Immort Ale - Dogfish Head Brewery

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle served in a snifter.

pours a medium to deep amber, little chill haze both otherwise clear; yields a short lived 1/2" head. no real lacing to speak of. nose offers some oak and peat notes along with a touch of vanilla, berry, and alcohol. not picking up on the maple. obviously a malt-forward beer.

that whiskey / peat character is huge in the flavor. very oaky. some vanilla, but again, not getting much in the way of maple. medium-full on the palate with medium carbonation.

overall, initially the peat was a bit much for me but the more i sit with it, the more it kind of grows on me. definitely not the kind of beer i'd want more of in a sitting, but it's not bad. unique. for me it's one of those beers you have to be in the mood for, but when that mood arises it's really enjoyable.

(originally reviewed: 12-28-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 23:52:34 | More by BostonHops

rangerred

Tennessee

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a snifter.

Pours a wonderful deep copper with a thin fizzy head. Pretty decent lacing, though, considering the abv.

Aromas has a decent amount of oak and vanilla and one can really pick up on the maple syrup. There is a small amount of peat too along with a slight yeastyness.

The flavor really expands on the aromas and there is really a lot going on. Lots of oak up front along with some dark fruit. After that there is a quick hit of pine from the juniper berries before peat smoke really takes hold reminiscent of an Islay scotch. This leads to a fairly dry finish with some warmth from the alcohol.

Overall, I was pretty impressed with this beer. Unlike most Dogfish beers which are overly sweet, this one has a nice dry finish. The oak really compliments the smoke with no flavor being too overpowering. One of the better Dogfish Head special releases I have had.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 01:38:11 | More by rangerred

suspect

New York

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Dogfish Head Signature glass.

A: Beautiful red hued copper color. Aggressive pour leads to a large 2 finger pure white head that fades ever so slowly leaving lots of lacing running down the glass.

S: Molasses, caramel, alcohol, big huge malt base, oak and the ever so slight finishing notes of vanilla. I don't pick up on really any smoke but I do pick up on a little of the yeast. Smells like a wonderful barleywine.

T: Follows the nose with lots of bittering hops to go along that were buried in the nose.

M: Big creamy mouth feel with slight burn of alcohol to liven it up a bit.

O: A really solid beer. A sipper for sure but it's a really good one.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 02:12:44 | More by suspect

Arborescence

Finland

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Slightly cloudy, brownish or dark amber, with a modest head.

Aroma: Yeasty barley wine, alcohol present but not overwhelming. The spices give some softness to the aroma and make it quite pleasant. The smoke is not at all evident to me.

Taste: A well balanced mixture of spices and sweetness, some Belgian Strong Ale -type characteristics. I still don't see that the smoke would dominate this at all, although some peat flavours are present. The high ABV is supported well by the other characteristics of the beer.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, with medium to strong carbonation.

Overall: I'd like to try this again, preferably from a bottle. I think it's rather good, but I had an imperial stout before this and I'm concerned that it may have interfered a little bit. Certainly an interesting beer though.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2012 02:51:28 | More by Arborescence

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a Kate the Great snifter. Bottled 10/26/2011.

Appearance - A lively burnt orange, almost brick red. Hazy until it settles. Nice off-white head that also settles. A few flecks of lacing.

Smell - Smoked peat is clearly evident, but the maple is quite strong throughout. A lot of booze and even a hint of banana esters. Quite pleasant, if maybe a bit harsh.

Taste - The peat smoked malts are less dominant here and the maple shines through. Less harsh than the taste and maybe a little less interesting as a result. Banana esters are more prominent and the finish is bitter. Dry harsh tannic quality in the end and a good dose of oak.

Mouthfeel - The mouthfeel isn't great. It's not sweet, which is remarkable for 11%, but the oak finish makes it seem harsh. It's also quite boozy.

Overall - I rather enjoy this. It's a solid beer. Strong flavors and they're all exactly as the bottle describes. Harsh, yes, but worth it.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 01:10:05 | More by Alieniloquium

Dope

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle approximately a year old.

A: A dark brown/reddish pour. Good-sized dense tan head. Fades slowly. Leaves only hints of lacing.

S: Maple, caramel and oak. Touch of vanilla.

T: Lots of oak throughout. Big caramel malt with some maple syrup. Quite smoky towards the end. A bit of vanilla presence throughout, especially in the lingering aftertaste. No evidence of alcohol despite the 11% ABV. A bit earthy as it warms.

M: Surprisingly medium-bodied given the ABV.

O: Very malty brew for sure. Oak character is prominent, especially when fresh. A little too smoky, I think only some porters and stouts and scotch ales should be smokey like this. Doesn't really fit the beer in my opinion. This is some sort of strange cross between a scotch ale and a barleywine with an oak character.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 04:35:58 | More by Dope

Fadefury

Maryland

2.83/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Did not get a head on this, but I did have it on tap and this could be bartenders fault! Reddish amber in color

S: Alcohol! Smoky, and slight fruit scents

T: Upfront smoke taste over the bitter hops.

M: High carbonation and too much alcohol bite for my taste.

O: Considering the price of this beer on tap, I couldn't see myself buying this out again. I potentially could drink one at the house, but it's way out of my tastes.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2012 03:36:22 | More by Fadefury

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.33/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Couldn't find a date on the bottle, but my notes say I received this in 2010, sampled 5/7/2012. Pours a deep copper color with a decent sized tan head that persists for a good long time. Smells of caramel and toffee with hints of smoke, dark fruit, sweet malts, a bit of earth and a touch of alcohol. This certainly has an English feel to the nose. The taste is where it all falls apart. There's a tartness upfront that seems out of place. Some sweet burnt sugary malts come in next but they are quickly overpowered by a peat smoked phenol that I wasn't expecting. A touch of alcohol and a sweet tart mix of fruits linger long after every sip. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet tart kind of mouthfeel going on. It smells a whole lot better than it tastes that's for sure. I don't remember disliking this when I've had it before, maybe it just doesn't age well or its in its funky years.

Well I just read the bottle and it makes a little more sense now. Smoked malt, juniper berries, vanilla, maple syrup, English and Belgian yeast. Its still a bit weird in flavor!

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 22:24:52 | More by johnnnniee

kscaldef

Oregon

2.95/5  rDev -23%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Garnet hue, absolutely no head on this, although bubbles are present. Some floaties.

S: Sweet toffee and caramel. Vanilla. No hop presence. Honestly, kinda boring.

T: Maple, oak, caramel, light raisin.

M: Fairly high carbonation. A fair bit of alcohol bite. Fairly light body for such a bit beer, although there's still a bit of sweetness.

O: A so-so barleywine-esque beer. Pleasant drinking, although a touch boozy, but not a standout in the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 04:48:43 | More by kscaldef

draheim

Washington

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz (bottled 10/11/2011) into a snifter. Pours a clear red-amber w/ a 1-finger head that dissipates quickly, minimal carb.

Aroma is faint caramel; peaty, smoky malt; sticky fruit; alcohol.

Taste is sweet caramel malt, copious bittering hops, fruit, brown sugar, booze. Peat comes through as it warms.

Mouthfeel is oily, chewy but also velvety smooth.

Overall a tasty, boozy sipper. Single-malt scotch's second cousin.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 05:14:14 | More by draheim

Barnabas

2.28/5  rDev -40.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

I got this beer thinking,thinking hmm strong ale, wonder what that taste like. It was definetly thick in mouthfeel, sweet, and yet it tasted musty like an attic,I guess thats called earth tones or something or other.Not the best representative of strong ales out there, but it did pack one hell of a punch. However I'm willing to give it a try at some other point,what at times frustrates me about beers is what they're advertized as versus what one can actually taste.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 20:03:28 | More by Barnabas

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Bottled on 10/26/11. Poured in to Founders tulip.

A - Medium amber colour. Translucent. Half a finger of taupe head that receded to a few bubbles.

S - A huge smoke aroma up front that completely dominates the nose. One dimensional and not inviting at all.

T - A big smoke flavour up front that is not quite as overpowering as the nose indicated but is the dominant flavour. Some sweet caramel, maple syrup and toffee notes round out the palate. The smoke settles down a little bit as this beer warms up but remaining in the forefront. There is a fairly prominent sweetness present throughout.

M - Medium to full body. Creamy. Low to moderate carbonation.

O - A decent beer but too much smoke for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 01:09:37 | More by TheSevenDuffs

vkv822

Oregon

2.93/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

5oz pour at Belmont Station.

Pours a clear, burnt orange with a thin, bone white head.

The honey and juniper definitely come through and blend well with the caramel malts.

The juniper berries and peat-smoking are quite dominant in the taste and take away from any honey, vanilla or caramel malt character.

A medium body with very light, prickly carbonation.

The nose was promising, but unfortunately the taste was over whelmed by the juniper berries.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2012 23:14:49 | More by vkv822

CheezyBlaster

Massachusetts

2.68/5  rDev -30%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

This is confusing.

The nose is stinky. It's got some mild dark fruits muddled in with an abundance of peat smoked/medicinal overkill. That's the band-aid smell come taste some of us have experienced. (I've only recently tied it to peat smoked stuff).

If you can separate out the band-aid in your palate, and mind, or you're a peat-smoked malt kind of person, you might love this. I can't get the vanillas our bourbon-like characteristic I expected out of this. I think I'm super sensitive to flavors released by peat-smoking? I'll have to try more whiskeys with that, just to experiment. Anyway, as one other person said: "it's a band-aid bomb". I'm trying to get past it, but I can't. It permeates the brew. My wife gets no band-aid or medicinal flavors or scents. Maybe they wen't overboard with the peat-smoked malt in this one? I'll check it out again, just because it was so frustrating, and because sometimes I end up loving stuff I've hated.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 23:59:52 | More by CheezyBlaster

PhantasIPA

Delaware

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The appearance of the beer is a dark, reddish brown. The head poured at a quarter of an inch with a very thin head on the surface moments after pouring and light lacing on the glass as you consume.

The smell is average to me; it is tough for me to smell the true flavor of the beer. I smell the woody (oak) aroma and the vanilla but it is slightly skunky as well.

I think the taste is great. It is an 11% beer, so I want, and expect, a strong pseudo-liquor bite and fume to the brew. It is present but does not mask the strong oak flavor, slight vanilla flavor, and underlying brown sugar based malt of the beer. It is unique and strong, nothing else tastes quite like it (haha! at least not that I have run across yet...). Being unique is difficult to obtain in a world where brew masters are pushing the envelope at all times.

The mouth feel is good. It is a thick beer but you should expect that at 11%, and the carbonation is at a minimum so it is pretty easy to drink, but definitely not a "I just worked all afternoon in my yard during the summer and want to guzzle a beer" beer.

Overall I like the brew - unique and strong.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 21:40:34 | More by PhantasIPA

UCLABrewN84

California

3.78/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap the day after Churchill's Renaissance at Churchill's Pub & Grille in San Marcos, CA.

Pours a clear honey brown with a beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Smell is pretty subtle but there is some malt, smoke, and spice in the nose. Taste is of malt and a nice smoky flavor with a tiny bit of band-aid present. There is a mild bitterness with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with a nice smoke flavor that comes out especially as the beer warms up.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2012 06:46:54 | More by UCLABrewN84

hitter114

Colorado

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aged for an additional 2 months.. much smoother than it was. Poured from a bottle into an ayinger funnel cup

A: Burnt copper color. Bubbly 1 finger off white to tan head
S: Strong alcohol smell in addition to smell of Belgian yeast. alch is strongest smell also some fruityness
T: Much different from the smell. The booze burn is there but fruits (apples?) come through very warming and somewhat fruity Got a whiskey barrel thing going on as well, very complex.
M: coaty, nothing special.
O: pretty good doesn't hide booze very well though even with age.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 03:53:00 | More by hitter114

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

on tap at devils den in philly

Pours a slightly hazed auburn color with some caramel hues. Thin beige head fades into some cloudy film, leaving some patchy lacing on the glass.

Somewhat warm and sweet in the nose, mixing touches of vanilla and maple with booze and oak. There's an herbal air in there from the juniper as well, along with some pretty thick malt scents.

A bit herbal up front with touches of juniper and peat. Vanilla mixes with maple syrup and some oak alongside a faint touch of smoke. Fairly warm throughout the profile, giving way to the burly malt back bone, which is ripe with bread crust and caramel. Finishes with some boozy vanilla sweetness.

Fuller body, decent carbonation, pretty sticky and heavy on the tongue. There's a ton of flavor going on here - definitely an interesting beer to try, but I'd like to see how it does with some age.

Serving type: on-tap

02-29-2012 01:15:39 | More by xnicknj

Labeerfinder

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

Rich mahogany-brown color. Very sweet malty nose, with strong maple, vanilla, and caramel notes. Very smooth warming and sweet. A complex, and long finish- lots of maple, a touch of vanilla and faintly spiced. Some bitterness but it is more sweet than anything. Tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 16:32:24 | More by Labeerfinder

django24

Washington

3.03/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From Notes

Appearance: Clear darker amber with golden highlights, no head and little bubbles.

Aroma: Strong, sweet and smooth. Bready and caramely malt, alcohol, vanilla. Must have skipped the hops on this one :)

Taste: Again strong sweet breadiness and caramel as with the aroma. Also featuring some woodiness, a little bit of earthy hops, and a bourbon-like burn that's maybe too much. Maple syrup too?

Mouthfeel: Thick, creamy, full-bodied. Lingering and very warming leaving a syrupy, tingling coating on the palate that I've not experienced in a beer before. The finish is long with the hops being overwhelmed by sugar and booze.

Overall: Not boring. Lots of "extra" flavors like the vanilla, oak, maple syrup. Lot's of booze though. Maybe this could be better with some age on it, mellow it out some? Curious to see.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 08:18:06 | More by django24

magine

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Duvel glass.

Pours a caramel color with reddish orange hue along the edges. Nice creamy finger thick light cream colored head. Head settles to a lace coating and has some lacing along the rim all the way down. Good looks.

Brew smells of dark malts and fruits; caramel, maple, yeasts and dark fruits round out a good nose here.

Brew is nice and balanced. Creamy malts finish the peppery start. Maple, barley, and dark fruits are prominent flavors here. Almost some smokiness to this one as well. Some mild yeasty estery sweetness finishes up the slightly boozy semi dry finish. Good stuff here.

Another stud brew form DFH. I love the variety of flavors they try in their brews. Great four pack to sample.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 19:08:23 | More by magine

ONUMello

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle bottled 10/26/11 poured into a pint glass
A: Copper colored, with a thin head.
S: I do pick up the maple, vanilla and oak mentioned on the label along with a dose of malt, esters and alcohol.
T: Pleasant at first, with rich vanilla-oak, smooth malt, and just a hint of caramel/maple. It has a bit of smoke in the middle, probably from toasted oak. Then it turns very boozy towards the end. Some may find that off-putting, I don't mind, just take your time and sip it. Lacks noticeable hops.
M: Smooth, though a bit syrupy w/ an alcohol bite. Pleasant carbonation.
O: Though I don't mind the booze characteristic, I wouldn't complain if it were toned down a hair. That being said, I enjoyed this overall; it has pleasant flavors and nice complexity.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 14:16:01 | More by ONUMello

Remydakine

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Beautiful beer, a amber hue that begs to be consumed. My third favorite of all the Dogfish products, This beer might be to heavy for most at a fresh state (which I have had several times). Take my word for it a year or two in the cellar makes this beer a world class value, one I would pit against any other in the category.

Robust sweet maple over tones, with a woody finish. You can taste how strong this beer is but some aging a smoothness the rounds everything together.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 07:04:26 | More by Remydakine

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a chalice type glass

Appearance – A light golden-reddish color with a nice off white head. The brew itself is a bit hazy with big bubbles of carbonation visible clinging to the side of the glass. The head fades to give some moderate lacing.

Smell –Upfront there is a bready backbone and with some smokiness. Some sweeter darker fruits and a bit of maple sugar taste come in more toward the middle of the aroma. These are rounded out by some more floral aromas and a bit of earthiness.

Taste – The taste is largely bready and somewhat yeasty and smoky up front. There are some nice sweeter fruit flavors that come in toward the middle of the taste, which mix with some sweet brown sugar and maple taste. Toward the these sweet flavors mix with some malty earthy flavors.

Mouthfeel – A bit on the creamier side with a fairly good level of carbonation. Big bubbles of CO2can be felt on the tongue giving a moderate exiting feel. This coupled with a nice body makes it quite a nice feel.

Overall – It has a rather interesting taste and smell. Not the most complementary transitions in many of its characteristics, but a beer that is well worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2012 02:09:23 | More by Darkmagus82

jeremy13586

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a two finger off-white head that held on for a little while and left some nice lacing on the glass. Color was a dark amber. Aroma was caramel with a strong sting of alcohol. There was also some woodiness anda note of coffee. Caramel and booze is predominant in the taste. There is a smokiness, when mixed with the alcohol, makes it harsh at first, but it does sweeten up in time. The beer finished with a little bit of maple, but not much.

The carbonation was pretty heavy but seemed to smooth out in to a light syrup. I remember having this a couple times in the past and enjoying it, just never had the time to sit and think about it. Alright fresh, but seems like this would improve with a year or two of age on it.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 05:13:56 | More by jeremy13586