Red & White - Dogfish Head Brewery

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

BostonHops

Massachusetts

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

750ml bottle served in a snifter glass.

pours a bright copper/deep orange tone with an off-white head, maybe a finger and a half of which; decent retention, spotty lacing. beautiful looking beer.

the nose is marked by a sweet maltiness, coriander, and pinot. alcohol presence, but a moderate one. flavor profile mostly breaks down around the nose but with some added cherry and orange notes, some tartness to it. alcohol is a player but not overwhelming at all. ii'm not head over heels but it's pretty good; unique.

medium-plus bodied, medium carbonation... drinkability is ok: goes down easy enough but in my opinion its uniqueness wears on you - not something you'd want a lot of in a sitting. that said, i'd welcome a revist as some future point. worth a try.

originally reviewed: 10-25-2010

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 22:04:03 | More by BostonHops

brotherloco

California

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

750ml capped bottle. Bottled In 2012. Served in a tulip.

Pours a mostly clear dark gold, some chill haze. Forms 2 fingers of white foam. Tight bubbles settle to a creamy ring. A moderate amount of lacing is left in the glass.

Aroma is fruity, citrus with some peach notes. Vanilla. Peppery spice. Alcohol.

Flavor resembles the nose with fruity and vanilla notes up front with a slightly tart Belgian middle and a slightly sour dry finish. Vinous pinot noir notes add to the fruitiness. Alcohol is present in the flavor throughout, but it never overpowers. Long lingering spicy finish.

Medium bodied with medium-high semi-sharp carbonation. Full flavor and ABV make it a sipper, but dry finish makes you want more.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 03:32:57 | More by brotherloco

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 2011. Pours cloudy reddish orange color with a nice 2 finger off white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Some decent lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big lemon, orange peel, herbal, grape, red wine, grass, wheat, bread, clove, pepper, and yeast spices. Nice and well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of orange, grape, lemon, pepper, clove, red wine, herbal, grass, earth, bread, oak, and yeast spices. Slight tannin tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of grape, red wine, citrus peel, herbal, pepper, oak, and yeast spices on the finish for a while. Nice balance of flavors with good complexity and no cloying sweetness. Medium carbonation and full bodied; with a slick and fairly creamy mouthfeel that is quite nice. Definitely a sipping beer, with well hidden alcohol; only a slight warming after the finish noticed. Overall this is a really nice imperial wit with red wine qualities. Nice complexity and balance; and very smooth to sip on for beer of this gravity. Very enjoyable stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 01:42:47 | More by superspak

thydarkprevails

Illinois

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

750 poured into a large wine glass. Clear golden orange yellow with a 2 inch white head that shrinks to a finger with nice lacing. Aroma is coriander, orange, lemon, Belgian yeast and spices. Taste is orange peel, sherry, lemon zest, light oak, and a light grHassy hopiness. This beer is complex and tough to nail down. Mouthfeel is sticky and average. This is a great beer and I will look for it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 18:24:36 | More by thydarkprevails

FosterJM

California

4.28/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1240th Review on BA
Bottle to Pils
750ML

Thanks to TroyG2352 for this one

App- A very deep orange with some glowing yellows. Very clear with a GIGANTIC three finger long lasting white head. Huge sticky cling and lace all down the glass.

Smell- Didn't smell like a wit at all. The tannins from the Pinot barrel took over and the orange citrus came through nicely. The ABV was amazingly hidden for such a large beer.

Taste- Deceptively smooth for a large beer. Great use of the style to add a nice oaky flavor with some great sweet tannin flavors and a bit of punchy citrus.

Mouth- A thicker medium body and a medium creamy carbonation. Residual oak and tannin flavors.

Drink- Of the DFH beers I have had, this is up there with select company as the best they do.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 01:57:24 | More by FosterJM

seand

California

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy amber with a fair amount of bubbly off-white head. Enough clumps retain, especially around the edge of the glass, to leave solid areas of lacing.

S: Light grassy wheat sweetness, with a slight vinous touch.

T: Full malty sweetness, with a witbier mid-palate and long, sweet finish. A boozy touch late in the mid-palate is the only hint that this is 10%.

M: Full body, light to medium prickly carbonation. There's a bit of red wine feeling through the finish, though I'm probably picking it out mainly because I'm looking for it.

Overall, pretty good. Very drinkable for its ABV. It's unique without being overly weird.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 04:56:56 | More by seand

Beerenauslese

California

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Bruery chalice, this has a clear gold body, and poured easily to a 1 inch moussy head with good retention and lacing.

Smells of bready malt, coriander, orange and alcohol.

Tastes like no wit I've had before. This is really rich. A substantial malt base and nice husky Belgian yeast flavor and lots of coriander. The orange peel flavor builds the more you drink this and as it warms a bit. Plenty of oak coming through as well, maybe a little much. The alcohol is noticeable from the get go. Finish is mainly a little orange peel bitterness and a lingering grape sweetness. There might be a little bit of pinot noir spice in the finish, but then it is hard to distinguish from the orange peel. You just can't approach this as a witbier. As a strong Belgian golden, it is definitely strong and there is a bunch going on, but it doesn't come together all that well.

Body is medium and carbonation is moderate, giving this a full and creamy mouthfeel.

If this really is a strong interpretation of a Belgian wit, it certainly seems intentional given the addition of pinot and oak aging. Thinking of one of Sam's books, is this supposed to be a compromise between "he said beer, she said wine?" It really doesn't taste like a witbier, more like a Belgian strong golden ale with a lot of coriander and orange peel and some underlying grape. Maybe it would be better to just make a golden ale with pinot--one that wouldn't be overwhelmed by the coriander and orange. I think it drinks like a strange beer cocktail.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 02:23:22 | More by Beerenauslese

gtermi

Texas

4.15/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a nice orange body with a thin white head that slowly fades to nothing.

S: Has a nice bitter wine scent to it with a touch of alcohol. There is also a nice touch of grain.

T: The flavor is so amazing! I get a nice sweet grain and oak type flavor and it lingers for a long times and leaves a great fruity coriander flavor.

M: Nothing special here. Goes down very easy and has a bit of crispness on the back of throat.

O: This is a very tasty beer for sure! Not worth the 16 dollars I paid, but for Dogfish Head I will pay it. Another success from DFH for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 04:36:30 | More by gtermi

Apellonious

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

1 pt 9.6 fl oz bottle.

A - Clear amber orange, with a billowy two finger head (may have gotten a little aggressive at the end of the pour). Will go smoother on the second glass pour....(Ok, went smoother on the second pour, still got the billowiness.). The head settles into a decent lace.

S - Smells of faint citrus, biscuit malt, clove spice and banana

T - The first hit is sweet. You can pick out the pinot noir notes, the coriander spice, and the pale wheat-ness with some candied sugars. The alcohol is strangely not present, or more likely, well disguised in the mix.

M - Mouthfeel is good, sharp on the back of the tongue. The finish is dry and thin, with some sweetness left on the top and back of the tongue. It is carbonated in line with the style, but it is slightly on the low end.

O - Another interesting offering from Dogfish. The spices and wine notes are present, but neither are overpowering. 10% and well masked makes this is a great appetizer beer (cheese worked well with this) split with a friend.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 01:31:50 | More by Apellonious

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From 750mL bottle to Bruges hybrid glass on 4/9/12
*From notes

-- Vintage 2010 --

A: Pinkish-red in hue. A good pour yields a white .25 finger head that lingers, and leaves plenty of lacing rimming the glass.

S: Freshly crushed Gewürztraminer. White Alsacian fruit and honey dominate the nose in a major way.

T: Very sweet. Some saccharin-like bite hits the fore to mid. It does drink like a carbonated glass of off-dry rosé. There's a decent amount of malt and a lies-like yeastiness to it too. It's a bit hot, and whatever hops were here are long gone.

M: Bubbly like a nice Champagne. Maybe not quite as lively, but close.

O: This has aged well. I'm not one for sweeter beers, but this ain't half bad. I expected a train wreck and was happily surprised when this stayed on track. The wine-like qualities are right in your face and a bit much, but overall it's above average.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 22:33:02 | More by Rhettroactive

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 3/2011 notes. Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours a slightly cloudy red orange amber; dark for a wit. Small white head and light lacing. Aroma of grape, faint wheat and an odd component I can't place, maybe the Pinot Noir; odd aroma. Unusual taste; malt in the front, quickly developing sweet wine aspects. A hint of citrus and grape on the finish, with cardamom. There is a wood or tannin component, probably from the Pinot. A very different flavor and odd for a witbier. Worth revisiting for a complete change.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 03:22:01 | More by LiquidAmber

Crossmd

Virginia

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

Poured 42 degrees Fahrenheit into a tulip glass. No born date.

Pours a lucid light copper, some fine champagne bubbles rising uniformly from the bottom. One finger bright white head dissipating into a thin cap, dense lacing with a relative stick clings to the sides. Gorgeous.

Smell is a belgian yeast base, some coriander, sour tangerine with a hint of overaged red wine.

Taste is of a rather unique tripel exactly between sweetness and tartness. Initial maltiness turns into a tartness with a hint of red wine. Drydown has a hint of vanilla and oak surrounding a red wine core.

Mouthfeel is thick and plush, if just slightly cloying. One of my favorite parts about the beer.

Overall, I wish the wine were a little bit more pronounced. It's brewed well, good creativity in the merger of belgian styles and wine, it just doesn't push the envelope as far as I'd like.

88.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 17:37:01 | More by Crossmd

ksimons

New York

3.45/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A-a clear golden amber with two fingers worth of bright white head

S-pale bread like malts, spices of coriander, light citrus, and fruity sweetness

T-taste matches the smell but there is a bit more heaviness to it, most likely from the red wine. Pretty sweet overall with just a touch of hop bitterness

M-medium body, medium body, fruity mouthfeel

Overall its an interesting take on a beer but I'm not sure its pulled off well. The red wine doesn't really come through enough and its a little too sweet for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 22:00:48 | More by ksimons

FATC1TY

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I'm going off some chicken scratch notes I took at dinner. Covered in food and greasy/oil stains, I had been drinking a bit and decided to open this at the middle of dinner. Bare with me.

A: Light amber color, 2.5 finger head, I poured it pretty hard though. Clean looking.

S: Smelled like cloves, and a bit of alcoholic raisins and grapes. Maybe some wheat, but the steak in my mouth kind of made it hard to tell.

T: Tart and sweet. A bit acidic from the grapes, but smooth enough. Wheat and the fruity finish comes in there, the oak is present, but not overpowering. I had to close my eyes to really try and pick it all up. Almost feel out of my seat. As it warms, spices start to come out more, a bit more of that white wine bite comes in as well.

M: Smooth and silky. Pretty light in the mouth, easy/light carbonation to it.

O: I was drunk. I ended up having to drink the whole thing during and after dinner, and I had drank have a growler of another IPA that evening after a rough day at work. Everything went down too easy, and I ended up spinning my way to sleep. 10% ABV in this and it put me over I think. Didn't realize the ABV was that high until I found the bottle laying on it's side in the sink in the morning.

Good stuff though, very "dignified" beer for a good dinner party I think.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 04:13:09 | More by FATC1TY

angelogarcia3

New York

4.5/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer at Sapsuckers in Huntington, New York. Poured into a brandy snifter with a medium pure white head, and a cloudy golden color. The nose has aromas of golden raisins & alcohol. The mouthfeel is thick & creamy with a slight effervensce that clears the pallette for the flavors you are about to experience. The beer has flavors of golden raisins, & champagne. This beer is excellent with a clean refreshing feeling that went well with the chilli with Mac n cheese.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2012 21:48:54 | More by angelogarcia3

DavidST

Texas

3.78/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a goblet, this is last years version, bottle 1/26/11. I can smell the grapes and fruit from several feed away. This pours a slightly hazy golden orangish color with a short lived white head. The smells is of grapes, oranges, belgian yeast esters, funk, coriander. The fell is medium with decent carbonation. The taste is good but different first is bitterish overipe oranges, grapes and slight pino noirish taste, alchohol, malts. Overall pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 03:04:15 | More by DavidST

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.71/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

First had: bottle from Joe Canal's, Bellmawr, NJ
This review is from a recent tasting on tap at TJ's, Paoli, PA

Saw this on tap and I thought I'd revisit it since #1 I hadn't had it in quite a while, and #2 I'd yet to have it on tap. Very heady, and it took about 5 minutes to settle to a servable pour. (TJ's tap lines strike again?) Murky orange-red color, the head was tan, ample, and very creamy. Grape and orange peel on the nose, citric acid and bread. First sip was...incredible actually. Maybe it was just because of the frothiness of the head, but it was incredibly smooth and creamy almost like a milkshake. With time, this died down a bit and mellowed to the usual taste and texture exhibited by the beer. Taste follows the nose pretty much, bready, yeasty, vinous, orange peel, wheaty bite. Medium body and some bitterness in the aftertaste. Crisp and tasty, and I liked it slightly better on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2012 12:08:43 | More by Rifugium

brstls4drmrs

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours an attractive orange transparent color with a 2" white froth. Head sticks around for a while and remains as a thin blanket with threads covering the glass after some consumption.

S - Orange citrus zest with some pinot grapes in there for sure. Its a little faint but I can tell that they're in there. Faint wood in there too along with some wheat and yeast aroma.

T - Orange & pinot foamy bomb. Some little spices in there too like nutmeg or even clove. Some oak in there along the finish with some other fruit touches as well.

M - Medium body with a foamy slightly crisp finish. Dry aftertaste similar to pinot noir.

O - Good stuff!! And I'm over my wheat beer phase. This one was a real pleasure to have.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 03:17:50 | More by brstls4drmrs

rlee1390

Indiana

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

A-Clear amber, well carbonated, two finger head that tries to leave behind some lacing.

S-Wheat, cloves, grapes.

T-Wheat and spice, grape notes, some oak, it has some acidity but not as much as Noble Rot.

M-Medium bodied, well carbonated.

O-Another interesting wine beer from DFH, about the same as Noble Rot overall. Each are worth a try but not something I'd seek out again for the money.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 15:29:00 | More by rlee1390

Drinkerofales

California

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

Look is clear golden amber. A dirty white head leaves some lacing and has some retention. The clarity and color are stunning.

Smell is tart wine grapes, yeast, appleskin, and lightly peppery. Almost Belgian in the yeast and peppery aspects.

Taste doesn't have much spice, but there is a nice hint of the wine barrel. Sweet and tart grapes after.

Feel is incredibly smooth. Carbonation seems low, making the beer almost silky. It has a medium light body, which at 10%, is quite refreshing. A dry white sting on the finish is quite nice.

A strange brew, one I liked, but won't be again. Plenty of wine characteristics, and a lighter sided brew make it something almost special.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 23:49:23 | More by Drinkerofales

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at the DFH Alehouse in Fairfax.

A: It poured a fairly clear, Halloween orange color, with a mild wispy white head that stuck around for a while. Geez.... this thing doesn't look too high octane.

S: I got a lot of fresh filtered water upfront, with a touch of citrus and really not much spice at all. Very understated... much more so than I was expecting.

T: Ahh... there it is: DFH's: "signature" historic brew honey profile. Seriously, I taste honey in a lot of their brews these days, even when none is mentioned in the description. White winey, and with a good bit of orange peel. I will say though that the wine barrel aging is not that evident, but this stuff was much more flavorful than the smell dictated.

M: Dammit... I got honey on the texture as well! I've never really experience a Witbier this thick, but considering the unusual flair with this one (white wine? barrel aging?) it worked for me. There was little to no lacing left on the glass.

O: I've seen this one in the store, but had never taken the plunge until now. I dug this and wouldn't mind having a bottle floating around in my cellar.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2012 09:33:07 | More by Chaney