Positive Contact - Dogfish Head Brewery

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Slightly cloudy golden straw color with a white head. Aroma has a nice Belgian character to it of banana, mild coriander spiciness, and yeast. Fruity apple character with a touch of grass and white pepper. The coriander and yeast are more pronounced on the palate. Light apple flavor, decently fruity. Banana, a bit of grass, bread, and a light herbaceous quality. Not bad, but kind of watery.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 20:26:23 | More by womencantsail

UCLABrewN84

California

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap for the Summer Beerfest at Far Bar in Los Angeles, CA.

Pours a slightly hazy gold with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, yeast, spices, and some fruity aromas. Taste is much the same with a very fruity flavor and the spice flavors coming through more on the aftertaste. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some nice fresh aromas and flavors that make it easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2012 04:56:17 | More by UCLABrewN84

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

With fruit flavors amplified, firmer body, dry crispness, and heightened spices to balance; this inquisitive ale only narrowly resembles the witbier style that influenced its overhaul. Yep, they dogfished it up pretty good!

Not all in all different from the appearance of standard witbiers, this imperialized version carries a firm hazy gold appearance with a thin creamy head that dissipated evenly to a film before residing as a lace around the glass. Light on lace, this is the only deviation from the look of Hoegaarden or Wittekerke.

Where the original aromas call for a apple ester complement, a stronger than normal note of dry cider steers from apple juice and favors the winy character to inform the already present bready wheat and spicy counterparts. Corriander (celery seed), oranges, tea-like dried herbs, dandilion, chamomile, and peppercorn round out the alluring scent with complexity and balance.

But there's no mistake in the sway in attitude that gives the flavors of Positive Contact its true identity. Big on fruit and spice, the balance of dry cider offers just enough sweetness and bread taste to keep the beer from becoming overly tart. Complements of coriander, fresh orange zest, herbal teas, and slight vegetation of pepper, grass, and and a tinge of soap that gives a mild perfumy sense.

Much drier than imperial versions usually give, this zesty and sprite ale offers much the same drinkability as softer and milder versions. Backed by a dry bread texture, the beer soon favors firm acidity of Zinfandel and prickling carbonation to carry the dryness toward a combined warmth of capsaicin and alcohol.

The overall effortless in drinkability of this imperial witbier is remarkably clean, refreshing and crisp despite its high alcohol values and the seemingly challenged spices and fruit added to the brew. But the premiere restraint of these additions give the finished beer added layers of complexity without disrupting the balance of the witbiers that we know and love. Those additions inform the usual taste but without quite being able to pinpoint its source. Putting those additions on the label takes much of the fun out of it for me.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2012 16:04:32 | More by BEERchitect

drabmuh

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the brew pub in Rehoboth beach, served in a shaker pint. Beer is yellow and mildly hazy, white head, large bubbles, no lacing, low retention.

Aroma is apple-y and grainy, smells like a witbier.

I guess I can taste some of the apples but not the cilantro or the chayenne pepper. It tastes like a witbier and a grainy witbier at that. not a favorite. Not a repeat.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2012 17:15:32 | More by drabmuh

metter98

New York

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is hazy pale yellow in color. It poured with a finger high off white head that died down and left a thin head covering the surface.
S: There are aromas of apple cider and wheat in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell, but also has notes of hefeweizen yeast and hints of herbs and spices.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: Considering its strength, this beer is rather easy to drink because the alcohol is well hidden from the taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 01:00:30 | More by metter98

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This poured out as a clear golden color with a white head on top. The smell of the beer has a touch of sweet and tart apple aromas to it with some spice notes in there too. The taste of the beer gives off the minimal tartness of the apple used with the mixture of spices added to give this brew some character. The mouthfeel was light and dry with a decent carbonation to it. Overall this beer wasn't much of a Witbier in my opinion but still was drinkable. I wouldn't mind having this one again someday.

Serving type: on-tap

02-06-2012 18:26:55 | More by Knapp85

Halcyondays

California

3.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle, found a lone bottle of this at the local Whole Foods,

A: Pours a clear goldenrod with a small white head, good retention and lace.

S: Cider apples with a lot of Bosc pear, yeasty with a hint of white pepper.

T: As with the nose, this beer has a lot of apple and pear upfront. Great finish when the cayenne really makes an appearance; it was a nice end to the beer.

M: Medium-bodied, frothy and soft carbonation.

O: A nice beer, I wish the cider had more effect aka New Glarus Apple Ale. But this is certainly a nice beer. The cost is a problem, but I did enjoy this effort.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 05:16:17 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: hazy orange in color with a short 1/2" head that falls slowly.

Smell: apples and a fruity sweetness are easily detectable.

Taste: mild wheat profile with a load of golden apples, some pear, and a pepper spice. Bitterness is mild overall.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Crisp from start to finish with dryness arriving late.

Overall: as the description said it is a bit cider like, and it certainly was. Mildy refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2012 19:50:54 | More by Gavage

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beautiful golden ale brought forth from a cider base of pressed Fuji apples, cilantro, cayenne, and roasted faro. Hazed just slightly glowing golden body with a bright white head, forms fine lacing around the sides of my glass. Aroma has tart apples freshly sliced in the forefront with hints of herbal spice with a peppery cayenne kick in the nares....really complex well brewed offering from one of my favorite brewers and rappers Dan the Automator aka Deltron 3030 aka Del the Funky Homosapien. No overt sweetness on the palate just tasty sliced apples, spicy cayenne and cilantro interplay, a nice mix of flavors bready yeast biscuit malt and cracker dough added to the spectrum. Nares are lightly kissed with the spice additions of the cayenne and cilantro, a really well done carbonation level effervescent fine ale carries the beer just right across my palate. It works really well for me, the type of beer I can drink by myself, with friends, or with food it's a triple threat great tasting complex and drinkable you can't hate on that. Toward the end I paired it with a spicy Nicaraguan cigar Ortega Wild Bunch series #4 Tony the Boss Churchill great spicy smoke leather in the tobacco pairs well with the spice and light apple sweetness, I'm diggin' the combo it works together so nicely.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 23:22:15 | More by WVbeergeek

Jason

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml brown bottle with no freshness date

LOOK: Bright yellow color, tiny bubble head, great lacing

SMELL: Asian pear, earthy, grassy, crackers, cider, alcohol, mild spice, Chinese parsley

TASTE: Smooth, slightly bitter, grainy, cider twang, spicy, warming alcohol, lemongrass, rose water, fresh biscuits, very dry finish

Very drinkable, careful now! So many layers to this brew, you think you've tasted it all until you take your next sip and then it peels away another flavor or goes back to one you tasted on your first sip. A lot of fun drinking this beer. Thanks DFH!!

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 01:49:21 | More by Jason

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Big creamy head nice lacing, semi hazy golden color.

Nose nice Belgian golden malts light herbal spices, hint of booze, hint of apple cider

Taste golden Belgian malts, hint of herbs and spices, light esters, light cider, coriander, just a hint of cilantro only when I want to find it, some warming booze. Finish is fairly bitter mostly herbs, a hint of cayenne comes through, light herbs and esters little sweet sticky.

Mouth is med to fuller bod decent carb.

Overall not bad, interesting flavors but a bit too much going on. The hint of cayenne at the back is a nice touch, but with so much else going on none of it really seems to go together perfectly either.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 00:21:37 | More by jlindros

mdfb79

New York

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 06/07/12 notes.

a - Pours a clear golden color with one inch of white head and low carbonation evident.

s - Smells of coriander, spice, smoke, fruity malts, citrus hops, green apples. Nice, but a little smokey. Was expecting more apples.

t - Tastes of green apples, sweet apples and fruity malts, floral notes, citrus hops, coriander, spices. A step up from the nose for me. Lots of apples which I liked.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Pretty easy to drink.

o - Overall a pretty nice beer. The nose is a little spicy and smokey but the taste is great and full of apples. Would like to have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2012 17:12:42 | More by mdfb79

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's yesterday.

The beer pours a solid gold with pretty good head retention and lacing. The nose is attractive enough, with honey, light clove, light coriandor and something of an apple/grape aroma. The flavor profile replicates the nose in this beer, except there's some nice hoppy bitterness in the finish that helps to counter and balance the modest sweetness. Mouthfeel is medium bodied at most, with a fairly long, spice and bitter finish. The alcohol is well integrated into the flavor profile, and frankly, this beer does not drink like a 9% abv. beer (more like around 6%, or 7% at the most).

Considering everything that went into this beer, I thought the flavor profile a bit simple and one dimensional (though enjoyable). Still a nice beer, but just not worth the price tag and hassle of obtaining (IMHO).

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2012 16:45:16 | More by johnmichaelsen

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.51/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at DFH, Rehoboth

Hazy, pale yellow pour, with a large cap of foamy white head that receded to a ringlet, leaving a few dots of lacing on the glass. Fairly typical wheat profile on the nose, with notes of apple and grape. Taste of toasted wheat, sweet apple cider, subtle grape and yeast flavors, herbal hops; I didn't really get any pepper characteristics at all. Light-medium body, decent overall, but not too memorable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2013 00:43:43 | More by Rifugium

Brad007

Vermont

3.7/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice bright gold with a fluffy white head into my glass. Hard to believe that it's an witbier due to the ingredients used.

Spicy, spritzy with strong apple overtones in the nose. I'm not digging the other ingredients in the nose.

There's certainly more diversity in the mouth with apple cider, cilantro and that touch of cayenne. Interesting flavor dynamics.

Mouthfeel is unlike a witbier as it's very tart and crisp. I'm not sure what they were aiming for here.

An interesting and original beer from Dogfish Head. Personally, fruit/vegetable beer would be a better style because this doesn't quite work as a witbier.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 06:14:24 | More by Brad007

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Shared by myself during BRoss242’s send-off party before he moves! Will miss you man! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured neon yellow with a half finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, apple cider, wheat, grain, and fruit. The flavor was of sweet malt, fruit, banana, apple, and wheat. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. Apple cider in a beer… Hmmm, this is a big bottle of Woodchuck. Wait, shit! This isn’t my Woodchuck Cider! But seriously, I’m not really sure how I feel about this one, but the rest of the beer helped to carry it through as a decent representative for the style. Not sure if I would drink this one again though and I really feel sorry for those who bought a case of these unless you only wanted the vinyl collection.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 11:31:09 | More by thagr81us

mactrail

California

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very beautiful beer in the tall Stella glass. White foam, loads of lacing, and a glowing golden amber color. Richly carbonated with a fine mouthfeel. Aroma of cider, herbs, and honey.

Seriously fruity, but the apples are nice. Sweeter than cider apples, but very perfumey. Some malt, I suppose, as this is apparently some sort of beer. The Belgian yeasty flavor rides in to save this from sweet silliness. Dry and just a little puckery. Tartness against the sugary fruit. Spicy.

There's a room at Dogfish Head where they roll the big dice. Comin' up cilantro! Apples! Cayenne! It is some kind of fruit punch mixed with V-8 juice from the 30th century, but I have to admit it is very tasty and intriguing. Once of the better DF concoctions.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 05:24:02 | More by mactrail

avalon07

South Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a golden yellow color and a clear texture. There was an inch of fairly long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A very spicy aroma, with hints of malt and yeast as well.

T: Tasted of spices (coriander, cilantro, etc.), apples, yeast, and a bit of malt. An incredibly vibrant flavor that takes the typical witbier style and extrapolates something interesting from it.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a somewhat slick finish. Medium-bodied.

O: One of the more interesting versions of a witbier I've tried recently. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 13:10:08 | More by avalon07

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Positive Contact
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Style: Witbier
ABV: 9.00 %

LOOK: Cloudy light golden color, white fluffy head forms and little lace. A bit earthier looking than a standard wit.

SMELL: Aromas of wheat malt, lemon, sweet cider, herbs and a hint of pepper noticeable as well. All in all some pretty interesting smells and actually is fairly inviting.

TASTE: In the taste, moderately wheaty, with some lemony citrus tones and wheat malt breadyness. There is a light herbal twang from the cilantro, and there is a small warming heat in the finish from the peppers, but not overstated. Alcohol is well hidden for the most part, and this is a tasty drink.

FEEL: Medium bodied, well carbonated, overall smoothness on the palate, but not watery.

OVERALL: A nice addition to the Dogfish Head lineup, this has an ancient ale feel, but mostly, its just a tasty beverage and definitely remains a beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 20:58:08 | More by Stinkypuss

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I appreciated being gifted with this by Tenderbranson69 -enjoyed with octopus87 poured into a cervoise chilled.

The color is lustrous golden with gentle haze and two fingers of white cream which provides a thick lace pattern and the bead is tiny. The smell is full of wheat with mild citrus zest tinge and fruity nose with slight spiced accent, the yeast provides a light ester alongside the herbal element in the aroma. The feel is good with tangy wheat and some yeast with mild carbonation and spice with pretty average feel for a double wit, not especially creamy, more cidery as it warms with hint of cayenne warmth as it increases in temp at the end.

The taste is a pretty enjoyable combination of wheat flavor with cider blend and the subtle vegetal herbal flavor comes out in tertiary with a taste of light alcohol and subtle pepper that augments the yeast flavor with mild cilantro adding the taste. The cider is pretty dry and harder to pick up to me with slight appleskin tannin which leads to the mild cayenne flavor with subtle heat on the palate. Overall a good beer, and interesting concept. I would have liked this better without the cider perhaps, it seems a little muted, but worth a try for sure as it stands apart as an original wheat.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 16:17:55 | More by Slatetank

kylehay2004

Florida

3.64/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: 1.5 finger head on a orange with golden hues clear body but with some floaters. Minimal lacing.

S: pear, lemon, orange peel, green apple, coriander.

T: fruit cocktail with apple and pear dominating. Pepper, herbs, caramel and hint of cilantro.

M: this one is very oily coating the palate with medium body and light to moderate carbonation.

Overall: definitely weird as expected. Reminded me a lot of cheap, packaged fruit cocktail with Belgian character. Glad stores decided to brake these 6 packs up despite the threats.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 02:24:14 | More by kylehay2004

nickfl

Florida

4.19/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours with half a finger of white foam on top of a clear, golden body with tiny particles floating in it.

S - Wheat, spicy yeast, red apple, pepper, and lots of thick malt.

T - White wine, black pepper, and clove up front. Some dense malt in the middle and a finish of anise and red apple.

M - Medium-thick body, moderately high carbonation, and a slightly sweet finish.

D - Not bad, it is a bit much at first but grows on me as I drink it and halfway through the glass it has become a spicy, fairly complex Belgian golden type beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 02:27:12 | More by nickfl

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.3/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle courtesy of suspect pours a hazed gold color with a large, stiff cap of white head. Good retention and lacing.

Nose is lots of coriander, soft wheat and honey. I can smell the cilantro if I try and the apples/cider make a sweet fruity appearance.

Taste is quite cidery with a mild yeasty wheat bite at the end. The pepper is pretty tame and I wouldnt have noticed it if I didnt know it was there...the cilantro is a bit of an enigma, as the flavors are incorporated nicely and I do get a bit of vegetal stem-y-ness. The coriander is omnipresent and is about the only thing holding this beer withinthe witbier category. Alcohol is a bit high and overall the beer is just kind of fruity/cidery. The flavors are pretty well integrated thoough and is an interesting pour. I am not a fan of the double-wit style, so take that for what its worth.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 19:06:31 | More by twiggamortis420

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A bottle into a DFH curved shaped pint glass. This one looks unassuming, but it is a foamer on glass contact.

Positive contact looks still in the bottle and pours in the glass a light golden straw color with bubbles. The foam rises a few fingaz so pour slow. A nice Belgian esque two fingaz of dense white foam with clinging power.

Smell is deep with cilantro and apple squirts. The wit bier character is not lost with wheat and some malty backing. I get more beer scent than cider tones besides the apple addition, this scent is more official though, besides mass produced ciders. Coriander makes a slight appearance, the alcohol is not really there.

I am glad DFH and company decided on a smaller type beer, even though this is 9%, it's no slouch. This drinks big, tastes big, and does not have a crazy body or sweetness. I can imagine this will become sweeter with time, so drink up.

Taste is ripe with Fuji apple bursting out with the cilantro addition. I don't get a lot of bread/biscuit, although some malt is present. A bit of wheat in the middle followed by some warming alcohol. Essentially an imperial wit with a lot of apple flavor, without the crisp bite of a regular cider. More on the beer side, which is a plus.

Feel is a nice medium, any more this may have been a chore to take down.Not a lot of alcohol intrusion, there is a warming quality. This beer is not bitter at all, hops don't really come into play, but I assume they are holding this one together as of now, because once they fade, this will get on the sweet side.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 03:45:52 | More by onix1agr

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.91/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a hazy pale golden yellow in color with some straw yellow highlights and light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall foamy white head that reduces to a mottled very thin film covering the entire surface of the beer with a couple of small thin patches and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of carbonation are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of wheat and apples fruitiness - there are some also light notes of cilantro and cinnamon. Light notes of banana and clove.

T: Upfront there is a light amount of wheat flavors with a moderate to strong flavor of apple cider with a touch of fruity sweetness. Next, you get some lighter notes of cilantro and cinnamon with just a touch of banana/clove. Very light notes of bitterness which fade almost immediately. Slightest hint of cayenne pepper towards the finish that becomes a little more noticeable as the beer warms up.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Moderate to strong amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: This beer is refreshing and easy to drink like others in the style, but the imperial nature of it makes the hidden alcohol all the more impressive. There is just a hint of hefeweizen, likely due to the yeast which contributes the very light notes of banana/cove.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 00:58:26 | More by dbrauneis