Urkontinent - Dogfish Head Brewery

jgammoniv

Maine

1.45/5  rDev -63%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.25

Poured a flat brown with little to no head.
Sweet chicory and light black tea flavor.
Spicy finish with a cloying clingy film left over on the finish.
This is a perfect example of when a beer ceases to be a beer due to the degree of added ingredients.
This "beer" is barely drinkable, i forced down 8 oz, the rest will be used in cooking.
Even after cleansing my palette with an extra trappist beer, i still have a cloying film lingering from this awful beer. i wish i could give negative ratings.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 01:44:29 | More by jgammoniv

rudzud

Massachusetts

2.1/5  rDev -46.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Picked up a bottle of this at Julio's. Poured into a Duvel tulip, reviewed from notes.

A - Pours a clear deep brown garnet hue with a nice one finger fizzy creamy head that fades to leave a fizzy mocha blanket. Average at best.

S - Ehh..whats going on here? Smells like cereal malts and roasted meh. I mean, seriously, Pretty Things X Ale 1945 smelled better than this.

T - I laugh as I write this, my friend said it best...this tastes like an old, dirty kvass. Again, not sure what went wrong here. Bad batch perhaps?

M - Mouthfeel was relatively thin for the style. Yeah.

O - wtf. Completely baffled by this beer. Not sure how it happened but this was absolute garbage. One of the worst beers I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 21:04:00 | More by rudzud

mactrail

California

2.63/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.25

Pours a sienna brown color in the Bellegems Bruin tall glass. Nicely foamy and plenty of spritz on the tongue. Is that fingernail polish I smell? Very odd phenolic odor.

Tastes so earthy, I'd say it's more like dirt. Think of how wet, mildewy wood smells. Now imagine how it would taste in a beer. The flavors lurch around and vanish, leaving the taste of cheap root beer with a bitterish edge. I taste old beets, buckwheat honey, nut shells, and some kind of hard candy. I don't know how this could be called a Dubbel, but if it has to be rated that way the competition is a little overwhelming.

Maybe after having spent $15 for this people have a need to like it. I have an need to try one more half glass tomorrow before I feed it to the African daisies. From the DF-branded 500 ml capped bottle bought at Liticker's in San Diego.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 03:42:11 | More by mactrail

n2185

North Carolina

3.03/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours brown with a finger of beige head that fades into a thin ring with no lacing.

S: Spices up front with candy sugar, bubblegum, and some sweet fruity aromas. There's a licorice-like quality to the nose as well before a finish of sweet breads.

T: Spices up front here as well with a small candy sugar presence before hearty, spicy bread flavors kick in. The finish is bready with a slight alcohol presence.

M: Medium body with lowish carbonation, this beer is a bit under-carbonated and under-attenuated.

O: An interesting beer, overall. Not bad, but not particularly good, either. I'd like a bit more depth all around with a lighter body.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 14:50:02 | More by n2185

mattboyer182

Indiana

3.35/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - poured into a snifter and is a very dark brown blackish color with no head.

S - the first thing I smell is smokiness. There a certainly subtle rich malts and coffee.

T - smokey up front with big rich chocolate taste in the end.

M - medium bodied and heavily carbonated.

O - way too salty for my taste. And too carbonated.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2011 02:14:09 | More by mattboyer182

cfrances33

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 mL Bottle (labelled 2012A 08:3) poured into GI tulip.

Pour: Deep ruby brown with two and a half fingers of khaki head. Head eventually recedes to khaki rim will minimal lacing

Smell: Dark Fruits (figs, raisons...) with some dark chocolate. Slight roast. Pretty underwhelming on the nose.

Taste: More dark fruits, some chocolate, little bit of Belgian spice.

Mouthfeel: Pretty watery for the style, slightest alcohol prickle as it warms.

Overall, a forgettable offering from DFH. Enjoyed it while drinking it, but won't get it again.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 18:17:19 | More by cfrances33

bradfordjohnson

Kentucky

3.4/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Medium brown head, clean body with no sediment, and a warm brown color.

Smell: Lots of things going on here...spices, roasty, lots of sweet smells coming off (chocolate, coffee, molasses).

Taste: Very smooth for a beer with so much going on in it. Sweet, malty, with a slight spice to it too (herb not pepper spice).

Mouthfeel: A little thin but pretty normal.

Overall: Pretty good, I could definitely drink more of this come fall! I haven't liked much of Dogfish Head's weird combinations of ingredients in the last 2 years but this one came together really well.

Serving type: 22oz bottle to pint glass

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 01:43:25 | More by bradfordjohnson

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3.41/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured this Belgian Dubbel from a bottle into a pint glass. This ale poured a dark reddish/brown color, produced a thick off white head, decent retention and left a decent amount of lacing on the glass. The aroma had a foundation of malted grain, Belgian yeast, honey and spice. . Full bodied, this ale had a malted grain base, chocolate malt and the distinct fruity Belgian yeast. Slightly sweet with a semi dry finish. Very interesting spice profile, this is probably where all of the exotic ingredients come into play. Dogfish kept with the "Pangea" theme and chose an ingredient from each continent. I had to use the Intertubes to figure out what the heck Waddleseed, Aramath, and Myrica Gale was.... Very nice Winter Warmer, nice session beer if you have a pal to share it with- The St. Charles Whisker Biscuit assisted me with this brute, and I am glad I had a helping hand. Big Beer at 8%- Glad I tried this one- not outstanding but for an experimental beer it makes for a nice session.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 17:12:09 | More by GossageBrewery

Naugros

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Well, here comes DFH again with a "hey, you know what would be cool to do?" beer. Dragging a bunch of ingredients from around the globe was already done with Pangaea, but they felt they needed to revisit it after discovering some more exotics spices, herbs and rocks they could toss into a brew kettle. Well, maybe not rocks, but I have no idea what half these ingredients are.

A pretty beer, with a tightly wound head starting big and tall and reducing to a quarter inch. It stays like that on top of a deep brown beer which is remarkably clear.

Earthy and woodsy bitterness with a touch of honey sweetness and medicinal herbs. This is evident in the nose and on the tongue. The taste is a little sweeter than the smell indicates with additional complexities in the form of carob and black cherries. The part of the taste that I really didn't like is that the medicinal herbs make a strong showing in the aftertaste.

I really do appreciate the way DFH blows past convention and I enjoy their forays into exotic flavors, but I really wish they'd get back to basics every now and then and deliver a standard style of beer and show us all that they can brew it better than most breweries. I know they can, but so do they so I guess they believe they have nothing to prove along that vein.

Perhaps if everyone would stop raving about EVERYTHING they put out just because they are who they are, we'd get something made with local ingredients and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 19:45:52 | More by Naugros

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I love this brewery, plus I greatly looked forward to this beer since it had a half dozen special ingredients I'd never tried before. But sorry folks, somehow it just held no magic for me. Maybe it was the sample or maybe it was me.

Poured a slow to emerge 1" beige head but which held for a long life. You can see during the pour this is a clear body but in masstone it's as dark as coffee or cola. I'm not getting much of any smell coming off it, not at any temperature or even after some was left in the bottom of the glass overnight. Strange. The taste is fine but it's kind of like a mild porter to me and had I not read the long list of special ingredients that's exactly what I'd have thought it was. I do get a little bit of the herbal aspect of it and that continues through a pretty long finish.

A well intentioned adventure which makes a great story but only a slightly better than average beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 11:28:51 | More by MoreThanWine

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750mL bottle poured into a chalice

A slightly muddy brown body with a tan two finger cap. Some lines of lace as it recedes. Some mahogany comes through around the edges as you hold it up to the light. The nose is of chocolate, figs, raisins, cherries, faint coffee, vanilla, and honey. A very sweet nose. On the palate, the sweetness is hidden a little better. Semi-sweet cocoa and dried fruit up front before a wave of sweet honey, caramel, cherries, and vanilla. The finish is some mild coffee grounds, roast, and dark chocolate. The roasty notes linger for a decent amount of time. On the lighter side of medium. The body seemed to lack a little heft for the style. Decent brew that I am glad to have tried, but I won't seek this one out again.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 17:35:59 | More by ColForbinBC

THECPJ

Delaware

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

Appearance: dark brown black with 1 finger head.

Smell: roast, sweet, caramel, malts, coffee,

Taste: dark fruits, caramel malts, chocolate

Mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body

Overall: interesting beer. something dogfish normally dont brew so glad I was around to give it a shot.

Cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2011 20:51:52 | More by THECPJ

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from tap into a chalice. Poured a massively dark brown with a half finger light tan head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. There was no lacing evident throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, banana, dark fruit, and wood. The flavor was of sweet malt, dark fruit, banana, fruit, and wood. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. I really like the idea behind this brew and why they decided to do it, but I really wasn’t overly impressed here. While it wasn’t impressive it still wasn’t that bad for the most part. It was fairly well balanced in both the aroma and flavor but completely failed to standout from other brews of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2012 13:06:08 | More by thagr81us

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: dark brown/hint of caramel,
cardinal shimmer body, trace khaki
average lacing

S: light malt, chocolate, mild cherry

T: light roasted nut, malt, chocolate, hint
of sweet ripe fruit finish

M: med/light body, big bubbly/smooth body

O: Love Dogfish Head, but don't know what
to make of this brew. Nice tasting, but think
it is all over the place.

GOOD, WORTH GRABBING!

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 20:58:58 | More by BeerLover99

mckenziac

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a Chimay chalice.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown color with reddish hues. What little head it has dissipates quickly leaving a kind of dull, flat look. A little disappointing, but I'm willing to overlook it if the taste is up to par.

Smell: Smooth, malty smell with that distinctive Belgian edge to it. Has a definite sweet smell to it, reminiscent of honey, which is one of the myriad ingredients listed on the label.

Taste: Very sweet and slightly bitter up front. Finishes sweet with a heavy dose of Belgian yeastiness. Finishes with a bit of a raw cocoa flavor and something sort of tea-like. I'm not really sure what wattle seed, amaranth, rooibos, and myrica gale taste like, so I'm assuming that all of these are in there somewhere.

Mouthfeel: Well-carbonated with a nice body to it. The lack of a decent head still bothers me a little, however.

Overall: I have to say that I'm a little disappointed with this beer. Given Dogfish Head's track record and the intriguing list of ingredients, I guess I was expecting something a little more...unique. What I got is what tastes like a pretty standard Belgian dubbel. There's nothing really wrong with it; I guess I was just expecting more, especially given the price ($16.00 for a 750 ml).

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 01:24:32 | More by mckenziac

kylehay2004

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: single finger head on a marroon and amber cloudy body.

S: sweet dark fruit mostly strawberry with dark chocolate and nutty notes.

T: bready toasted and caramel malt backbone. Chocolate, nuts, Some dark fruit esters and nice yeast presence.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: the description of this one is much more complicated than it actually is. A nice beer but the subtleties are easily missed.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2012 03:01:31 | More by kylehay2004

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I poured this from a 22oz bottle, into a pint glass. It has a very dark, rich black color body with a small tan head that hangs out for a minute till it goes to a thin lace around the edge. The smell is of roasted chocolate and some dark fruits. The taste starts off as with dark fruits and roasted malt, then on the back of the tongue, the chocolate comes into play and as it warms ups it seems to get a little sweeter. The mouthfeel is good, goes down easy and overall thsi is a good dubbel, i wouldn't run out for another one but one once in a while is good for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 02:32:30 | More by chefhatt

mdaschaf

Washington

3.55/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at DFH in Rehoboth.

A: The beer was dark brown with a tan one finger head on top. Decent head retention, reducing to nothing at all within a few minutes, just a ring around the outer edge. Very few bits of lacing.

S: Had a slight medicinal smell to it. Underneath there was a little bit of cherry and light coffee. As it warms the medicinal aroma fades a bit and there is a heavier roasty aroma.

T: Some roasted malt, cherries, a little bit of cocoa, and some molasses. Slight alcohol presence.

M: Medium to full bodied with low carbonation giving it a smooth feel.

O: Pretty good beer. Would give another go at the brewpub.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2011 19:54:34 | More by mdaschaf

jzauder

Florida

3.55/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appeared black w/ brown/reddish edges. Little carbonation. Strong chocolate aroma with lots of malt.

The taste had kind of a tanginess to it, but also some banana notes. You get some alcohol warming, but not so much to overwhelm. Some carbonation at end. I didn't get any of the honey flavor that the label mentioned. Thick mouthfeel, very pleasant

Sometimes, I think that Dogfish can get a little too crazy with putting many complex ingredients in one beer. I certainly admire their ambition and wish other breweries were this adventurous. However, I had never heard of, much less tried, several of the ingredients (wattleseed?) so I wasn't sure what to expect. At least with World Wide Stout, there's a good story behind all the crazy ingredients. Perhaps the beer would be better if they just had one unique ingredient that we could focus on. It's a good beer, but I feel like there are other dubbels that keep it simple and are just as good.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 14:36:30 | More by jzauder

marlinsfan4

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Max's in Baltimore. Pours a nice dark brown, nutty and chocolatey smell. Decent mouthfeel, taste is interesting to say the least. When you don't know half the ingredients it's hard to really put a finger on what you're tasting. Definitely a unique one, but as for well balanced I'm not too sure. Very low IBU with 14, and was a bit flat for me. Kind of odd finish too. I appreciate DFH and it's a beer worth trying, but didn't seem to strike a chord with me.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2012 16:10:33 | More by marlinsfan4

WesWes

New York

3.58/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a dark ruby red/brown color with a thick frothy off-white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a dry, boosey scent that boasts of pale and crystal malts along with a good deal of spices and of course the Belgian style yeast esters. The honey adds some added dryness and alcohol warmth. The taste is decent as well. As a stand alone Dubbel it has the correct malt character and yeast fruitiness. The spices add an almost medicinal twist to the flavor which doesn't really do it for me. Yes, it compliments the alcohol warmth and yeast character, but I could definitely use less spice presence. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate/good carbonation. This is a unique beer with exceptional back stories, but I'm not inclined to buy this one again.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 15:58:29 | More by WesWes

davey101

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle into a DFH signature glass. 2012A.

A - Pours a dark brown body. Lets some light through with a red tinge. One finger light tan head. Settles into a small cap with thick edging. Solid lacing and retention.

S - I'm not familiar with ANY of these ingredients. So I guess the notes I'm picking up are somewhat novice and pedestrian...large roasty notes. I'm picking up hazelnut, bittersweet chocolate, sweetened coffee, caramel, and some dark fruits. Earthy and grainy finish.

T - Same as the nose. Roasty with hazelnut, bread, dark fruits, coffee, caramel, and an earthy and slightly bitter finish. Taste is somewhat dubbel like, but with a really peculiar twist. Each ingredient is faint and subtle, but there is a lot of ingredients vying for attention and it doesn't meld together very gracefully. Alcohol becomes present as it warms up. The weakest link is the mouth feel, somewhat thin and lacking in body. Carbonation also seems a bit low.

O - Another unique and interesting beer. It is enjoyable though.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 03:24:32 | More by davey101

dfillius

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass
A: Gentle pour yields 2/3 finger of light tan head with fair to good retention. Deep crimson crystal clear liquid is gorgeous. Better head retention please.
S: Caramel, honey, red and white wine. Coffee, chocolate, rooibos in the background. A tad too sweet smelling in a dusty necco wafer way.
T: Interesting. Another unique one from DFH. Odd bitterness in the finish, maybe from the rooibos. Kind of harsh actually in a metallic way. Opens sweet. Are there any hops in this one? Interesting herbal tang in the middle is countered by a caramelized sugar, maybe the toasted amaranth.
M: Full and chewy with substantial bitterness in the finish that is decidedly not hoppy. A bit cloying.
O: Unlike any other beer I've had. Elements of a brown ale, maybe even a braggot. I wouldn't order another and won't buy again. I wish I could share the 22oz bottle! Is this related to Pangaea, like is there a supercontinent line of beers they are releasing? Next up Gondwanaland!

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 17:27:18 | More by dfillius

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an Olde Hickory glass on 12/17/12

Bottled in 2012B

The beer has a dull sorghum brown. In the glass it has a much darker hue - stained mahogany and tobacco. Two finger head fizzes out after several minutes leaving thin washes of foam. Basically no lace.

The aroma reminds me of spunky American brown ales: toasted dark bread, and earthy and nutty tones. Of course, there are some Dogfishy smells in here: cola, herbal root and sweet pollen. Suggestions of chocolate-covered coffee beans. Maybe a dusting of pine.

The flavor is similar in terms of the brown ale thing; lots of dark bread - toasty and spiced. The Dogfishiness isn't quite as strong as the aroma. Mild herbs. Moderate sweetness that builds over time. The finish dries up pretty well. Rather sugary after several hours The alcohol is hidden well.

The body is on the high side of medium, underpinned by some mild bready grit. Carbonation is ample at the onset, but dies off to a much more comfortable feel. It also has the rare kind of coating finish that is actually enjoyable.

Kind of strange, but I don't mind it at all. It certainly isn't as over-the-top as I was expecting. I would drink it again, but wouldn't go out of my way for a bottle. Worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 06:15:23 | More by Ryan011235

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a Duvel tulip

A- pours black with a two finger slightly offwhite head...too light to call it tan, too dark to call it white. So, split the difference.

S- sweet brown sugar, a little bit of spiciness...hey, not bad!

T- lots of sweet brown sugar flavor coming through...a little bit of rye-style spice in the back end. I have no idea what most of the ingredients listed on the bottle are, so I can't comment on whether or not they come through well or not. I think it's overly sweet, though

M- body is relatively thin

O- interesting idea, but I think this one was trying to be different just for the hell of it. Can't recall having a Belgian-inspired brew from Dogfish, and I don't think I'd have another

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 01:01:45 | More by bigfnjoe