: reminds me of a fruity weizenbock. Interesting beer but a bit sweet and boozy for me. Very much like a carbonated malty wine.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 00:56:11 | More by VaterRoss

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy golden orange in color with some moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a two finger tall foamy off-white head that reduces and condenses to a thick layer over the entire surface of the beer. Significant lacing is observed.

S: Moderate aromas of grape along with orange/grapefruit citrus upfront. Additionally there are lighter aromas of spice (coriander), Belgian yeast, wheat, and just a hint of oak.

T: Starts out with some light grape sweetness along with an almost candied orange peel and some wheat. Next comes stronger grapefruit/orange citrus flavors, spice (coriander), and Belgian yeast. Finally the beer finishes oak and some light hints of alcohol.

M: Medium bodied with heavy amounts of carbonation. Smooth and slightly dry in the finish (likely from the introduction of wine).

O: For the most part, the high amount of alcohol is well hidden in this beer - the beer is refreshing and drinkable. While it does taste too strong, I'm thinking that the high ABV does not make this one for session drinking. There is a nice complexity to the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 21:48:59 | More by dbrauneis

RuckusDu

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - maybe 2.5 fingers of offwhite head. Hint of orange. Head sticks around for a while and becomes lumpy. Body is clear and a very orange amber.

S - Immediate white wine. Some orange and grapefruit along with the coriander.

T - Spicy and floral. I guess it is the coriander. Just a little wine in the finish.

M - Very strong carbonation and medium body. A little drying but quite nice for the style.

O - A nice little beer, but nothing really great.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 23:07:06 | More by RuckusDu

ngeunit1

California

4.23/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a clear golden-orange with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down slowly leaving behind some nice thick lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of dark grape, orange and other citrus flavors, Belgian yeast, coriander and other spices, wheat, and a bit of oak and booze.

T - Starts off with a mix of lightly sweet dark grape with some orange peel and a bit of wheat. Through the middle, some stronger citrus flavors come through with some coriander and Belgian yeast flavor. The finish is a mix of dark grape, orange and other citrus flavors, wheat, oak, and a bit of booze.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet and warming finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nice big witbier with the Pinot Noir grapes and oak adding some nice touch and balancing out the body and the alcohol content.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 07:26:07 | More by ngeunit1

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours clear golden orange with a decent white foam head.

Boozy oaky vanilla woody notes in the nose.

Bigger beer up front, which is a distraction from the wittier focus. Booze, wine like (oaken vanilla chardonnay) elements, with some spice and yeast. Far from the traditional wit. Finishes complex, malty, boozy, and a bit spicy. A heavier richer beer for a wit.

Medium bodied, but has some body.

Overall not bad, but more complex than needed for the style. I think the serving size would work better at 12 oz than the bomber. I liked this, but it is one of those brews that drinks a bit more like a cordial than a beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 03:15:54 | More by OtherShoe2