Palo Santo Marron - Dogfish Head Brewery

Kinsman

New Hampshire

3.53/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown with ruby highlights that turns into a solid black once it fills the glass. Nutty brown colored head with a creamy texture leaving behind a semi-sticky lace.

Aroma is heavy on the malt characters with some bready and chocolate or brown sugar sweetness mixed in with a strong dose of vanilla. A mild alcohol presence suggests this one is a bit boozy.

Lots of malt flavors going on here, reminiscent of many doppelbocks. Chocolately and caramel sweetness with some tart fruit flavors too. Not much of a roasted character for such a dark ale which I'm kind of missing because it's almost too sweet. Some woody accents but I'm not sure what the Palo Santo does that is any different from the more typical oak. Finshes with a lingering alcohol presence that makes this one a little too hot.

Thick, chewy, and creamy mouthfeel really compliments the flavor well and it gets better as it warms.

Overall the cloying sweetness of this makes this a suitable desert beer for some but certainly not something you could have more than one of in a night. I'll let my other bottle sit in the cellar for a long time and then revisit, four months old seems a bit too hot for my liking.

Edit to add:
Having a second bottle from the same batch a week later. This one sat at room temp for a few hours before I opened it up and I'm enjoying it quite a bit more as the sweetness does not seem as cloying.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 23:41:10 | More by Kinsman

stanowsf

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -4.5%

05-19-2013 20:11:44 | More by stanowsf

KingSlayer

Mexico

4/5  rDev -4.5%

05-19-2013 20:09:45 | More by KingSlayer

birdsellam

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -10.5%

05-19-2013 18:11:14 | More by birdsellam

Fubar1453

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-19-2013 14:18:03 | More by Fubar1453

jkane101

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-19-2013 02:36:39 | More by jkane101

TXhomebrewer

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-19-2013 01:22:17 | More by TXhomebrewer

jakeox

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-19-2013 00:55:27 | More by jakeox

iCabaLLero

Georgia

5/5  rDev +19.3%

05-18-2013 21:01:35 | More by iCabaLLero

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%

05-18-2013 20:46:49 | More by Photekut

megamass

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -4.5%

05-18-2013 04:10:06 | More by megamass

Honus1

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -10.5%

05-18-2013 02:51:03 | More by Honus1

themantis13

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%

05-17-2013 20:47:34 | More by themantis13

Jsmick

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%

05-17-2013 03:47:14 | More by Jsmick

ElizabethEleanor

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-17-2013 03:25:06 | More by ElizabethEleanor

mverity

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-16-2013 21:27:50 | More by mverity

abex44

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-16-2013 20:51:06 | More by abex44

Jazzpha

District of Columbia

4.44/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled on: 9/18/2012

Pour: Medium-slow, indistinguishable from a porter or stout. Most robust brown ale I’ve ever seen, by far. Half-finger of dark tan head fades fast, almost no carbination rising. Very, very few bubbles.

Aroma: Sweet, Old Rasputin-esque malt, quickly joined by the wood scent of the Palo Santo wood. A note of char as well, one of the most pronounced I’ve smelled.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Some beers make a smooth entrance, easing open your tastebuds before unfolding the rest of their flavors. This is not one of those beers. This thing gatecrashes your mouth and charges in full speed ahead, before assaulting your tastebuds like Old Rasputin’s crazy drunk uncle. Big, big bitter coffee notes, and dark chocolate. Bracing, powerful flavors all the way through. No sweetness to help you recover; this beer gives no quarter and I love it. Still, ridiculously smooth for 12%-- a lot smoother than the last time I remember having a bottle from this same 4-pack. Alcohol burn is limited to a slight tingle in the nostrils on the finish, like slightly mild horseradish. Malty goodness persists throughout the entire sip, and the mouthfeel is as big and chewy as an imperial stout, easily. The wood flavor borders on smoky at the very end of the finish, but in a way that smoothes out the taste in preparation for the next sip. This beer is a monster, and makes no apologies about that whatsoever. Either you roll with it or get rolled over, but I love this stuff.

Overall: This beer is awesome, definitely not sessionable, and best enjoyed savored over a decent period of time. Beastly in the most literal of senses. 4.5/5

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 20:42:52 | More by Jazzpha

tviz33

New York

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle in to a Duvel tulip.

A- Pours a motor oil body with a quarter inch of brown head that settles to a small cap.

S- Really rich, sweet smell. Molasses, vanilla, toffee, chocolate, hops, wood, and definitely some alcohol.

T- Very sweet, but not overly so. This is a little boozy, but a nice woody character compliments the alcohol along with toffee and some dark fruits. I'm a fan.

M- Medium feel, which is thinner than I expected. Creamy and tingly.

O- I really enjoyed this brew. This one is a sipper at 12%, but it's quite easy to suck right down. I would love to get my hands on a 4 pack of the stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 18:28:52 | More by tviz33

ChanChan

California

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: This is darker than a great number of imperial stouts!!

Aroma: The aroma in this beer reminds me of an aged Mephistopheles, perhaps the Palo Santo has a lot to do with that!

Taste: Very good taste of dark fruits, vanilla and a good amount of wood character!

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied.

Overall: This beer is fantastic, its pricey but if one has the patience to age this beer!!I really like it!!

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 06:12:07 | More by ChanChan

William85

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%

05-15-2013 23:27:21 | More by William85

maxcoinage

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%

05-15-2013 19:44:02 | More by maxcoinage

LaChupacabra

California

3.5/5  rDev -16.5%

05-15-2013 03:47:44 | More by LaChupacabra

Hugonaut13

Illinois

3/5  rDev -28.4%

05-14-2013 13:44:01 | More by Hugonaut13

deadliest

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-14-2013 03:31:42 | More by deadliest