Palo Santo Marron - Dogfish Head Brewery

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An excellent brown ale. Unfortunately the 12% ABV is exceptionally well hidden, only a mild burn in the finish, which makes this a frighteningly easy to drink pint.

Pours a beautiful near-black with amber and brown highlights. Tons of vanilla and caramel in both aroma and flavour, without the "standard" coffee bitterness.

Smooth, well balanced and brilliantly complex. A fantastic beer!

Serving type: cask

07-05-2011 22:13:34 | More by hopsolutely

Tonmeister

Georgia

4.41/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Bottle Served in tulip shaped glass

Appearance: very dark, almost black, with a thin brown head, and very little lacing when tilting the glass.

Smell: sweet, vanilla, caramel,

Taste: coffee chocolaty, sweet caramel vanilla,

Mouthfeel: syrupy thick with moderate carbonation.

Overall, I would characterize this beer as a stout. It feels like a stout and it tastes like a stout, except its much sweeter. It looks, smells, feels, and tastes like a stout. This is by far the best brown ale I've ever had. I will definitely be buying this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 21:55:48 | More by Tonmeister

TastyAdventure

Kentucky

4.2/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

First of all, this categorized itself as a "Brown Ale"...????

It is pretty much a stout in flavor, color, and smell.

BUT, it is absolutely amazing.

Color of Motor oil. Taste of roasted grain, slight chocolate, hints of wood from the barrels. Heavy, decadent.

* I did not write this while drinking *

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 19:42:08 | More by TastyAdventure

LambicPentameter

Kansas

4.34/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Served from a 12 oz brown bottle into a 16 oz nonic tumbler. The bottle is marked with a bottling date of 8/13/2012, so this one has about 10 months on it. I'll have to try it fresh someday.

Appearance - An aggressive pour yields a finger of rich, bubbly brown head atop a body of almost-black brown. When you hold it up to light, you can see highlights of iced coffee. Dissipates after just a little while, with moderate lacing that eventually fades away to just a thin rim of foam around the edge of the glass.

Smell - Complex and full of depth. Initially nutty characteristics, but that gives way to elements of brownie/chocolate and hints of dank soil and leather.

Taste - Bittersweet, with veins of vanilla and some alcoholic heat. Some cedar, only milder and sweeter. Finish is caramel and earthy hops make an appearance to balance out the initial sweetness. The alcoholic essence gets stronger as it warms.

Mouthfeel - Syrupy and viscous. Even some sensation of a very fine grittiness, probably from my aggressive pour on a 10-mo. old beer. Medium-bodied with low carbonation and very drinkable for as strong as it is. Would love to try this out of a snifter next time.

Overall, probably the best "brown ale" I've ever had. Obviously DFH tweaks it in a major way by doubling (or more) the abv level from a traditional American Brown and introducing the palo santo wood, but it still has enough of the recognizable brown characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 03:00:17 | More by LambicPentameter

cooler4life

Quebec (Canada)

4.19/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

Bottled 9/9/12

A: Poured burnt brown stream of slightly frothy goodness. The head immediately settled to a thin off-white rim around the edges of the glass. Carbonation appears to be ample and fine. Can already tell lacing is going to be great.

S: Dates, prunes, mild earthy funk, leather, molasses, slight vanilla. Subdued yet refined.

T: Follows the nose very closely and adds some apple rind, chocolate malt, and black cherry. Finishes with a tequila smokiness and slight heat from the ABV.

M: full and rich.. near perfect levels of stickiness and velvety carbonation. Your palate will welcome it’s comforting embrace. Welcome home.

O: A gift from the east coast friend, try this for a fresh, complex take on the venerable brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 01:54:52 | More by cooler4life

dc87

Washington

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - A stunning pitch black. A thin mocha coloured head which disappointingly quickly disappeared.

S - Sweet and fruity. Some caramel, cherry and roasted chocolate malts

T - Very different and interesting. A lot of fruity sweetness up front. Nice roasted chocolate malts, followed by an just a little hoppy bitterness, and some wood and earthiness. The aftertaste is bitter and pretty boozey - a little too boozey for my palette, though it is surprising that the alcohol does not really appear any earlier given the 12% ABV.

M - Thick, soft and coating. Heavy bodied, low carbonation. A little biting. Complements the taste well.

O - A strong and complex sweet dark beer. Would make a very pleasant dessert beer. Reminds me of a Russian Imperial Stout like Old Rasputin.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 04:40:38 | More by dc87

MistahBeah

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Just about black. Some brown highlights but this looks more like black coffee or flat cola. Not much of a head. More like a creamy caramel colored film. Some visible carbonation in almost slow motion as if the beer's too thick for the bubbles to move through. Interesting. Fair amount of lacing. By all means a good looking beer but more akin to a stout than a brown ale

Aroma: Very sweet. Vanilla and smoky wood. Hints of dark plums and tart cherries. Maybe a little coffee. A scotch-like quality with a high boozy smell. Very different for the style but I wouldn't expect anything less from Dogfish Head

Taste: Chocolate and vanilla. Lots of malty caramel. Some coffee or espresso. Dark fruit. Definitely a charred quality. A nice balance. Sweet up front with a bitterness that starts out faint but becomes more apparent with a lingering finish. A tad boozy but it doesn't drink like a 12% at all. Really well done

Mouthfeel: Rich and creamy. Very smooth. Not much in the way of dryness which is surprising considering the ABV. Coats the palate nicely. Full bodied to say the least

Overall: Awesome brew. An excellent dessert beer but I don't think I could put away a 4 pack in one sitting. I feel like this would almost be better off as a bomber or 750. Regardless, this is a smooth sweet beer with a moderately complex and very nice flavor profile. Hard to compare it to beers of the style because it's really nothing like any other brown ale I've had but great all around

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 20:28:28 | More by MistahBeah

alex_hart

Oklahoma

4.66/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: A rich, dark black with a caramel, mocha colored 1 finger head that dissipates to a pleasant film.

Smell: Sweet and savory. Vanilla, caramel, and almost a sweet cherry wood as well. Absolutely fantastic.

Taste: Man, this is incredible. Vanilla, caramel, and that beautiful aged cherry wood again. The sweetness is in no way overbearing, but it is the main component.

Mouthfeel: Definitely a heavy beer with a creamy, oily feel, but in a good way.

Overall: By far my favorite done by DFH, and I love alot of the work they do. This is just brilliantly done from beginning to end, and at 12% I have no idea how they made the alcohol completely undetectable. Must get for anyone.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2013 22:26:00 | More by alex_hart

thegodfather1076

Ohio

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

Presentation: Eye-catching label in the traditional DFH look with great colors and a flat non glossy surface. Label has ABV info, brewery info, small back story on the beer, web info, States “Malt Beverage aged on Palo Santo wood”. Neck label has DFH logo and says Palo Santo. Cap has DFH logo and looks like the rings of a tree. Bottled on date(8/13/12).

Appearance: Poured from its 12oz home into a 16oz snifter after a 15min warming allowance. Pours out a surprisingly thick deep cola brown almost black color with a 2 finger tightly packed tan foam head of medium density. Head retention was 4min 12sec before fading to a thick foam coating and ring. Excellent lacing.

Smell/Aroma: Smells of vanilla with a smokey woody tone. Has a sweet smell of candied dark fruits. Also has def hints of roasted coffee and chocolate malts. Has a slight booziness. Caramel scents come through as this warms.

Flavor/Taste: Tastes of roasted chocolate malts on the front-end with hints of vanilla. This gives way to a sweet plum flavor that immediately turns to the bitterness of dark roasted coffee malts. Finishes with hints of smoke and wood with a slight booziness.

MouthFeel/Drinkability: Full bodied and thick with a creamy smooth mouthfeel. Very drinkable in limited quantities due to ABV.

Overall/Comments: I thought this was tremendously good. Another great original concept from DFH that didn't disappoint. A big beer with great flavor. Classified as an American Brown Ale @ 12% ABV. Consumed 4/17/2013.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 19:04:59 | More by thegodfather1076

ChrisKayler

Virginia

4.44/5  rDev +6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Cool cap!

Glass: Port City "Globe" snifter.

Appearance: Pours extremely dark and looks as thick as molasses. A minuscule amount of dark tan foam appears on the surface and quickly dissipates. Several small bubbles of beer float on the surface that look like oil on water. They pop after a few seconds. Weird! When held up to the light, some dark reddish brown hue rings the very edges of the glass. This is one sexy beer.

Smell: I could smell the vanilla from several feet away before I even took a whiff. Underlying the vanilla is a bit of that brown ale "twang". A little hoppy. Perhaps some molasses and brown sugar. Maybe the tiniest bit of chocolate, but that is probably from the sweet vanilla combined with the hops that is playing tricks on me. I can't wait to take a sip.

Taste: Wow, what a great flavor! Vanilla in the forefront, with a slight hop bitterness on the tongue. A bit of a "woody" element is present as well. Alcohol is alive and well, but is nicely balanced.

Mouthfeel: Syrup! This one has low carbonation and a thick mouthfeel that leaves me ... chomping. Dry on the tongue after it goes down. A little sticky on my lips, but velvety smooth. I like this.

Overall: What a cool, unique beer. You certainly get a tiny bit of the hop characteristics of a brown ale, but with a much thicker mouthfeel and a lovely vanilla tone that lasts for ages. This is a seriously great beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 02:31:58 | More by ChrisKayler

Ri0

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured a 12oz bottle into my snifter. Bottled dated 10/22/2012, so it has 8 months of age for this review.

A - Surprised how thick this pours considering it is a brown ale and aged. A very dark coffee like brown with a thin tan foam head that quickly dissipated leaving a thin cap and lacing around the edges.

S - Aroma is very nice with sweet malt, wood, caramel, toffee, vanilla and syrup.

T - This beer really tastes great, but not like a brown ale would. Heavy malts and syrup with caramel, vanilla and wood mixed in. I don't notice much bitterness, but it isn't overly sweet. The booze is very well hidden.

M - Low carbonation as expected from the aging. Thick and chewy mouth feel from this unlike most brow ales which are much more thin.

O - Great beer than I really enjoyed. I'll have to get a hold of more some day. Do yourself a favor and pick some of this up because it is very tasty. Thanks to deadonhisfeet for sending to me.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 19:19:49 | More by Ri0

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

4.09/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at DFH Brewpub in Falls Church, VA.

A - Poured almost black, with a dark brown top, fading quickly. A noticeable ring of lace, and residual rings lingering around the glass like sherry.

S - The nose is a bit metallic, definitely roasty and sweet, with warming alcohol present. Smells as strong as it is.

T - Very warming and pretty sweet. Alcohol forward here, but it's delicious and smooth. Bitter grains, metallic twang. Hints of charcoal and cocoa powder in the finish.

M - This one warms the mouth, and tingles the tongue, leaving a buzzing feeling on the palate and gums.

O - The 12% abv doesn't bite you or scare you off, it's tasty. It's well disguised for how high it is, but ever present. Caught me off guard when I read brown ale, as it drinks more like an Imperial brown or a Belgian strong dark ale.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2013 19:43:55 | More by BeerForMuscle

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

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Slight mocha head around the edges of the glass over black liquid.

S: Wood, molasses, toffee and raisins.

T: Wood, molasses, toffee, raisins, prunes, grass, earth.

M: Medium viscosity and carbonation.

O: Very tasty and smooth. The wood is quite subtle on this beer and not overpowering which complements the other flavors nicely.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 03:04:17 | More by DaftCaskBC

macrosmatic

Florida

4.19/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a Cigar City pint glass.

A: Pours a very dark brown that lets almost no light through. A two finger brown head forms on top, and last pretty well. This rather looks like a glass of Coke, but with way less visible carbonation.

S: Toasted malt, cacao, sweet, a little boozy. Hints of vanilla, toffee, nuts. Some caramel character shows up as the beer warms a little. What aroma is here smells quite good, but there's not a huge nose on this beer.

T: Wow, this is a big ol' malt bomb! Roasty toasty malt flavors without being big on chocolate or coffee or any particular flavor, nor particularly bitter - the flavors all meld nicely. Then vanilla, toffee, and a woody sweetness. Minimal hop bitterness, and only near the swallow do they show up. As it warms up, I do start to get a bit more sweetness - dark fruit and raisins.

M: Thick, heavy mouthfeel and body. Carbonation on the low side. Alcohol is quite noticeable, but honestly not as much as I expected for a 12% beer. I'm not sure how to rate the beer here...I'm certain that this is out of the listed style, but the ABV is as well - I think the beer is in an entirely different category, though I'm not sure what it would be.

O: Not really my favorite style of beer, but I'm digging this one. I was going to write that it was a sipper, especially with the high ABV - but the glass is already half-empty. Not a beer that I would go back to often, but it is solid. Recommended to try, and expand what you think a Brown Ale can be. I believe I may have a new favorite Brown...

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 00:10:50 | More by macrosmatic

ThaneMcC

Maryland

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: long neck bottle, poured into tulip glass

Appearance- deep dark brown bordering on black, fine effervescent with thin but persistent minimal foam

Smell: new leather, molasses, cocoa, brown sugar

Taste: so malty! sweet with complex medley of contrasting malty, smokey sweetness with just a hint of hops, clean finish with no significant aftertaste. You'll feel you lips about to stick together from all the sticky malty sweetness

Notes: overall a very complex, sweet and malty beverage - enjoyable sipper, aperitif or after dinner desert beer. tasty!

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 23:40:09 | More by ThaneMcC

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.41/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a super dark brown, basically black, with only a think layer of creamy caramel colored head. The foam fades fairly quickly, leaving only a thin ring along the edges of the glass.

S: The nose is nose is sweet of vanilla and oak, boozy, and with just a hint of cedar spice. Smells great.

T: It starts out sweet with malt, some milk chocolate and a bit of vanilla. The beer starts to show it's massive alcohol content, but it's hidden well beneath the other flavors. As it moves into the middle I get some cedar and more vanilla oak. The spice is cranked up a notch as is moves towards the finish. Really nice.

M: Full bodied beer. It's sweet and sticky to start, coats the palate, and lingers for days. The alcohol is a bit overwhelming and warming, but I kinda like it.

O: Delicious beer. I had this years ago and loved it. I still really enjoy this beer. It's not something you'd pick up every day, but it's damn delicious. In fact, I might grab a few more bottles and throw them in the cellar for a few years, because why not?

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 18:57:48 | More by trxxpaxxs

Durtdiggler

Illinois

4.46/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Big bold black thick pour into snifter glass. Massive white head alot of lacing.

Aroma extremely complex with bourbon, molasses, vanilla and dried cherrie. Big bold malty backbone.

The taste is very similar. The flavor and complex as described in the aroma. A bit boozy but not syrupy. If it cellared I bet it would smooth out but tastes awesome as is. Sweet brown ale malt. Don't think I can do justice to describe how complex the beer is.

Mouth feel is medium big. Drinks slowly as it should be.

Buy a 4 pack, drink 1 and cellar the rest. This is an outstanding beer. Definition of a complex American style barley wine. Very unique.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 02:18:53 | More by Durtdiggler

RenownedHack

Kentucky

4.36/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Samuel Smith pint glass.

A: Pour is a nearly opaque and deep brown, a finger and a half of taupe, foamy head that is slow to dissipate.

S: Very pleasant notes of wood, sweet malts - kind of brings to mind woody...cappucino, almost with the sweetness and the coffee intermingling.

T: Very interesting flavor, very powerful wood especially in the finish. There's a booziness here that tingles the tongue - although at 12% ABV, that is certainly to be expected. The sweetness of caramel, vanilla notes, and alcohol shine at first, but wood comes up big in the finish. Exceptional balance of the flavors.

M: Medium to heavy, with light carbonation and a nice bit lingering on the palate. Very pleasant.

O: Very pleasant to sip on, nice appearance, and a good bit of flavor. This is a brew I'd certainly return to, and it's quite satisfying as brown ales go.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 02:15:40 | More by RenownedHack

Lognar

Illinois

4.51/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Pours a thick dark brown, a finger of dense mocha foam.

Malt sweetness and a bit of bitterness, along with a woody/sawdust aroma from the Palo Santo wood. Very pleasant nose on this one.

Really unique. Sweet bready malt. Balanced bitterness. Creamy caramel and vanilla. Earthly, woody dryness on the finish. A bit of boozy heat comes on the finish as well, but it is quite pleasant. The Palo Santo wood adds a really unique, dry, sweet, bitter, nutty characteristic.

Medium to thick body. Very creamy.

Easily the best brown ale I've had. The Palo Santo wood just adds to the brown ale characteristics. It tastes almost as if it is bourbon barrel aged because it's got the heat, the caramel and vanilla, and the woodiness. For 12% this one goes down very easy, dangerously easy.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 01:51:26 | More by Lognar

CesarLopes

Illinois

4.16/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured on a pint glass.

Really dark for a Brown Ale, leaning to a coffee black color, with some coffee aroma also. Comes out of the bottle beautifully thick and viscous, with a very thin head, but the right amount of carbonation overall. Definitively some taste caramel and vanilla. The bourbony taste of alcohol also comes out strong.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 02:10:48 | More by CesarLopes

jmendels

Michigan

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

For being a rich beer, this was incredibly smooth. It pours a smooth dark brown, with a small amount of lace on the glass There are smells of wood, toffee, caramel, and malt. The taste follows with a rich mouthfeel, yet it does not coat the mouth. Many flavors present themselves, but in such a well balanced manner. This is certainly one of the best Brown Ales I've tried and is a testament to the talent of the Dogfish Head brewery.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 21:03:31 | More by jmendels

atr2605

New York

4.23/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-pours black with a small tan head that lingers and leaves a nice lace around the glass.
S-vanilla, caramel, wood comes through very nicely
T-Palate is dominated by the caramel and vanilla characteristics, with the wood coming through softly in the finish
M-full bodied and silky.
O-really really nice beer. Definitely alot going on. Thinking about picking up another bottle to age.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 00:45:42 | More by atr2605