Red & White - Dogfish Head Brewery

MissMoxie911

Delaware

3.35/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: possibly the prettiest beer I've ever seen. Bright but deep and hazy. Gorgeous bright yellowy orange.

S: smells like a wit. A little but fruitier but not a ton of the Pinot noir.

T: TASTES like a wit. Little bit more red fruit/alcohol but nothing spectacular. Slightly disappointing only because of the super interesting description. Don't get any of the oak or really any Pinot either.

M: slightly more carbonated than I feel is necessary; may drown out the flavor a bit

O: I'm a wine specialist by occupation and I can detect VERY little if the Pinot in this, hence the disappointment. The color wasn't what I was expecting but if the Pinot or oak made more of an impact it wouldn't matter. Won't necessarily seek this out again, but wouldn't turn it down if it was offered. Meh.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 05:49:37 | More by MissMoxie911

shanblur

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled on 01/26/11 printed on bottle. Poured from 22oz bomber into a tulip. A - Slightly hazy amber color with a minimal white head. This fades quickly to leave moderate lacing and a heavy ring. S - Sweet malts and spice dominate over citrus and oak notes. T - Heavy on the sweet malts with a mildly bitter middle and some citrus on the finish. More pinot on the taste than the smell. Definite oakiness to the taste as well. Syrupy mouthfeel with little carbonation. A complex smelling and tasting beer which is unlike most beers out there. Very unique. Not my favorite from them, but I appreciate the uniqueness of their beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 22:11:11 | More by shanblur

TheCorkStopsHere

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

After a great deal of mixed emotions, I'm sitting down tonight with the Dogfish Head Red and White. I say mixed emotions because there has been very little hype about this beer, yet its very hard to find. I've had a few other brews with the grape-juice concept, some have been great (Otter Creek QVH) some have been mediocre.

The Dogfish Red and White starts out as a Wit-style, they then add some pinot noir grape juice, ferment again, and age a small percentage in used pinot noir barrels. So I say again, mixed emotions.

The Red and White pours into my glass almost glowing of reddish/orange/amber color. It is seriously one of the most uniquely colored beers I've ever seen. Its not clear, but not really cloudy either. Its dark amber in color, but almost brightly hued (if that's possible).

The foam is prominent at first, but probably from my vigorous pour. The foam dissipates quickly, leaving a very mild lacing on the glass.

Once I take a sip, I'm very, very intrigued. The Red and White is extremely smooth and drinkable, yet fairly bold and complex. With each smell and sip, I'm getting hints of new layers. For the most part I think its much more "beer-like" than I had expected. Very subtle flavors of pinot noir fruit, but if I were not a wine drinker they may have gone unnoticed.

As the beer warms, more flavors and aromas appear. Hints of orange, maybe red berries, as well as some mild spices like clove and cinnamon. I'm really having a hard time putting my finger on everything that's going on here.

At the very least I need to have another one of these Red and Whites with company. I think if Matt and I were both sampling we could help each other figure out what's going on here.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 04:53:42 | More by TheCorkStopsHere

gkunkle

Oregon

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

Pours a hazy orange/pink color with an off white head that recedes at an expectedly fast rate considering the ABV. Not much carbonation is visible. Smell is of coriander with a touch of wheat and fruit. In the taste I first detect wheat, then coriander, orange and spice followed by the sweet grape flavors. Mouthfeel is thick, with a little bit of carbonation. This is not meant to be drank, this is meant for sipping, it is the dessert wine of the beer world. I am glad that I made 2 good decisions, the first to let this age fe about a year and the second to share it with friends, this is best consumed in a 4-5 ounce serving.

Thanks to Slvrmon82 for the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 06:12:38 | More by gkunkle

syrupjoe

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bomber into wine glass. Pours a beautiful opaque ruby honey color with one finger off-white head that dissipates quickly.

The nose on this is fantastic - smells of a light red wine, honey, biscuit, and ruby red grapefruit.

Primary taste is honey, with bread and bitter red berries. Slight hint of Belgian yeast with wheat and slight citrus notes.

Overall this is a very interesting beer. Barely comparable to the classic Witbier style, this brew conceals its alcohol well while presenting strong honey notes and subtle red wine notes. Moderate to light carbonation with a sweet and slightly cloying finish. Won't seek out but would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 04:44:30 | More by syrupjoe

MTNboy

Germany

4.18/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: This has an odd colored body sort of a dark orange red. The head and lace are nice both with some staying power. I also thought the head and lace would be darker because of the body but they were white and sticky.

Smell: Allot of fruit in the smell. It has some old school cherry wine qualities to it. You can also smell the coriander and wheat.

Taste: The flavor has a bit of spice bite from the yeast I believe it is sort of peppery and bread like. The fruit tones are the dominant though with orange zest and grape juice. The coriander and grain shine through

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with carbonation being about average.

Overall: I thought that this was pleasurably mild for the amount of alcohol and very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 11:23:57 | More by MTNboy

kzoobrew

Michigan

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

Review input from notes. Enjoyed 3/28/11

Red grape stained orange body. Body is relatively clear. 3 finger antique white colored head rests atop. Very impressive retention, the head works its way back ever so slowly. A decent amount of lacing clings to the walls of the glass.

The nose displays each element with an impressive balance, allows each to be appreciated. Wheaty malt, citrus and coriander noted up front. The pinot grape comes up behind providing a pleasant balance, blending much better than I anticipated.

Grainy wheat malt and sweet grape juice join up front and coat the palate. The midpalate brings a spicy note to light. The spice compliments the wheat while contrasting the sweet grape. The flavor dries out a bit on the back end as pinot and oak flavors come into play.

Medium bodied beer. Carbonation is moderate, works well for this beer. There is a slight creaminess to the texture which is unexpected and appreciated. The finish is moderate though drier than expected.

A very different and enjoyable beer. There are a number of flavors coming together you do not often find in combination in many beers. The flavors mesh very well. A great bottle to share, I am not certain an entire bottle would be something I enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 23:15:09 | More by kzoobrew

BeerDawgs

Georgia

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

A 22oz bottle bought in downtown Nashville, TN

A - A copper golden color. 2 fingers of head, and lots of sticky lace

S - Fruit, apricot, dried grapes.

T - Fruit up front, very smooth

M - Medium bodied.

O -A very good Wit Bier. Very smooth, and you don't taste the ABV.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 04:29:36 | More by BeerDawgs

notchucknorris

California

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at O'Brien's

A: Copper color with a thin white head.

S: A lot of grape juice right away that sort of smells like Welch's. Some faint hints of wheat, yeast and red currant as well.

T: A bit of a heavy wit flavor upfront followed by a pretty big grape flavor. Faint wheat and a slight bit of hop resin. White pepper, yeast, some heavy malt flavors and a touch of bread on the finish. A little too heavy for me, but it's not a bad experiment.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2011 19:00:06 | More by notchucknorris

bornridiculous

Connecticut

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

Beer pours a copper color with a head that seems to last forever. As it slowly shrinks it leaves behind solid lacing.

Smell: This beer smells of yeast and spicy wheat. No hop aroma.

Taste: This is a tasty wheaty hot sweet beer. The spice notes I taste are orange, coriander and esters.
Also of note is a subtle red wine characteristic. The taste stays with you long after you swallow the beer. The one complaint I may have is that the beer is a little too hot. Wheat and malt flavors shine through though.

Mouthfeel: The beer is moderately carbonated.

My overall thoughts are this is a good winter beer. It is spicy and hot, almost a wheat wine, but nicely carbonated with a well thought out balance between the spice and the malts.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 01:44:59 | More by bornridiculous

Heatwave33

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750ml bottle to a Dogfish Head Snifter.

Color: A hazy redish orange with a tan head.

Smell: Wine aroma, sweet from the fruit, oak

Taste: Sweet at first then tart. Has a good wine taste. Alcohol presence, fruity.

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation, smooth and a slight dryness.

Overall: Love the complexity of this brew. The wine, fruit, hop taste goes great together. Good balance and nice and smooth on the palate. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 16:31:28 | More by Heatwave33

CaptainIPA

Wisconsin

3.35/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazed, unfiltered marmalade amber with crimson highlights and suspended particulate matter. Moderate ecru head with cherry blush dissipates quickly.

Predominate aromas of Belgian yeast, alcohol and cherry pie essence -- both fruit and biscuity crust.

Opens thick and chewy with notes of cherry and bitter orange rind. Lively carbonation. Slight twang of wheat. Yeast flavors surface with suggestions of grape bubblegum. A medicinal, syrupy quality emerges, reminiscent of Triaminic Fever Reducer. Alcoholic afterburners kick in as the beer warms and its boozy alter ego takes over, seriously impairing drinkability. A touch of grape juice approaches an astringent conclusion, which borders on finishing cloyingly sweet.

Meh. Interesting interpretation of the style, but not entirely recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 22:39:00 | More by CaptainIPA

roodie

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750 mL bottle into my La Fin Du Monde tulip

A: pours an amber/honey mixture, clear, with ample pinkish head that retains. minimal lacing is left behind however.

S: orange zest and some spiciness lead the way, followed by the wheatiness/yeasty scent I always recognize in witbiers

T: As above, but the subtle grape flavor, tart/sour/tannic shows up. Very enjoyable when juxtaposed with the Wit.

M: standard for a witbier, very refreshing, bit chalky, but refreshing.

O: great beer, would seek it out again. A plus is that my wife loved it!

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 14:52:32 | More by roodie

CoalPorter

North Carolina

3.38/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bomber into a Harpoon tulip

A - 2 fingers of pinkish head leave nice lacing down the glass. The color is a ruddy orange pink and translucent.

S - Pinot grape come through, along with plum, a hint of herbal hop and a smattering of oak and woody notes. All under-laid with alcohol esters.

T - Sweet for a split second then descending into sour fruit tannins and a dry woody oak finish. The alcohol also makes its presence known.

M - Medium, with a resiny coating to the mouth.

O - Not bad. I didn't really have any expectations going into this, but it was an interesting brew and I'm glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 01:10:47 | More by CoalPorter

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had at beerbistro was Thursday's "Beer Of The Day" for Toronto Beer Week.

Hazy pale amberish/pink/copper colour with no read or lace to speak of. Smell is yeasty with spices, coriander and orange peel, citrus, good oak notes come through, lightly acidic almost funky wine like character is there. Taste is yeasty with some alcohol warmth, spices come through and are most prominent in the finish, cherry and red grape notes, oak, mild vanilla sweetness, tart and lightly sour at points with a nice acidity. Med-light carbonation, full body with a good feel. I certainly enjoyed this, nice mixture of spice, oak and wine flavours that seem to work well with each other.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 15:59:46 | More by peensteen

tjkinate

Texas

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Have been drinking some very unique brews lately, this being one of them, and for the most part I have enjoyed them.

Poured into an oversized wine glass which produced a 1+ finger, soapy head that refused to dissipate. Beautiful burnt orange body that remained completely transparent. Moderate soapy lacing surrounded the glass and remained until I finished drinking.

Smell started out very malty, but was quickly followed by tart fruit. Similar to a dry champagne, unfortunately not very potent.

Taste was malty at first, some tartness follows then transitions to sweet high notes with spicy undertones. Bitterness becomes more prominent throughout the tasting, but the beverage remained highly drinkable.

Fairly heavy, silky, and smooth. Felt a bit to thick for the flavors.

Overall I enjoyed drinking this beer, can't see myself forking out $10 bucks on it again soon, but if I see it on tap I will most likely try it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 21:02:40 | More by tjkinate

tdm168

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a reddish, amber with very thick foamy head. A little hazy and the head has great retention. Winey alcohol esters and grapes dominate the nose. Notes of orange peel and pinot noir with oily, winey alcohol esters in the finish. Rather mild flavor profile overall. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, a little thin, with an oily viscosity in the finish.

A nice idea, but a little winey and the flavor profile is not what I was hoping for.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 19:34:41 | More by tdm168

chodinheaven

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Unique looking beer as it is slightly pink hue to it with orange overtones. Silky sea foam head that has awesome retention and is a brilliant white color. Nice lacing as well. Orange rind is heavy on the nose and very pleasant. White grapes also come to mind, with a touch of coriander that rounds it out.

Silky smooth mouthfeel that feels creamy throughout, but finishes slightly dry. Taste is very much like it smells, with orange rind being the feature taste, and a white wine like taste behind it. A warming alcohol oversees all of it and adds to the wine qualities that this beer shows. Coriander is heavy in the aftertaste, almost throwing the beer a little out of whack as far as balance goes. Its not always that I find the description on the bottle matches exactly the way it actually tastes, and even rarer that I can pick out each facet of the beer and identify the ingredients. But pinot noir, orange peel and coriander are all easily identifiable, but each holds its own as a huge part of the overall experience. I can see wine lovers getting into this beer as a transitional beer, but beer lovers can appreciate the fruitiness and feel of this one. I like it, and am always happy to try something new from DFH.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 22:14:33 | More by chodinheaven

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This beer poured out as a orange red color with a white fizzy looking head on top. The head fades quickly and doesn't lace the glass too much. The smell of this beer gives off a slightly sour aroma with a subtle sweetness as well. The taste of fermented grape give this beer a big wine like profile, the flavors are a little on the tart side and leaves you with a dry fruity aftertaste. There is also a good amount of yeasty flavors going on in there too. The mouthfeel of the beer is on the lighter side, it's moderately carbonated and maintains a good drinkability. Overall, It's not my favorite DfH brew but I'm happy to have tried it.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 03:10:10 | More by Knapp85

Jayli

Massachusetts

2.78/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured in to a pint class.

A: This beer pours a deep burnt orange, amber color with a one finger of khaki, sudsy color head. Tons of sediment floating around. Head recedes immediately and leaves minimal lacing on the glass.

S: Nose is lots of booze, orange peel, caramelized malts, and a hint of spice.

T: Taste starts extremely boozy in the forefront. Whoa. Then the orange peel flavoring comes through with a hint of spicing. Finish is when an offbalanced strong caramel malt flavor takes over.

M: Medium to fuller body, medium carbonation, slick and oily body.

O: Goes down ok, not overly tasty, somewhat filling, big kick, not a very good representation of the style. This is a one and done beer for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 00:18:04 | More by Jayli

VMWhelan

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a tulip.

Pours a deep orange/amber with a big frothy off-white head.

Nose is sweet and fruity. Notes of berries, grapes, and oranges coming through.

Taste is quite boozy upfront. Fruityness comes through fairly well and the coriander is there. Not getting much of a wit vibe as expected, but it is there as well, mostly in the finish. I think the booziness masks it. Oak is present in the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium and slightly creamy my moderate carbonation. Slight dryness in the finish.

Overall this is decent. I think it would have been better if the ABV was knocked down a few percentage points. Not nearly as good as the Black & Blue.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 21:58:48 | More by VMWhelan

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Boasts many of the same aromas as a typical Belgian-style Wit, being heavy on the orange and coriander, with a nice undercurrent of toasted grains. There is, however, a faint wine scent that floats about, adding very subtle fermented grape tinges.

On the tongue, the first tastes to come across are also the Belgian oranges and corianders, with hints of apricot. However, they are almost immediately joined by a well-balanced, distinct wine flavor, the added Pinot Noir juice and the aging in wine barrels giving the brew a lovely additional spicy fruitiness. All of this still rests atop a layer of lightly-toasted grains, which add a Grape Nuts cereal quality to the mix. The aftertaste is almost exclusively wine for me, the Belgian fruitiness trailing off into a dry rush of grapes and cherries.

Overall, I think this a marvelous brew, as it does marry perfectly the best of wine and beer. I admit that I could see how the wine-heavy aftertaste would prove a hindrance to some, but I think the combination is superb.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 15:50:10 | More by jondeelee

elton044

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I enjoyed this one full circle.

Sampled from their 1 pint, 9.6 ounce bottle only LIGHTLY chilled, I exercised a bit of culinary license and paired the DFH Red & White with chicken breast lightly bathed in olive oil and gently coated in a, shall we say, well-known blend of Creole seasonings and broiled new potatoes.

Upon opening the bottle, prior to pouring into my favorite snifter, I allowed the aromas to dance across my olfactory passages where I was pleasantly greeted by hints of coriander, pleasant, yet light, citrus tones and unmistakable hints of Pinot Noir. The smell alone tells of comparatively higher alcohol content, but I found that the cacophony of scents only served to brilliantly complement one another.

The head was relatively miniscule, white in color, but provided an audible serenade borne of the fairly profound eddies and swirls mentioned by other reviewers. There is something to be said for allowing ALL of one's senses to enter into the picture when sampling a brew and this one will surely deliver.

The color was typically cloudy for a Wit, with a depth punctuated by amber and red tones; surely indicative of the Pinot Noir juices and barrel aging influences.

The mouth feel and taste can be succinctly described as 'spice.' However, the spice comes from myriad sources including alcohol, coriander, carbonation, etc., etc. The Belgian Wit influence and Pinot Noir characteristics are certainly noticeable, but they never fought one another. Instead, when the lightness of the wheat notes yielded, for example, the full bodied flavor of the Pinot Noir juices would commence and vice versa. Much like every other aspect of this brew, a seeming simplicity is composed of a number of intricate complexities - just when you think you have this one figured out, it tantalizes with yet another layer and dimension. A pleasing conundrum to the palate to be sure.

From the culinary aspect, the simultaneous lightness and depth of the DFH Red & White married perfectly with the similar characteristics of my overall meal. I suggest that you enjoy this brew in a similar context in order to fully appreciate the experience it is capable of providing.

As with other DFH offerings I have been fortunate enough to sample, this brew puts all of its cards on the table. And, much more importantly, it truly delivers.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 00:01:10 | More by elton044

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

amber with a small head, a little lace that faded into a nice coating with eddys and swirls embedded in the bubbly lace, lingered to the last drop. Smell was sweet, very very sweet. Candy apple, caramle, cherry were all over this and predominated. Slight hop back detected and a tiny bit of alcohol. Did I say sweet!

The taste followed the same route with the huge candy sweetness predominating some other hints of apple, cherries, grapes. Some alcohol, but it is mostly balanced by the rebost flavors. Goes down very smooth, light and crisp. Tingles and warms as it goes. Carbonation is not overally done though. Overall this is a very nice brew, a little too sweet to have more then one or two, but is perfect as a sipper after dinner. the wine notes are subtle and the style i am not sure where they got that from, a sweet, citrusy and floral ale, this works

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 04:44:29 | More by mikesgroove

negroobserver

New York

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

nice brown/copper/medium brown color. Pours with about two inches of off white/beige colored head.

smells spicy. Citrus is definitely the dominant scent here. Grassy/earthy notes.

Tastes sour. Bit of spicy flavor from the coriander. No oaky/woody taste that I would expect from the pinot barrels, although the wine flavors are definitely present. Also explains the sourness, which tends to linger for some time in the mouth.

beer has good carbonation. good body and texture too.

Overall, its a pretty interesting beer, but I'm nowhere near thrilled with it. It has some complex flavors and is pretty enjoyable to drink but the sourness from the beer is not what I like in a beer. I prefer the hoppy bitterness or sourness, which doesn't linger. Its a good one to try, but I wouldn't recommend it.

OVERALL GRADE: C+/B-

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 03:22:52 | More by negroobserver