Burton Baton - Dogfish Head Brewery

budsboy

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Pours clear, reddish, with a small white head. The head that stays is a sticky, gooey oil slick on top. I love that.

Hints of oak are in there, I suppose, if you really want it to be. There is a mellow maltiness wafting up chased by a more potent floral hop aroma, with a hint of roasted bread, but just a hint. Inviting, although I expect more hop aroma than I got.

Oh, well. This is a bit of a disappointment. No, no, it's good. Really. It's just not of the holy-cow ilk. Sweet. Very sweet. Sugary malt dominates. A hint of berry-like tartness near the finish, and a shot of flowery hops towards the end. Well balanced. Complex and round and full. Alcohol is well hidden. But this is mild for a 2IPA. Don't expect big-shouldered American hop-head heaven. This is an all-grown-up, sophisticated, six-figure-income pale ale.

Smoooth with the extra "o." Full in the mouth. Heavy in the belly. Like pastry.

Not my style. Actually, 2IPA is my style, but not this one. Kind of makes my teeth hurt. Too sweet for me to enjoy more than one.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2005 18:43:29 | More by budsboy

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I am sampling a room temp bottle in a chalice. The beer pours a clear amber color with a small eggshell white surface layer of head developing. I get some caramel in the aroma mixing with a bit of toothpick/oak scents and sweet molasses as well. Surprisingly only a mild grassy hop presence. First sip reveals a bit of a syrupy texture with very fine and soft carbonation. Flavor is toffee, molasses and general sweetness with a bit of fruitiness as well.
Just a hint of alcohol on the finish. A very smooth beer for 10% abv. Quite nice, but dont open the bottle expecting a hop bomb!

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2005 06:04:01 | More by sulldaddy

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 0z bottle. Nice appearance with a hazy orange-ish body and a creamy dollop of white foam atop. The head retention is very good and it leaves some nice splotches of lace at the outset of the glass. Oddly enough, the Dogfish Head yeast is more prevalent in the nose than the hops are... odd, unless they were looking to show off some or the oak-aging. There's some wet-straw, a spoonful of sweet fruit, some nuttiness, a brush of woodiness, a touch of diacetyl, and a drip of honey. It's intriguing. The body is medium-full and dextrinous; and it slides so smoothly, almost oily across the palate with only a caress of very-fine bubbled carbonation on the tongue. The flavor mirrors the aroma with little more to offer than a mild vinous quality and a note of vanilla, but again, it's intriguing and engaging! The wood is clearly a massive part of this beer, and that alone deserves some attention as it's a great example of the type of flavors that the wood imparts, and it can even give you an idea of how these similar characteristics appear in in wine. On that same note, the 10% alcohol is apparent in the same way that it might be found in a fine wine. It's doesn't ever step from the wings but you always know it's there; and it plays a major role in the direct flavor and overall character of the beer. It appears in the finish once the dribble of juiciness runs off the palate, and it helps to dry things; but it's almost immediately backed by the drying, raspy nature of the wood. Tied together just a little more tightly, this could be a brilliant beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2005 03:41:34 | More by NeroFiddled

silenius

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

One of the better DFH beers in my opinion.

Pours a nice coppery color that is just a slight bit hazed. It must not be filtered. Head is short lived but any agitaion stirs up some more.

Smell is where it is at here. Nice malt/hop balance IMO. Hops smell more citrusy and flowery than piney. Almost perfume-like. My nose tells me there is something sweet in this brew as well.

Taste hits with a slightly citric tang that swoops into a roasty sweetness. Hop bitterness and light lemon-head candy flavors trade verses.

Mouthfeel is moderately thick with ample carbonation to keep things interesting.

Highly drinkable. It plays with a just a few notes, but does it very well.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2005 02:32:25 | More by silenius

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer poured into the glass a viscous dark golden amber with a slight haze and a frothy and tall off-white head which fell back slowly to coat the glass.

The aroma was strong with grassy hop aromas and plenty of oak character. Behind the floral, grassy, oak presence was a caramel maltiness hiding somewhere in the back waiting for a chance to emerge.

The flavor was less powerful that expected. The hop presence was citrusy and grassy, but muted by time and aging. The malts were merged with bittering to form a complexity not generally found in a freshly brewed beer. The fruitiness was well done and worked with the malt and bittering. The alcohol, while present, was not over the top and was well presented. The oak character from the aroma was present in the flavor, but well done and never overpowering.

The finish was just almost dry with lingering muted hop presence and deep maltiness that lasts plesantly long into the aftertaste. The body was medium full and only lessened by slight carbonation and the distinct alcohol presence. The alcohol mainly manifested itself in the warming after consumption.

12 ounce bottle. Kudos to Sam, great job!

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2005 22:26:23 | More by GCBrewingCo

rajendra82

Georgia

3.48/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Picked up in Florida, and brought with care to Atlanta by a fellow beer lover, this was the first of a pair of 12 oz. brown bottles I acquired.

When pored into a tulip, the body was glowing orange with a relatively small bone colored head. The aroma was grapefruit, vanilla, and rum soaked cherries, and could not be called really hoppy. The taste was quite unlike most Double IPAs I have sampled. Sweet and spicy with a bready maltyness, this one tasted more like a hopped up Trippel than a DIPA. Sticky and creamy in the mouth, the aftertaste was surprisingly short lived.

If mellowness and balance are your thing, you will like this beer. But if you are seeking an extreme hop bomb, be prepared to be disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2005 04:39:17 | More by rajendra82

santoslhalper

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearence: Pours a wonderful glowing orange with a fomay white head.

Smell: The smell is awesome. The hops are incredibly mixed with the woody character, and the alcohol rounds it out great.

Taste and Mouthfeel: Mmmmm. What a tasty tasty IPA. That's incredibly. The woody notes are huge, and really balance things out just right. Most DIPA's are overboard, but this one is well rounded, smooth, and creamy. Incredible tasting.

Drinkability and Overall: Easily the best DIPA I've had to date. The balance is incredible. It's almost unmatched. THis beer is so smooth and creamy, it just keeps you sipping. A simply stunning beer that's not for the weak of heart.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2005 00:47:05 | More by santoslhalper

crookedhalo

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle. Pours a lightly hazed orangy tea color with a fluffy beige head. Rich malty, nutty aroma with hints of woody, vinous hops that bear a blood orange-like citrusness. Wow, it's thick, yet maintains a nice estery, drier finish that is peppered with mellowed hops and a hint of butterscotchy oak barrel. It really has a nice mellow feel to it. The alcohol is almost completely hidden. A great accompaniment to a good cigar.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2005 00:12:45 | More by crookedhalo

Hibernator

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The latest creation from the impressive Dogfish Head brewery. A double IPA aged in wood barrels. Sounds great to me, can't wait to sip this one.

I had this out of a 12 oz brown bottle and served in a tulip glass. It pours a haze induced orange color with a great head on top that leaves trails of sticky lacings behind.

Floral aroma with juicy biscuits and ripe fruit in the nose.

Grainy oils and smoothness blend together vey well. Juicy oranges and oaky wood flavors. I love the signature DFH oily and resiny hop bite in this beer. What makes this beer so interesting and sets it apart from the 90 Minute IPA is the slightly sharp alcohol warmth and woody oak presence in the finish. Very nice.

Dangerously drinkable at 10% ABV. Another innovative and creative beer from the brewers at DFH. This beer is worth checking out if you enjoy imperial IPA's. The price may be a little much, but its so friggin tasty. You make the call.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2005 23:55:06 | More by Hibernator

twelvsies

Maine

3.2/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer didn't really blow me away. I was surprised, as Dogfish Head usually pushes the limits of brewing and makes some of my favorite beers. This however was a bit odd. And don't get me wrong, I generally like weird beers. Pours a fairly clear golden amber color with a bit of white head resting on top. Scent is very hoppy at first, all citrussy, but there's this strange scent that it's mixed with... oddly reminds me of catfood or tuna or something. Interesting, different, but not particularly appetizing. Taste was much the same. A bit sweet and not quite bitter enough for a double IPA. The aged flavor doesn't really work here with the mix. Average mouthfeel but something just isn't quite working with this beer. Seems like all the flavors clash rather than work with each other. I kind of got bored of drinking this one after a while. Maybe a little tweaking and this beer could be improved.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2005 19:17:18 | More by twelvsies

alexgash

Connecticut

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cool label. I think I may have overpaid for this. $6.45 a bottle at Downtown Liquors in Somerville. But hey, I had to buy it, because I knew it wouldn't be coming to Utah--ever.
Bright golden orange to copper body with a small, but prevalent, off-white/sand head. Decent lacing. Aromas of candied fruit (pineapple, mango, pear, etc.), cedar, alcohol, some caramel even, along with a healthy dose of resiny, pitchy hops. Very nice.
Tangy sweet fruit flavors up front. Malt develops some sweetish caramel roll flavors too, but the tangy, slightly acidic fruitiness stays there. Right before the hops come in, the palate turns oaky with some tannins. Interesting. Hops are resinous and spicy and provide an ample bitter burn. Alcohol is there, but isn't out of whack, it just adds to the complexity. Medium-full bodied; starts with a frothy, creamy-yet-bubbly mouthfeel, and then gets thicker in the finish. Worth $6.45, but sadly, this was my only bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2005 02:33:57 | More by alexgash

Fish113d

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pouring from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip glass, it pours a honey/amber color w/ 1 finger thick o spongy, slight tan head that clings to a glass like Sulldaddy to a fat-chick! Aroma is mostly citrus hops with some slight caramel tones. It even exudes a little biscuit aroma and just enough alcohol to tickle your nose. Taste is a sweet, citrus (grapefruit) flavor with a buttery feel up front. The finish is a little bit of biscuits along with some drying alcohol, which gives a little oak barrel flavor. The feel is a little oily and smooth with a bit of dryness on the finish. Lots of bellywarming from this one! A little sweet for my taste, and I expected a little more floral hops than it gave, but I have another and I want to age it for a year to see what happens! Very enjoyable! Just a well balanced, fun brew!

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2005 21:39:51 | More by Fish113d

TinusTime

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear amber with a great fluffy 2 finger white head that lasts. Aroma is a little floral, with some sweetness and a orange brulee scent. Its as if someone took a torch to an orange rind and caramelized the oils. Taste has the same citrus sweetness with a bit of citrus oil bitterness. There is just a slight woody note. Its if the 90 minute and the wood aged parts are fighting for the title. There is also a taste there that i cant find, but it is so deep and good maybe a bit of lemon tartness or is it more floral, or a combination? There is a nice bit of sweetness to counter act the hops. Mouthfeel has a touch of sticky sweet hop notes like a natural citrus candy. Well carbonated and very smooth. This is tip top drinkable. Not quite as great as the straight 90 minute in my mind as something is just a little different and less. Overall however this is a great beer. I hope they make more of this, maybe the price will drop then.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2005 03:05:20 | More by TinusTime

pentathlete

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a 12 oz into a goblet. Big beer, big glass. Dark orange and cloudy to boot. Foamy head finally gave way and left some drippy lacing on the glass. Hops and oak dominate the smell, just like the label says it should. Taste starts off smooth and malty with a flavor, probably from the wood, that has wine characteristics...is it tannins? My palate is not quite sophisticated enough (or rather my vocabulary) to name the flavor. Suffice it to say that it gives aways to some aggressive hoppiness and spicy alcohol. The alcohol bite reminds me of a good barley wine, the hoppiness reminds me of most of the IPAs from DFH. The carbonation while not necessarily visible is certainly present in the mouthfeel.

This beer could replace an old ale or barley wine as that special digestif. Break this out after desert and move to the living room for conversation. I guarantee that at least some of that conversation will be about this brew.

After my mind wrapped around the initial shock of the tastes, it settle down into quiet enjoyment. Excellent brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2005 01:24:54 | More by pentathlete

BierManVA

Virginia

3.1/5  rDev -26.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Perhaps I was expecting too much from this bier. Perhaps my palate is ruined tonight for some reason or maybe this bier spent time in the hot, bright place.

For whatever reason, I am not very impressed with this.

Nice dark amber, a little flat. Average at best around aroma, flavors are nondescript.

This bottle came as a gift from a friend who aquired them on the cheap...I hope his was better.

I will re-review this in the future in all fairness. I can not see DFH releasing something of this poor a quality.

John

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2005 00:02:04 | More by BierManVA

poundboy

Vermont

3.95/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Boy am I cheesy. The bros write articles about Curiuex and Burton Baton, so yesterday I reviewed Curiuex and today the Baton. Oh well, both are interesting beers and worth trying, at least once.

Appearance: from a 12oz glass. Pours a deep amber brown. Some floaties in the beer, perhaps from the oak aging or bottle conditioning. Tiny head, which lingers around the edge of the glass. Hey, what do you expect from a beer with this gravity?

Smell: Biscuity, doughy, with hints of citrus and perhaps the tinest bit of vanilla.

Taste. Wonderfully complex but it fatigued my pallette quite quickly. On my first sip I noticed hints of vanilla and other oak induced flavors, mixed with American hops. Quickly though, the hops wore my tongue out, and the malt characteristics began to dominate. This is a rather sweet beer, and much less of a hop attack than I expect from a double IPA, or even the 90 minute IPA which makes up half of this brew.

Mouthfeel.Thick, almost syrupy, very good.

Drinkability: wish it had a bit more hop character. For those who enjoy a strong oktoberfest though, you might love this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2005 20:56:34 | More by poundboy

pezoids

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bright orangey amber in color with a thin almond colored head. I noticed the beer is full of fine particulates or tiny suspended bubbles. The beer remains clear regardless. There is no kidding around when you take a whiff of this one. It is surely potent. Audaciously oaky with a warm alcohol spiciness. Resinous, nutty and sticky, inviting, no daring me to take a sip…
The taste is sweeter than I thought it would be. The body is lighter, too. This is not a real heavy drinking beer. It goes down pretty easy and finishes spicy, with a lingering alcohol bite that stays in the throat. As the beer warms, an intricate texture of caramelized slices of tannic bitternuttiness (new word) presents itself. Overall, I enjoyed the experience of drinking this beer. It was very interesting.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2005 02:27:28 | More by pezoids

SheepNutz

Kentucky

4.9/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12oz. bottle poured into a snifter. It pours a light copper color with one finger of head. There's a touch of lacing left on the glass. The smell is very unique. It has a lot of earthy aromas and a good amount of charred wood character. Tons of hoppiness as well. The taste is simply amazing. Sweet pale malt up front, with some caramel sweetness. Then it's taken over by wood flavors and a slight hint of orange peel. A nice hoppy finish rounds it out. Not a hint of alcohol in sight. The mouthfeel is very thick and heavy, yet smooth. The drinkability is murderous. A fantastic brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2005 01:26:08 | More by SheepNutz

jvajda

Ohio

5/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The broes enticing review had my mouth watering for this one. The beer has a great dark copper-red color and modest head. Immediately I smelled hops and fresh malt. Big grapefruit hop smell. Surprising amount of carbonation that on second taste seems appropriate. This beer really has a woody element to it that reminds me of hickory smoked barbeque. The 90 Minute IPA has always been one of my favorites, but this may be a hair better. It becomes lighter on the pallette when it warms and the hops really "blossom." I think this might be my first five! Definitely going to age a few of these.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2005 05:53:24 | More by jvajda

HogHill

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

First tried this one at the 2005 EBF, and then sought it out and picked up a single at Colonial in Acton, MA.

Poured a copper color with an off-white head. The aroma is comprised of hops combined with additional complexities that I can't quite put my nose on.

Taste is rich, probably the oak influencing that aspect., The DFH 90 minute portion of the blend isn't as noticeable as I would think. If this was a blind taste test, I'd probably think this was a barley wine. The hops are more present on the finish. Mouthfeel is good, I'd like to drink 2 of these in a session, but the high ABV and intense hoppy flavor would make it difficult to really appreciate any more.

I'd like to try a few more Burton Batons, but at $13 bucks a 4 pack, and it being a limited release, it may be a while..

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2005 03:17:10 | More by HogHill

xgrigorix

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Twelve ounce brown bottle, no dates.

Slightly cloudy. Medium amber colour. Thin off white head leaves sheets of lace behind. Quite striking.

Aromas of lemon pith & orange. Along with some subtle pine.

Woody & lemony. Good balance. Somewhat heavy handed oak flavour. Very slight hints of vanilla. Full bodied, relaxed carbonation. Another winner from DFH.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2005 18:04:39 | More by xgrigorix

clvand0

Kentucky

4.55/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to LuckySevens82 for sending this my way. It pours a light copper color with a tall head that hangs around for a while. The aroma has some citrus notes as well as some woody character, from the oak. Quite a bit of spiciness and citrus hops. I expected the flavor to be huge in hop character, but it wasn't. It had a lot of hops in it, but they were nice and mellow and flowed really well with the malt profile of the beer, making it very well balanced. Quite a bit of spices and some oak in the flavor. Honestly, I couldn't detect much of the alcohol, especially for 10%. Dangerously drinkable. Great beer!

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2005 19:28:21 | More by clvand0

guinness33

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I really dig Dogfish Head. They are always trying new weird stuff, and while it doesn't necessarily work all the time, it's cool to see what they can come up with. This one, fortunately, works, and works well

It pours a decent but not spectacular amber colour with a thin to non existent head that is white in colour.

The smell is mainly of wood and malt. Alcohol is mixed in as well along with a touch of sweetness way in the back.

The flavour is a very, very nice blend of the two IPA's used here, and it's defninitely a bit tamer than expected. There are more dirty/wood/earth notes here and the hops and malt are well balanced but both remain bold at the same time. Alcohol is warming but not very noticeable overall. There is a bit of fruit flavour mixed in throughout as well. Tasty indeed.

The mouthfeel is full and chewy and just about right here. This one is a sipper, but a very nice one at that.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2005 22:02:52 | More by guinness33

marcobrau

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Hmm...Burton Baton. I'm intrigued by the label that tells me this beer is a mix of young and old IPAs aged in French oak; intrigued because I like hops and like the effect that age can have on hops. That said, this wasn't quite what I expected, but I still like it. I liked the earthy, woody aroma of this ale. I liked how the earthiness and vanilla-oakiness emerged among the caremelly malt and herbal hop flavors. I am surprised by the clarity of this brew. I'm not surprised that as I poured this light amber elixir there was little foam, yet a tingle of carbonation that seems to accent what bitterness hides beneath the sweet malt and oaky flavors. Double IPA? I don't think so (not enough hop spiciness) -- more a well attenuated barleywine to me -- that I think really needs to age some more, so I'm tucking the remaining bottles away in a place where I'll forget about them.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2005 02:28:25 | More by marcobrau

kmo1030

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

nice deep amber with a litle bit of haze. pretty thick frothy head that laces pretty well. the aroma is a woody pungent grassy grapefruit hoppiness, with some caramel notes mingled with some old ale-esque aged aromas.
fruity and slightly herbal hops with a bit of oak. balanced with a good dose of caramel malt and a bit of vanilla here and there. there is a sort of lingering spiciness, that sort of dries things out. the alcohol iss really covered up well. a little bit of oxidation that adds some good complexity
not as full of a body as one might expect with smooth carbonation, with an almost cask like quality, especially as it warms. intensely drinkable. overall very well balanced, great tasting, and a real pleasure to drink. worth every penny of the 13.99 4 pack. i'd like to pick up one to cellar.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2005 23:37:23 | More by kmo1030