Black & Blue - Dogfish Head Brewery

Wasatch

Utah

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to drseamus for this brew.

750ml Bottle
Bottled on 2/12/07

Poured into a DFH glass a nice clear/clean golden amber color, nice carbonation, nice two-finger creamy off-white head, lots of nice sticky lacing follows. The nose is malty, blueberries, black raspberries, some spices, and caramel. The taste is slightly sweet at first, then some tangyness from the berries, slight spice, and some caramel. Medium body, the alcohol is hidden very very well in this one. Very drinkable, I like this one as well as the Red/White brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2008 23:31:12 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a one-finger white head that fades immediately leaving no lace. Clear amber with red tinge color. Sweet fruity nose. Strong carbonation and medium bodied. Flavor is sweet and sour, slightly fruity with raspberry, blueberry is hidden and so is the high ABV. Nice clean finish. Bottled 2/12/2007, $11.19 for a 750ml bottle from Tully's Beer & Wine Wells, Me.
Label has ABV at 10%.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2007 22:39:54 | More by jdhilt

Billolick

New York

4.2/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

large capped Belgian style bottle, bottling date etched onto bottle, nice/fresh beer is good. Pours a great looking ruby/berry color with a raspberry tinged head, leaves some spotty lacing upon a moderate swirl. Fruity, lightly sugary nose. This one is sweet and fruity, as expected, berries, jam up front. Light, summery brew, would be nice as an apperatif or with a warm weather lunch/dessert. Champagne with a strawberry in it like qualities. When judged as a dessert beer, I think this one would at the top of the charts. Nice creation, crafted with skill and care from DFH.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2007 16:28:19 | More by Billolick

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle purchased from Julio's, Marlboro, MA. Bottled 2/12/07.

Poured into a Rapscallion glass, formed a 1" lavender head over the slightly cloudy bright red brew. Head holds on well, with tons of slow-falling lace. Aroma is rich an d fruity, without the intensity that sometimes makes one think artificial. Taste is lightly malty, with somewhat generic fruitiness coming on in the middle, and becomes more blueberry as the flavor lingers after the swallow. Mouthfeel is amazingly creamy, and drinkability is not bad for a fruit brew. I enjoyed this brew, but probably wouldn't revisit for the cost. Your mileage may vary.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2007 23:43:39 | More by ppoitras

weeare138

Pennsylvania

2.45/5  rDev -33.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Thanks to TomDecapolis for this...
They don't do growlers of this but this was a special circumstance were we could via the kind folks at Rehoboth.
Appears a pinkish, purple toned, dense, muddy crimson with a small white head that quickly fizzles out. Tiny speckles of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is very vinous, with notes of over ripened blackberries, and sugary corn syrup. I would've thought this was simply a wine that hadn't fermented all the way out and had simply gone awry somewhere.
Taste is of the same winey, tart aromas that I struggle to accept.
Mouthfeel is tart, wine-like, mostly sour, and sticking to the sides of the tongue. There just doesn't seem to be any sort of balance in this brew.
It's like bad medicine mixed with a caramelized, concentrated wine mix. This is worse than the sacramental wine that we would taste when we were alter boys...blech!

Serving type: growler

09-08-2006 19:08:12 | More by weeare138

Zorro

California

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sampled through the efforts of Imstillthegman and 1000 Miles (or East/West again) BIF.

Hard to determine the color here. It is either dark amber verging on brown or a red colored ale depending on how you look at it. Smallish off-white head forms and then falls.

In the smell I pickup wine and grapes with oak the very first thing. There is the sour funk that I smell in most wines just to remind you that no matter the technology it is all basically grape juice gone bad. Vanilla is present but is just a trace compared to Bourbon barrel beers. There is a LOT of wood and wine tannin scent here almost as if they used a spent red wine barrel. I don't smell the blackberries or the blue berries but I do get a trace of raspberry.

The taste begins a little sweet with a sourness at the end and a little peach aftertaste. Strong wood flavor and sour fruit like unripe nectarines and granny smith apple. Vaguely berry flavored but not really, far less than DFH Fort for instance.

Mouthfeel is OK.

Meh an OK beer but not one I would buy. There is just nothing all that great about this beer. If I am going to buy a DFH fruit beer it is going to be Fort or Red & White.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2007 02:04:53 | More by Zorro

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to Lexx for picking this one up in Chitown.

Pours a clear red/cranberry juice colour, huge off white head forms, laces pretty well, good retention. Smell is caramel, citrus, blackberry moonshine. Taste is sweet, malt liquor, fruits, alcohol, some berry but mostly overpowering sweetness and fusel alcohol. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, almost thin flavour, high to medium, almost prickly carbonation, alcohol burn, weak finish, not too exciting. Can't say I enjoyed this much. Thanks Lexx!

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2007 23:46:26 | More by Viggo

Bighuge

Minnesota

2.33/5  rDev -36.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Appearance: Clear light copper with a pink tint to it. Pours fizzy. A slight head forms and then is gone. Lacing is nonexistent.

Nose: Really not a lot going on here. Faint hints of berry. Sweet malts in the distance. That's it folks.

Taste/Mouthfeel: The taste follows suit with the nose. Really not a lot of substance here. This is one of the most non-descript beers I've had in a while and it surprises me being that it's a 10% fruit beer. Berries mingle in the background lightly. Can't decipher the specific qualitites that would make them black raspberry or blueberry or whateverberry. Just get a light berry sense. Alcohol is surprisingly light as well. There's a sweetness to this beer, but of course it's quite subdued. The beer is light in body and on the lower end of the spectrum for carbonation.

Drinkablility: Fine. I'll drink it. More because of what I paid for it rather than what's inside the bottle. Probably the biggest disappointment I've experienced from DFH. A total 180 from their Red and White, which I thought was very good.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2007 04:10:40 | More by Bighuge

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: bottle from Total Wine, Cherry Hill, NJ

I had this in a 750mL bottle, and kept it in my fridge for just a little too long I think. Still good. Kind of tasted like a sweet tripel. Poured semi-cloudy, orange-brown with a nice white head. Fresh fruit on the nose. I got hit with the alcohol in the taste right away, which made the blueberry a bit harsh and acidic. Followed up by bright malty sweetness with some light sugars reminiscent of a Belgian tripel, and a somewhat bitter aftertaste. Medium mouthfeel and a bit harsh, but I could tell it was because I let it sit in the fridge too long, so I can't really blame the beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 12:57:15 | More by Rifugium

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy dark ruby/cherry red that is completely opaque with a thin fizzy slightly pink head that quickly fades into a thin lasting ring. Very minimal spots of lacing.

Slightly sour fruit berry aroma with some tart funkiness, spice and dark berries. The blackberries and blueberries are prominent but there is also a bit of raspberry.

Very carbonated up front with some slight sour acidic tartness with a sweet medium body that is dominated by dark berry fruit and a slightly spicy finish. The alcohol is very well masked making this beer pretty quaffable. The sweetness of the blackberries and blueberries is no cloying or artificial which is always a plus but is still a bit too much for my liking. An interesting experiment but not something I would seek out again, especially at the high price point.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2009 08:21:52 | More by corby112

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Max's the other night. Yet another impressive "extreme" beer from Sam C.

The beer pours an amber brown color, with very good head retention and nice lacing. The nose is pretty closed, though I get a hint of ginger and malt. The beer has a very nice rich mouthfeel, with flavors of honey, butter and melon. There is a soft creaminess on the palate, and the beer has a smooth, lingering finish. The abv. is really well disguised in this beer. Knowing Sam, I figured it would be up there, but this does not taste like a beer with an 11% abv. Absolute amazing. Another winner from DFH.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2007 17:02:13 | More by johnmichaelsen

glid02

Georgia

3.43/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On-tap at the Brick Store.

Pours a syrupy dark amber color with a one-finger slightly off-white head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of berries - both blue and rasp, as advertised. Underneath the fruitiness are hints of syrupy sweet malt aromas.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Thick and sweet malt flavors kick things off and are almost immediately overwhelmed by tons of berry flavors. The berry flavors start off slightly tart but sweeten fairly quickly. The sweet flavors intensify through to the ending.

Mouthfeel is pretty good. It's got a nice thickness however the carbonation is a bit on the heavy side.

Drinkability is just not very good. I struggled to finish what I could and didn't finish my glass.

Overall I was a bit disappointed by this beer but knowing DFH's track record (by no means a bad one) I should have expected nothing less than something intense and out of the norm. I won't buy this again but I could see some liking it - worth a shot if you like fruit beers and know what you're getting yourself into.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2010 00:06:38 | More by glid02

Gusler

Arizona

4.03/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer sluices from the 750ml bottle a slightly chill hazed golden amber color with a bright white creamy two fingered head that settles quickly leaving a thin blanket of lace to seal off the glass. Nose has a sweet and sour note, spicy with a modest hint of the berries, hints of fusel alcohol, and at 11 percent ABV, no wonder. Start is ambrosial, fair to middling malt presence, and a mild tartness from the black raspberries, but not overly so, top is light to medium in feel. Finish carries on the sweet and tart duo, hops understated, and the alcohol present but well hidden, acidity benign and the aftertaste dry and tart. I’ve learned to like this style, and “Dogfish Head” has been the reason why, a “Marvelous” brewery.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2007 20:22:51 | More by Gusler

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Bright red color, thin white head.

S: Fruity aroma, raspberrys and blueberry sweetness on nose.

T: Smooth tartness for flavor, grape juice like texture. Dry palate, with lots of berries for flavor but is not to tart. Hops are hard to distinguish with the berry sweetness. There is some spiciness from hops but is faint and overpowrered by the juice sweetness , along with some woodiness.

M: Mouthful is rather thin with very little carbonation.

D: For a fruit beer drinks very nicely and wine-like. Not as good as the red and white though.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2008 15:36:56 | More by beerthulhu

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This one poured a medium red colour with burnt orange edges. It also had a thin skim of fine, off-white foam and a ring of large bubbles that produced a bit of spotty lacing. The aroma was fruity, heavy on berry sweetness and a little yeasty. Mild bitterness with a lot of berry flavour up front, followed by earthy fruit skins and a slight tartness. A bit of malt provides some sweetness and there was a light alcohol flavour in the finish. Medium bodied with lowish carbonation. Slightly syrupy texture with a little warmth. Overall, the mouthfeel was a little dead. Decent for a big beer and impressive because the fruit really provides most of the character without seeming artificial. I split this one with my wife and she enjoyed it as well.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2007 18:31:56 | More by DrJay

Brad007

Vermont

4.18/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a ruby red color, which is that of raspberries and blueberries. Nice hue. Thick two-finger head that fades down a bit.

Aroma is full of raspberry and blueberry in the nose with a bit of tartness peeking out.

Taste is smooth and tart with raspberry and blueberry on the tongue. The flavors don't linger long though. What feels like wheat shows up in the middle.

Mouthfeel is not too sweet nor tart. Finishes kind of dry too. Alcohol is well-hidden. Easy to drink.

A very nice beer that doesn't go overboard on the fruit. A sipper but the alcohol is so well-hidden, you should step back and savor it anyway.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2009 02:07:16 | More by Brad007

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a reddish or even pinkish amber. Litlle head and no lacing, but a fascinating color. The smell is still a little hot, but beyond the alcohol is a hit of yeast and dry dark berries. The taste is also quite yeasty and there are more dark berry flavors. Not sweet at all, rather the flavor is more jammy as found in a wine. The blueberries are more prominent tasting the black raspberry, at least initially, but as it warms the raspberry becomes more evident. Dry and very drinkable, but definitely a big beer. I like it.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2007 00:59:28 | More by Georgiabeer

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

DIM sent this to me as an extra in an already epic box... Dan says he isn't trading.. believe him... I need the proper PA connection... Thanks Dan.. this was shared with my Bro... My pour is into MNFG...

1" foamy head.. sorta light pink head .. hazy orange brew... descent lacing and cap.

We were ready for this one... and were not expecting too much.. Smells like "beer" with some dark berries....

Flavor is better... big and smooth.. the berries are sorta mild... blackberry I think is the bigger player.. but as it warms.. I get a bit of tannic notes that Steven says is from the blueberry skin.... I can agree.. I guess....

I just wanted to be able to pick out a "base beer"... No dice.. It just makes me think of a big ole' clean beer hit hard with berries..

Steven and I tried to enjoy it.. thankfully.. it was the last beer of the night.. I am just not digging it.. I know how much this badboy costs... I appreciate the opportunity.. but.... I will damn sure never buy one. Dan... you are a true BA.. and almost certainly my favorite BA.. A good PA brother.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2009 06:53:08 | More by JohnGalt1

tavernjef

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bright stop light red. Thin capping of fizzy whitish foam which doesn't last. The color is gorgeous though.

Aroma is quite light yet bright of pale berry, apple, twigs, and jell-o.

Taste is quitely placed with a berry-like kool-aid type flavor. Tangy, mildly zippy, sorta paled and soured, but hardly puckering, tender berry flavor ensues with a floating dryness of earth with red and purple grape skins.

Feel is a little below medium with a decent zip, tang, and torque of carbonation and flavor. A bit bland and boring in the finish, which does pick up a bit more dryness as it goes late, late, late into the night end of the airyness.

This seems like a good beer, but nothing really to spectacular hits me other then the style and mixture of ingredients that DFH has tried to induce into this ale. A one time try will do, other then that, its perhaps passable. Refreshingly zippy enough and mildly fruity but just not enough draw or character to really perk interest beyond the cool name and label.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2007 03:34:05 | More by tavernjef

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aroma is richly fruity and somewhat malty with an undertone of yeast. It pours a clear coppery amber with a fairly thick but not persistent head. Flavor is more like a good apple cider than a beer, and has a decided alcohol bite. There are hints of molasses and raspberry as well. Texture is rather edgy and a little fizzy, and aftertaste is a little tart.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2009 23:57:57 | More by Cyberkedi

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A. Served in a snifter glass. Light amber in color. Bubbly.

S. A very interesting nose! Berries and hops and some other sweet elements sifting in the background.

T. Ultra sweet and the berry flavor overpowers the hops.

M. Light and takes a few sips to coat the palate. Very sweet aftertaste.

D. Very good session beer, but I would rather have something else for extended periods of drinking.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2008 20:01:39 | More by Stinkypuss

ccrida

Oregon

2.08/5  rDev -43.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into my St. Feuillien Goblet, the Black & Blue has a fluffy egg shell head on top of a light purple body with slight chill haze and lots of bubbles.

This smells like malt liquor and less so berries. As it warms, the malt liquor nose becomes vodka.

Taste is on the thinner side and also mainly malt liquor with a soft and sweet berry essence. Initially bitter and sharp, it falls apart to a sharp metallic finish. As it warms, the booziness gets increasingly more vodka like.

Mouthfeel is on the light side and creamy, probably the best facet of this sub par brew.

Drinkablity is questionable at best. While it was cold, it actually went down easy enough and drank much lighter then it's 11%. Once it warmed, it was so gross I desperately put ice-cubes in my first glass! That actually saved it, and I put the rest of the bottle in the freezer for awhile. So ice-cold, it drinks like an over-priced wine cooler. Warmer, it's rough - think grape kool-aide and cheap vodka!

Going into this, I feared I was spending $14 for a fruity malt liquor, and my fears were confirmed. Once again Dogfish Head suckered me into ponying up way to much another one of their failed experiments. I'm beginning to really resent this brewery, in spite of their occasional hits. Kinda like Microsoft software, I'm tried of paying for the privilege of beta testing. Resist the temptation, it may sound good and has a cool label, but is definitely not recommended!

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2007 03:33:29 | More by ccrida

avalon07

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from a bomber to an imperial pint glass. Had a reddish color and a somewhat cloudy consistency. There was an inch of foamy/creamy, long-lasting head (more than what you normally find with fruit/vegetable beers). Very good lacing.

S: A strong, sweet aroma of fruit and malt.

T: The blueberries and raspberries make a very strong impression, but there is also a trace of light malt. A vibrant, fruity flavor.

M: Lots of carbonation with a smooth finish. Surprisingly not slick. Light-bodied.

D: I'm not the biggest fan of fruit/vegetable beers, but this one is very well made and extremely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2010 12:12:43 | More by avalon07

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've been dying to try this beer. Especially since I haven't been able to get a bottle in Illinois. But when I made a quick trip to Indianapolis, what do I see at Kahn's.

The very preety fruit juice colorings make up for the lack of head, the bubbling isn't bad either. I was expecting a more pronounced berry aroma, but was a little let down when the nose came up a little short. I was glad I could smell the blackberries, but the blueberries seemed to be a bit obscured. The taste was alright, especially considering the fruits don't overpower the overall taste of the beer. I could taste the Belgian malts as well as the black and blue berries. Very smooth palate. But overall a little blander than I expected. I'm glad I tried this beer. But it was a little sub-par.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2007 20:45:54 | More by scruffwhor

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up at Thirsty's in York back in July, just pulled it out of the fridge. Decanted cool into a snifter, thanks to tenderbranson69 for sharing it w/ me.

A - A hazed red grape juice shade similar to the color of blackberry and blueberry puree as expected w/ a full light 2 fingers of head w/ an ultrafine bead. The head falls rapidly and adds confetti-like lacing on the snifter.

S - A boozy, malty aroma w/ subtle hints of fruit and a round creamy note w/ yeasty fullness.

M - Smooth creaminess blends into a slightly fruity sweetness w/ a touch of tart berry notes and full carbonation w/ no bitterness to speak of.

T - A malty taste w/ creamy and pils flavors w/ sweet and full ale flavors w/ a booziness that doesn't hide and a gradually emerging fruit flavor. A similar taste to malt liquor w/ a more sophisticated taste, both more flavorful in malt w/ a softer yeast taste that is augmented by the blackberry and blueberry puree. The sugars seem to have been mostly fermented out though since it is more of a strong wine clash w/ beer flavor and the sweet berry taste is somewhat an afterthought. The finish has a dry flavor of booze coming in tandem.

D - A bit of a berry bruiser w/ a full malt and alcoholic influence. The dry texture makes for an easy to drink beer, yet it still shows the 10% abv fully. I like how the fruit is not overly sweet and it still has beer character w/ the cooler taste you might usually associate w/ fruit beer. This is one I would drink again and again, yet not very drinkable as far as sessionability goes. One of the better fruit ales I have had since the black + blueberry flavor actually adds to the taste of the ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2008 17:57:42 | More by Slatetank