Faithfull Ale - Dogfish Head Brewery

Halcyondays

California

2.98/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

On-tap at Beachwood II,

A: Pours a relatively clear straw yellow to goldenrod, with a light white head leaving some lace.

S: Bready malt, some yeasty notes, apple with a hint of currants.

T: Malt and yellow apples. The currants are noticable adding a hint of jam, but the overall flavour is dominated by the yeast and malt character.

M: Medium-bodied, crisp, a little too powerful carbonation. Off-dry.

O: I was a tad disappointed in this. I really wanted the currants to play a lot more of a part in the overall character of the beer. I got an OK pale ale with a bit of astringent fruit.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2012 23:20:50 | More by Halcyondays

ehammond1

California

3.75/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On Tap

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Clear golden, small white head, that doesn't leave much behind in the way of stick. This appears rather ordinary.

Bread, yeast, and very mild, interesting funk are present, along with the sweet, juicy aroma of black currants. Mild overall, but pleasant.

The flavor is quite nice, and the fruit is able to shine through, as there is hardly much bitterness to get in the way. There's also some grass and bread and a very mild, farmhouse funk.

Medium bodied with high carbonation. Crisp and drinkable.

Much better than I was anticipating.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2012 17:53:00 | More by ehammond1

Spider889

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Unfiltered straw color with a tall creamy white head, very nice lace.

Smells like a muted Belgian Ale, the typical spice/pepper replaced with saffron and clove.

Tastes of honey, pilsner malts, with a juicy quality though it is not precisely fruity.

Soft elegant mouthfeel.

Overall much better than the band imo.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2012 05:45:54 | More by Spider889

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazed golden yellow, plume of white frothy head, little retention and lacing. Scent is meek and mild with light hints of fresh and musty hay, as it warms, notes of sweet watery fruit come through along with moderate spice and faint bready yeast. Taste more fruit forward than scent dictates, and even though i know currants are used, I get more sweet watery fruit and light berry notes. Earthy dried hay, light bit of funkiness, moderate spice and some bready yeast. Medium bodied, bubbly and a touch on the dry side. Overall, not too bold or complex but lightly refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2012 18:01:27 | More by rfgetz

barczar

Kentucky

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

Pours a slightly hazy dark straw color with a moderate, dense white head that dissipates slowly, leaving lace.

Aroma is sweet, corny grain with a fairly dominant grape like fruitiness. There's a hint of belgian yeast esters.

Flavor is allover the board. Almost cloyingly sweet corny malt forms the backbone, with strong currant tartness providing contrast, leading to a somewhat bland, dry finish. Belgian esters are fairly masked by lemon.

Body is on the light side with a fairly high level of carbonation. There's significant alcohol warmth at the finish.

Overall, the fruit additions mask the belgian yeast character too much for my liking. Not one I'm likely to try again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2012 22:26:04 | More by barczar

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.15/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured on-tap and served in a tumbler pint, the beer is a bright, cyrstal clear, honey-gold coloring with a very light, foamy head of about an inch that settles out quickly once you begin drinking. Aromas of toasted cereal and extremely subtle currant sweetness. That grape/currant character swings heavier in the palate, with a solid, slightly sour profile along side the toasty grain backbone and a touch of honey at the end of the palate. The aftertaste is roasty and toasty, but not much else. This helps keep it clean, with a smooth, slightly lingering finish that leaves a touch of fruit behind for a bit. Very decent beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2012 17:33:35 | More by GarthDanielson

alexkeil

New York

3.2/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I like the story of how this beer came to be: DFH asked Pearl Jam what they usually drink and the answers they got back were cheap mexican beer and sweet pinot nior. What do you do with that? I was always confused how a belgian golden with currants would represent Pearl Jam, I would expect something with aggressive hops, but the backstory helps.

This is a nicely made beer with a nice creamy mouthfeel and a refreshing quality from the nice belgian malts and sweet fruit. Its very drinkable and doesn't seem like 7% abv which is a compliment.

The price tag on this one, and availablity, do not make it a frequent drinker but I'm glad I tried it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2012 11:51:35 | More by alexkeil

devinoconnor

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Was extremely excited to finally get my paws on the DFH Faithful. Honoring the 20th anniversary of Pearl Jam's 10 album, this beer is pretty darn good, though not nearly in the iconic league that of the album. Haha.

Not a big Belgian beer fan, but this one exceeded my expectations. Pours golden orange with a nice frothy head. Heffeweizen-like nose, a little fruity and little hops.

Smooth and well-balanced, and easy-drinking. Was surprised to find its lower rating on BA. Above average.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2012 20:54:35 | More by devinoconnor

metter98

New York

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

A: The beer is crystal clear golden yellow in color and poured with a very thin off white head that quickly died down and left delicate lacing covering the surface.
S: There are light aromas of honey in the nose.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste is filled with flavors of honey, which make it taste like mead.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a bit winey on the palate with a light amount of carbonation.
O: This is a good sipping beer that masks its alcohol rather well.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2011 02:06:41 | More by metter98

bbeane

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Poured into an oversized snifter... Stars with a decent white head with little retention. Beer is a golden straw color with little activity

S- Bitter and earthy aroma. No sweetness to speak of. Almost smells more like a farmhouse than a belgian pale

T- Lots of pale, little belgian, and even less currants. Starts out with lots of bitterness followed by some light belgian candied sweetness and hints of currants. Some sort of spices present throughout

M- Light bodied with light/medium carbonation

O- Not very impressive by all means. The belgian and fruit aspects of the beer seemed so faint compared to that of hoppyness. I usually like DFH offerings, but this was one that got alot of undeserving hype

CHEERS

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2011 05:06:25 | More by bbeane

dmgnyc

New York

2.53/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Recently on tap at The Blind Tiger in NYC, needed to try because I'm a huge Pearl Jam fan, and generally a fan of DFH's more esoteric creations.

Pours an unimpressive clear yellow with minimal head and lacing. Doesn't smell like much of anything at all.

I recall this being billed as a fruit forward, Belgian Strong...designed to bridge the gap between the fruity bottles of Pinot Noir and the Mexcan lagers that Eddie V and the boys enjoy drinking. So why does it taste like Miller High Life? Goes down very easy for a 7%, but I fear I'd label this an American adjunct in a blind taste test. I don't get any currants or Belgian elements at all.

I realize that DFH's willingness to take risks often results in beers about which people will have varying opinions, but still not quite sure what DFH was thinking with this one. Marketing seems to have trumped quality control.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2011 15:36:35 | More by dmgnyc

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours a solid gold color with fairly decent head retention and light lacing. The nose is attractive, showcasing vanilla, light ginger ale and something of a cherry grape aroma. The flavor profile replicates the nose pretty closely in this moderately sweet beer, though there's a hint of hoppy bitternes in the finish. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, with a clean, slightly prickly, sweet finish.

While nothing extraordinary, I really don't understand some of the low scores for this beer. It's a tasty enough beer, and one I would definitely consider ordering again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2011 20:33:17 | More by johnmichaelsen

Naugros

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Wow, a lot of reviews today for this so I figured that a lot of people who were at the special tapping at the Cloverleaf Tavern in Caldwell, NJ had rushed home to review it, as I did. Nope, I'm the first from that event...the rest of the reviews were from bottles. Apparently, this beer is better on tap.

This was poured and walked to our table by our server in a small tulip glass. There was still a thick dense head with a tight bubble structure. It's light amber in color with a little bit of a haze.

The smell and taste are nearly identical with both having a nice Belgian yeast (not Brett) presence and the usual lighter malts used in Belgian pales. Currants appear with a touch of fruity bitterness in the background. That and the floral hops do a nice job of balancing the sweetness of the malts. That sweetness still leaves a bit of stickiness on the lips though.

First time I've had this and it does have that flavor that appears in a lot of their more push-the-envelope beers (like Pangaea) but the currants work with it.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2011 02:05:51 | More by Naugros

mdfb79

New York

3.48/5  rDev +3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From 11/19/11 notes. Was glad to see them making this as PJ is one of my favorite bands, though this particuliar song is way down on the list. Picked up a bottle of this a few weeks ago at Conn Ave Liquors but have yet to crack it. Was able to have it on tap at The Falls Church brewpub yesterday afternoon. Served in a tulip.

a - Pours a clear orange-yellow color with no real head at all and almost no carbonation. Looks pretty average.

s - Smells of wheat, lemon, earthy notes, light spices, grains, and light citrus. Lots of wheat and grain, but not bad.

t - Taste follows the nose pretty closely. Lots of wheat, grain, lemongrass, and light spice. Again, pretty nice.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Pretty easy to drink but would have liked a little more carbonation.

o - Overall a decent wheat beer. Lots of wheat and some lemon here, and pretty easy to drink, but not a ton going on and could have used some more carbonation. Unfortunately a mediocre beer (by a great brewery) named after a mediocre song (by a great band). Would have liked a great beer named after a great song though.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2011 01:18:25 | More by mdfb79

wedge

North Carolina

2.53/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

@ Busy Bee

Sparkling gold with a frothy white head. Pale, dry aroma...winey grape, currant, and light bread. Tart pale grape and sweet, crackery grains. Tart and very slightly phenolic with a bit of citrus in the finish. Light and slick. Not at all what I was expecting and fairly disappointing overall.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2011 00:35:48 | More by wedge

THECPJ

Delaware

4/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: golden yellow with a 1 finger white head

smell: currants, sweet, malts, belgian yeast

taste: some currants, sweet, belgian yeast, malts

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: decent beer glad I tried it. can't wait to compare bottle to draft.

Cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: on-tap
@ Dogfish Head Brewery, 6 Cannery Vlg, Milton

10-19-2011 15:38:02 | More by THECPJ

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.79/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

We pour a brew of rosy, brownish pumpkin coloring. It holds a one and a half finger tall head of soapy white bubbles, showing okay retention. Speckled lacing is left around the glass as it goes. A chill haze cuts clarity, while thick bands of sediment are noticed all throughout the liquid. Carbonation appears to be active. The aroma gives heavily pale malts, reminiscent more of your standard American Pale Ale, with thin hints of golden Belgian malts, mildly clovey phenols, wet wheatiness, and metallic yeastiness. With warmth the grain calms down quite a bit, giving room for orange flesh, apricot, and red cherry fruitiness, honey and vanilla icing sweetness, with slight grassy hops to balance on the back. Booze mixes to add bitterness, while the black currant sits subtly in the background giving flashes of tartness. Our first impression is that the flavoring is much more interestingly tart than expecting, with less of that sweeter “fruit beer”-ness to challenge. As we sip, bittered and chalky Belgian pale malts, soft Belgian yeastiness, gravel, lemon zest and orange peel bitterness, and soured black currant and raspberry bite start things off. Enhancing bitterness pulls us to the peak, where spice of coriander and clovey phenols meet with more bittered orange peel, lemon rind, vanilla cream, and honey syrups, much like a mildly sweeter, more soured Wit. Marking the transition to the finish are those currants, giving the bulk of their tartness here. To balance is additional bitterness of pilsner grain, juicy yeast, browned apple sweetness, those aromatic grassy hops, lemon and orange citric fleshiness, more vanilla buttercreaminess, and a final wash of cheaper metallic pale grain. The aftertaste breathes citric fruitiness, grassy and lightly herbal hoppiness, mildly adjuncty pale grain, metallics, sweaty wheatiness, lemon ice pops, spicy booze, and light buttery warmth. The body is medium, and the carbonation is on the high side. Each sip gives soft and nicely contributory slurp and smack, with fresh cream and froth to the lip. The mouth is initially cooled and coated, but eventually pulled to a mildly astringent dryness and pucker along the lines of the hard palate. The abv is appropriate, and the beer drinks easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was the flavoring. The nose actually started out a bit cheap, with the grain taking on a pseudo-adjuncty feel. This thankfully faded with warmth, giving more genuine grain, fruit, and sweetness. With the inclusions of the black currants we were expecting a much more fruity beer, but instead were delivered something much more akin to a sour when it comes right down to it. This is not to say that this was a wild/sour, but the tartness of the fruit took us off guard. To note we are drinking a Batch 1, November 2011 bottling, so the sweetness has had time to settle, with the grain coming much further to the front. With warmth this beer gets better, remaining dynamic and something unique for the brewery.

Serving type: bottle
@ Dogfish Head Brewery, 6 Cannery Vlg, Milton

05-04-2013 01:55:53 | More by TheBrewo

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.76/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

2011 bottle:

Poured into 2 wine snifters (stemless) closest thing I could find at my dad`s house:

A: somewhat hazy golden yellow body with a finger`s worth of white foamy head that died within thirty seconds, some yeasty looking sediment floats around for a bit and then settles after about a minute, moderate yet foamy lacing clings and then spiderwebs and then slides after a good five minutes

S: spicy through the currants, becomes slightly sweet as it warms - slight apple perhaps

T: spicy yet sweet, becomes balanced between the two - more so as it warms

M: medium, somewhat sessionable, sharp carbonation but acceptable for the style

O: I say this is good for the style, and good for me

Serving type: bottle
@ Dogfish Head Brewery, 6 Cannery Vlg, Milton

04-29-2013 22:20:13 | More by kangarooAdam59

gillagorilla

Maryland

3.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle into a Chimay Chalice/Goblet (about a year and a half old)

A: A quite cloudy golden brown with a light head.

S: Smells like a "standard" beer to me since I mainly drink stouts, barleywines and ipas. There is a slight sweet/tart smell. Mainly malt smells.

T: It goes down very easily and the taste is very mellow. I get very little fruit notes but they have probably died down by now.

M: Very smooth with very little carbonation in the mouth.

O: This would probably have been much better fresh; however, I don't know the style very well but it tastes decent. I bought this because it was a DFH brew that I hadn't had yet. I was surprised to find it. Today was a bad day for beer but this was probably the best of the night.

Serving type: bottle
@ Dogfish Head Brewery, 6 Cannery Vlg, Milton

04-03-2013 05:00:31 | More by gillagorilla

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

3.66/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle poured into a New Belgium globe. This bottle is about a year and a half old at the time of consumption.

A: Pours a hazy golden-orange. Bone white head settles very quickly. Lacing is small and spotty.

S: Very juicy on the nose with fruit forward aromas of currant and ripe raspberries. Undercurrent of musty and chalky yeast. Malt scents of shortbread, pie crust, and a slight hint of toast. Pineapple esters and a ghostly trace of alcohol.

T: Strong but even pull of currant throughout. Very mild balancing hop presence comes through with a subtle oily and herbal taste. Light clovey phenol spike. Gentle touch of peppery alcohol. Yeasty chalk and must far in the background. Malts are reminiscent of pie crust, shortbread, and toast. Short, forgettable finish of currant juice, pale malts, and a ghostly alcohol presence.

M: Medium-thick body. Somewhat firm and creamy, very smooth. Low carbonation. Light tickling alcohol warmth.

O: The nose is very fruit-forward and sweet, but thankfully Faithfull Ale shows more balance in taste. The Belgian aspects of it are very downplayed, as the yeast takes a passive role. Complexity suffers as a result, and it feels a little dumbed-down. A decent beer in the end, though Dogfish Head perhaps played this one a little more safely than they should have.

Serving type: bottle
@ Dogfish Head Brewery, 6 Cannery Vlg, Milton

04-02-2013 01:18:11 | More by ryan1788a5

SaCkErZ9

Florida

2.99/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

Like many others of you out there, Pearl Jam is my favorite all-time band. So naturally, when I saw this, I bought one for my tummy and one for my cellar. Purchased this from an "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" in Florida. Lets hope this one isn't "Wasted" and it is "Alive" with flavor. I am enjoying this on my "Porch" on a cool winter day of 72F.

Pours clear and a very dark straw color, with tiny tiny hints of "Black" and tan "Corduroy" colors present in the head. The head "Yields" quickly and retreats into "Thin Air" on top of the beer. The beer is served into a Chimay goblet so bubbles race to the top and resemble "Bugs" scurrying for food.

The aroma is "Nothing as it Seems" because there is limited Belgian qualities to this one. Some coriander, definite yeast aromas, some alcohol, a malt liquor type aroma. The aroma is surely "Insignificant" in the realm of things, and I "Soon Forget" I am drinking a Belgian beer. Thin body and kind of sticky on the tongue.

"Sometimes" we build beers up to be bigger than they should be. Perhaps I have done that here. With all of the "Oceans" of other beers out there, this one did not make me "Smile", but instead proved my "Dissidence" is expected. I will keep one in the cellar and check the "Rearview Mirror" in a couple months to see if things have changed. Maybe my "Daughters" would like this one, but not me.

Serving type: bottle
@ Dogfish Head Brewery, 6 Cannery Vlg, Milton

02-01-2013 21:24:26 | More by SaCkErZ9

negroobserver

New York

3.76/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured out of the bottle in a Duvel Tulip Glass.

Appearance... Light orange/yellow color. Hazy. Pours with large thick bubbles which settle around the ends of the glass and linger for quite a bit of time. Light lacing on the glass.

Smell... Light Vanilla. Sweet

Taste... Light/Medium Sweetness. Light fruity aroma, although it's not pronounced enough to recognize easily. Those two aspects shine at the front end, but then fall flat a bit. There is light sweetness at the back end. Little or no bitterness here, so the hops are not really shining here.

Mouthfeel... good body. not too thin or thick, however, I wish there was a bit more going on here.

Overall... Dogfish has done PJ justice. Not sure how Currants (or beer) relate to Pearl Jam, but they certainly work well in the beer. It's easy and enjoyable to drink. Would make a great drink for a warm summer night.

FINAL SCORE = A-/B+

Serving type: bottle
@ Dogfish Head Brewery, 6 Cannery Vlg, Milton

01-28-2013 02:26:07 | More by negroobserver

Immortale25

Florida

3.44/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Due South Brewing Co. snifter. Bottleneck says Bottled in 2011 ‘03 1.

A- Pours a medium golden color with a ½ inch white head that bears little retention time before fading away to a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a small web of surface foam. Decent ring of lacing adheres to the glass.

S- Clean, white wine type of aroma with some sweetness and alcohol. Hardly any hops detected. Slightly effervescent.

T- Sweet white grape juice flavor with some mild yeast and spiciness. Alcohol’s presence is subtle and complimentary. The currants give the flavor a green olive-like character but isn't incredibly noticeable. Very little malt and even less hops. Becomes less drinkable as it warms.

M- Light body, medium-low carbonation and has a slick feel. A bit sharp from the alcohol and wine-like characteristics.

O- Not that it’s necessarily a bad beer, I’m just wondering when DFH is going to stop continuing to produce the same beer with a different label. It makes me want to do a side-by-side comparison of this, Midas Touch, Chateau Jiahu, Pangaea and Noble Rot to see what, if any, are the major differences between them because I hardly see any. Good thing I got this bottle practically for free.

Serving type: bottle
@ Dogfish Head Brewery, 6 Cannery Vlg, Milton

01-22-2013 01:59:45 | More by Immortale25

Chickenhawk9932

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Pours a golden orange with a frothy white head.

Smells of spicy fruit some slight banana & clove notes. Also a strong whiff of sweet bread.

Hits up front with currant then a bitter spice hop followed by zesty bread notes. This one is very complex and tasty lots of good flavor, but it doesn't quite come together the way in which my mouth would be pleased.

Serving type: bottle
@ Dogfish Head Brewery, 6 Cannery Vlg, Milton

01-09-2013 00:40:47 | More by Chickenhawk9932

BlurryVisi0n

New York

2.85/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a flute.

Appearance:: Slightly hazy light amber, medium bubbles on the body with.

Smell: Light lemon yeast, but fn light that makes you think where's the rest.

Taste: little sour, light yeast feels a little wheaty kind of like a hefeweizen meets pale ale.

Mouth: medium feels a little light.

Overall: not a bad brew but if your goal is to drink BSPAs this is one that might not fulfill your needs. I ain't knocking it but seriously we deserve better. Salud!

Serving type: bottle
@ Dogfish Head Brewery, 6 Cannery Vlg, Milton

12-30-2012 04:36:29 | More by BlurryVisi0n