Fort - Dogfish Head Brewery

jrallen34

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I drank this from a 22oz bottle into my Rochefort chalice.

The beer pours a murky cloudy gold with no head or lacing.

The aroma is medium with a dominant alcoholic raspberry marshmellow.

The taste is mostly alcohol that burns on the way down with a very little amount of alcohol.

The feel is nice it coasts your throat like cough syrup.

Despite the abv it is actually totally drinkable, I could totally crush this and as bonus bet cracked.

Overall, I was a little disappointed. I was expecting something more fruity to kill the alcohol. Instead there was a slight sweetness that merely muted the alcohol. This has potential but its not quite there yet.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2009 03:47:25 | More by jrallen34

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Presentation - 750ml served in medium snifter freshness date states 11/13/06 bottling
A - Ruby red/deep chesnut hued ale with a thin white head that leaves almost no lacing

S - Aromas of alchol that are sherry like, cedar and dry raspberry and mellow plum scents

M & T - Effervescent with tinges of sweet raspberry followed by honey and woody sour cherry. Flavors of currant and cardomom are accompanied by warming presence of alcohol Dances lightly on the tongue with substantial depth.

D - Not a very drinkable ale albeit a sweet and flavorful one. Strength is deceptive and might make for a better digestif than and aperitiff.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2007 20:22:12 | More by Slatetank

cokes

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 11/28/05. Had this fresh and wasn't thrilled. After the better part of 3 years it's time for a revisit.

Copper bodied with some salmon-pink glints. A fizzy white head sizzles up and down over the course of 10 seconds. Still, for a beer this big, the carbonation is impressive, as when I had it fresh two+ years ago, there was no head at all.
Raspberry is the main player on the nose, all sweet, seedy, and tart, backed with a big wet, doughy blanket of caramel pastries, and a bit of Eau de Vie -like alcohol bite.
It begins sweet, as any good 18% fruit beer should. Raspberry jam, honey (or Mead), heavy canning syrup. This is all propped against a somewhat less sweet caramel and dough support (though, that is sweet by all accounts as well). As it progresses, it drifts towards things more tart and the raspberry jam starts to mimic sparkling grape juice with it's slightly cloying and sticky sweet-tart interplay (and real-deal grapey flavors). Fruit brandy and port traits appear on the swallow with a fair amount of alcohol sting and dryness.
It's big gloopy, full bodied, but the carbonation fights through it all and manages to keep this from the cloying, teeth-sticking mess it could be (and I thought it was when I last had it a couple years ago).
Ultimately, this succeeds at exactly what it is. A gigantic raspberry beer. At this strength, it's gonna be a little heavyhanded. But this is semi-drinkable and enjoyable despite it all. Age treats this well, and I don't think I'd drink it fresh again. It is far from something I'd reach for often, but I might squirrel away a bottle or two long term for certain occasions.

Also, bottling this in 750mLs is lunacy. 12oz could be satisfyingly shared and seems a much preferable size.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2008 06:00:41 | More by cokes

francisweizen

Australia

3.43/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

This is the new 18%abv brewpub/fest-only brew from the fine folks at DFH. This is an interesting brew to say the least, but i'm not sure if it was worth the trip down to Rehoboth for. This is a dark ruby red/pink champagne colour with a small head of off-white foam that quickly fades to just a small rim of lace. The aroma is pretty good. I pciekd up some HOT booze, fresh raspberries, and some funky, spicy undertones. The taste was good, fruity, but a bit too hot for my tastes. It also seemed one-dimensional with just the booze stealing the show. The mouthfeel was medium bodied, and not too thick for an 18%abv brew, but the drinkability was below average for me because of the overwhlmingly hot liquor flavor this brew has. Still it's an interesting experiment in brewing, and with a little twaking or two years of age this could be a fruit/strong ale contender (ala kuhnhenns rasperry eisbock)

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2005 21:24:05 | More by francisweizen

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle poured into a tulip. Bottled 2008.

A - This pours out a totally hazed pink hued apricot orange hue with a low cream head. Poor retention probably from the alcohol and light lace.

S - Light raspberries on the nose, fresh, but light with a very fruity, boozy nose. The level of alcohol definitely comes out in the nose. A lot of phenols. Mango, light pineapple, and some strawberries. No hops. The malt is the but pushed back.

T - The flavor is rich with phenol and fusel alcohol. A combo of nail polish remover and deep fruits of mango, pineapple, and rich raspberries. Tons of malts in the background.

M - Medium-bodied and smooth with a lingering sweet fruitiness and alcohol burn. A moderate carbonation finish spritzes it up a bit.

D - Between the alcohol and fruity sweetness, it's a great beer but not terribly drinkable. One best split with some people. A party brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2010 22:17:44 | More by BeerFMAndy

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle with a bottled on date of 11/13/06. Fort pours a reddish/amber color with a half inch off-white head which went away very quickly. It smells fruity, like raspberries, plums, sherry and alcohol. Just pouring the beer into the glass the aroma comes out very quickly. You can definitely taste the alcohol in this brew, it tastes like tart (but not too tart) berries, pears and alcohol (port/sherry). The alcohol does hit you at first, but after a little while it settles down and the warming isn't bad at all. Obviously, more of the flavors comes out as the beer warms up a little bit. There's also a nice sweet fruity aftertaste. Mouthfeel is medium/full, with a good amount of carbonation. It's also a little syrupy and dry. Drinkability is very good, considering the 18% ABV. But it's definitely a sipping/dessert beer. The next time I drink one of these, I'm going to split it with someone instead of drinking the whole bottle myself like I just did. Another good, creative effort from DFH. I'd recommend it to others to try at least once.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2007 23:37:59 | More by bluejacket74

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On-tap @ Prime 16 into a DFH Signature Glass.

A: Ruby-amber body with cherry glints; small white head quickly disappears, leaving a tiny ring around the edge. Just what I'd expect from a beer this strong.

S: Alcohol, toenail polish (in a good way); tart raspberries on the finish. Big, bold, and inviting.

T: Crisp raspberries, warm booze, and a tart finish. Powerful, aggressive, and straightforward. I'm a fan.

M: Medium body with mouth-coating stickiness and just enough bubbles to stave off cloyingness.

D: Extremely impressive for the astronomical ABV. Simply Awesome.

Notes: Highly tasty and drinkable beer that packs a killer punch. Very extreme, very cool.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2009 00:36:08 | More by woosterbill

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.28/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Not nearly as good as I'd expected. Poured with a smallish, tan with orange tints, fizzy head and no lace. Color is a clear amber with red highlights. Aroma is brandy with raspberry, a bit tart, and a little malt. Flavor's about the same. Body's ok, but it seems to need a little more carboantion - sure would help cut the sweetness. Finish is like flavor, medium to long in length and very boozy. Was going to sip this while watching Poirot and Mystery! on the tube, but uh uh. Don't want any more. Would be good to cook with tho.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 01:09:20 | More by drpimento

merlin48

Kentucky

3.8/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Huge bottle pours a chill hazed but radiant copper body with a small almond head that quickly falls to a pink fringed skim and collar. Aroma is subtle, odd considering the bottle is stamped with a bottling date just over a month ago. Raspberry jam notes are joined by model airplane glue to the nose. Odd, but really pleasant. Medium body with spritzy carbonation. Taste is sticky with big doughy maltiness, sweet/tart berries, and the pleasant taste of the model airplane glue you loved as a kid. Solvent-like is an understatement, but it works here for some reason. Finishes dry with a kiss of grapefruit that comes out of nowhere. Surprisingly drinkable for such an enormous fruit beer. Another oddball brew from DFH.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2007 19:33:36 | More by merlin48

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on-tap at the Dogfish Brewpub in Rehoboth Beach.
Served in a snifter as an apricot colored beer with scant head.
Smell is very fruity with very strong berry notes.
Taste is of berries without being too sweet. It really is a great taste and the alcohol only slowly arises as the beer warms.
Leaves a nice berry taste in the mouth without the sweetness that you would expect.
As drinkable, almost too drinkable, as you can get for an 18% beer. I was surely aware of it the next morning.
My wife an I toured the brewery the next day and picked up a bottle for New Years Eve. I will see how that compares to the on-tap version.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2007 23:56:17 | More by tgbljb

mynie

Indiana

3.78/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

18%?!? I had no idea. Good thing we split the bottle, I guess. A-and, really, this explains quite a bit about the rest of that awful night.

Pours a very pretty shade of amber that's a little limp. My handwritten score is a 3.5, but considering the elevated ABV the lack of effervescence is perfectly fine and this deserves a 4.

Smells like raspberry liqueur: big, sweet, candied raspberries along with some varied nodes of spice and honey. No alcohol nodes apparent whatsoever.

Tastes like it smells, only the honey sweetness gets a cloying near the back end. Overall it's pretty smooth, though, considering its giganticness.

Definitely worth trying, and you certainly get 15 bucks worth of drunk off of a 750ml bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 02:08:54 | More by mynie

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

2.28/5  rDev -37.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

3 year old bottle poured into some wine glasses and split with friends.

A- This Fort sports a hazy orange color with some faint red/pink going on. Nothing in terms of head and therefore no lacing. Fort looks like fruit juice.

S- Smells like wine or a heavily loaded mixed drink, not like beer. This is berry forward and the alcohol is really big as well, that really gets in the way of the fruits. A big malt addition adding to the sweetness.

T- Taste like a fruity alcoholic drink or a cheap high abv wine. Besides that the raspberry and blackberry work well to make this a fruit beer. It succeeds in that way but the alcohol is really big even 3 years later and it really gets in the way.

M- I can only tske a very small sips of this. The feel is smooth but hot as well with a fruity staying power. The liquid is above medium bodied and coats the mouth and tounge. The carb is rather light.

D- I was good with my 6oz or so, any more would be to much. Share this one with a friend or three. The alcohol and impending heat really take the drinkability on this and just tastes bad in general. It really gets in the fruits way. Im not sure this one can be saved.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2009 08:24:38 | More by onix1agr

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer poured crystal clear amber golden with a white and wispy head which fizzed like a carbonated soda and left the building just as quickly.

The aroma was raspberries and cherries as the carbonation flashed away. After the intial rise and demise of the head the aroma became a low level raspberry aroma with a strong fruity presence. The raspberries were easier to detect from further away than from directly over the glass. Some slight spice was present due to the alcohol in the aroma.

The flavor was alcoholic and lightly fruity with only a brief reminder that the beer was supposed to contain rapberries. The flavor was brash with a strong impression of alcohol which warmed the palate from first sip. The flavor was fruity, but not complex and not well balanced. A bitter flavor was present, but it did not seem to emerge from hopping.

The finish was dry with a harsh alcohol presence long and lasting into the aftertaste. The body was medium full and the carbonation was very, very low. The alcohol in this beer really caused quite a bit of warming and was harsh and burning.

The beer was certainly not a favorite and reminded me of an almost failed attempt to copy Troegs Mad Elf with raspberries and to see how far alcohol could be taken in a beer at the same time. It was not awful, but it was not complex, more an extremely strong beer with raspberries. For the price of admission, I'll pass next time.

750 ml bottle. Bottled on 11/28/05, $19 at OUAV.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2006 00:12:34 | More by GCBrewingCo

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottled on 2011-10-14

A: Pours a clear ruby red with a finger tall off white head and light visible carbonation. The head reduces over time but about 50% of the original head was retained. Moderate lacing is observed.

S: Some sweetness and definite presence of the raspberries but there is more than a faint hint of alcohol in the nose. The smell of the berries is very refreshing but then it is followed by a slightly astringent burning from the alcohol.

T: Rich raspberry and malt sweetness followed by the slow burn of the alcohol. The flavor is intense and rich.

M: Medium bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. I would describe it as very clean.

O: The beer is a little heavy on the alcohol taste and smell for me but not a bad beer. I'm glad that I had the chance to sample this one but I will probably not be purchasing any more of them. Would be interesting to see what happens with this one if cellared but by space is too constrained to do that. Perhaps the perfect serving of this would be a cordial glass worth as a digestiff.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 00:57:49 | More by dbrauneis

lordofthewiens

Maine

2.95/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A 750ml bottle, with bottled on 11/13/06 stamped on the bottle. Poured into a tulip glass, it's a beautiful beer: red/orange color, a thin head. Obvious raspberry aroma. The difficulty arose with the taste. Raspberry definitely there, but also a pronounced alcohol taste. Very harsh. The label says "should age with the best of 'em". I'll buy a couple more bottles and try that, because this isn't a drinkable beer in it's present state.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2007 23:59:44 | More by lordofthewiens

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 11/28/05

Saved this beer for my birthday, and it was worth it. Poured a reddish-copper, with a thin but well-retained head. Lots of bubbles, like a champagne, and a great stack of lace as the glass emptied.

Smelled predominantly of raspberries, vanilla and sweet spices. A buoyant and thankfully not-too-sweet aroma.

Flavors: excellent depth. There's a small liqueur-type bite, but at 18% ABV, the alcohol is hidden pretty well. Amidst the fruity, pungent, spicy essence is a veneer of wild yeast, all of that offsetting what could've been a too-sweet concoction, but what turned out to be a nicely balanced, complex, intriguing drink. Raspberries, yes. But there's a lot more going on here, especially in terms of spiciness and the full-bodied, kinda wild essence given off by the yeast.

Mouthfeel was full of fizz, yet held a round, heavy, somewhat glaze-y heft.

Despite the high alcohol, this went down extremely well. A beguiling, intriguing brew. What is this exactly? (besides another amazing Dogfish Head invention.) Pricey, which limits drinkability, but well worth the experience, at least once.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2006 03:56:22 | More by Metalmonk

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a clear copper-orange with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some nice lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of strong raspberries, booze, a bit of Belgian yeast and some floral elements.

T - Starts off with some strong sweet raspberry flavor with some tartness. Through the middle, some booze comes through with some floral flavors. The finish is a mix of more sweet and lightly tart raspberries with some booze and a bit vanilla and yeast.

M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a warming and sweet finish.

D - Pretty drinkable. A bit one dimensional, but the strength and complexity of the raspberry flavor is really nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 06:34:10 | More by ngeunit1

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 11/13/06

Appearance - pours out a hazed red-tinted amber. A brief light tan head that forms and disappears like I'm pouring a soda. A slow bead of bubbles from underneath sustains the thinnest of collars.

Aroma - a fusel hit right after opening this baby. Huge barleywine-like malts, a decent dose of fruit but nothing major. Smells absolutely potent, that's for sure.

Taste - caramel, sticky sweet malts at the fore. Sweet raspberry, very sweet. Holy smokes, a serious alcohol breath on this, even after three+ years aging. Some biting fruit tartness on the swallow provides the only attempt at bitterness. The abv heat, fruit snap, and malt bigness make a flavor almost like ginger ale at times. So very warm down to the belly, this will be an all-night sipper.

Mouthfeel - low-level carbonation, a slick feel without too big a body. Nicely done.

Drinkability - never again solo, but certainly with help.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2010 05:20:41 | More by brewdlyhooked13

oline73

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a snifter. This was a bottle from 2005.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy amber color with very little to no head.

Smell: Reminded me of raspberry ketchup. A bit metallic and really sweet.

Taste: Much better than the taste. Super sweet, but that is expected. The age has really helped the alcohol fade. Natural raspberries with a hint of tartness at the beginning of each sip. The finish is quite sweet.

Mouthfeel: Thick body with tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I thought this aged fairly well. I don't know if the smell is better fresh, I guess I'll have to find out. Quite smooth.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 01:36:04 | More by oline73

billab914

Virginia

2.75/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

On the bottle it said bottled in 2008. Poured from a 750ml bottle into my Southern Tier tulip glass. It poured amber orange in color with a slight reddish tint to it. It has a very modest head, barely covering the top of the beer and concentrated around the edges.

The aroma shows a lot of boozy alcohol to it. The raspberries are definitely present as well but come through more as if they were soaked in alcohol. There is just too much solvent like alcohol flavors coming through to be that appealing.

The taste shows a lot of the fruity raspberry flavors. They really come through pretty nicely and taste fresh which is a plus. Lots of alcohol present as well and very warming as I drank it. More of an alcohol soaked raspberry flavor to it then anything else really.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side and somewhat syrupy with moderate carbonation. Drinkability isn't that great unfortunately, it's a lot like drinking a raspberry liquor. Just too hot and boozy to be that drinkable. The raspberry flavors were pretty good and fresh but they weren't bold enough to get past the alcohol. This wasn't that bad of a drink, I just don't think it scores well as a beer. I probably would think it was a very good raspberry liquor.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2010 23:06:11 | More by billab914

emmasdad

Colorado

2.78/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1

WOW, and not in a good way. Spent a night in Loveland with the family, and stopped into a well known liqour store for a few bottles. Saw 750s of this one on sale for eleven bucks, and my wife really wanted to try it. This was not a pleasant experience. Huge raspberry flavors were present, but so was a huge, overbearing and unpleasant alcohol presence. This one was too hot to be enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2010 04:09:11 | More by emmasdad

Floydster

California

2.17/5  rDev -40.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

750 ml bottle that was made on November 13, 2006, purchased at Liquid Solutions for a very expensive $17.55

I will start off by saying I opened this last night when a bunch of friends came over, but then nobody wanted any, so I was stuck drinking this whole thing by myself and it pretty much knocked me out, strongest beer I have I believe, wow!

Poured into my Dogfish Head snifter with a pinkish brown color, pretty funky looking with a pretty large foamy head that settled pretty quickly, left some lacing but not much

Smell was pure raspberries and surprisingly reminded me of a fruity soda with the amount of carbonation and the small bubbles rushing to the top, impressive for a beer that was capped, not corked

Taste was a little rough for me, almost like a berry blended barleywine, nothing like any fruit beer I have ever had and had a lot more hops than I thought it would especially after a year, but was pretty bitter, aftertaste was a little nasty and it just kept kicking, can really taste the high alcohol in this one, beer at first and then quickly turns into a champagne like aftertaste with not much raspberry oddly, wish it had more of a fruit taste

Could not drink another sip of this, but I did finish the entire bottle and that is part of the reason why I was not in the shape to write this review last night, too strong for one person

Cool to try because it is the strongest fruit beer in the world, but it is extremely pricey and pretty hard to find, I do not know if I could recommend this beer, but if you are curious like I was, you need to give it a try

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2007 16:44:41 | More by Floydster

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Score above is from 2005 vintage.

****2008 vintage. Poured into a snifter. Consumed 2/27/2012, so roughly 3 years old.

3.5 A: Moderately hazed peachy amber color. About one finger of fizzy beige-ish head that fell quickly and left no lacing. Looks more like the 05 than anything.

1.5 S: Unholy raspberry rubbing alcohol. Wow is this potent and aggressive. I can't really give a good comment to the nose.

2.0 T: This maybe should be a 1.5 as well, but it's so much better than the nose that I had no choice but to throw an extra half point on it. The taste is pretty much boozy raspberry juice. Lots of raspberry, lots of booze, and not much depth. It tastes a hell of a lot like 18%, makes my tongue tingle, and leaves behind a solid warming. Alcohol breath.

2.5 M: Heavier medium body. Good carbonation. Boozy mouthfeel - warming, biting, and not particularly pleasant.

1.0 D: Easily the worst vintage. Whenever I had this fresh from a tap I don't recall it being this boozy and simple. If you have a bottle of this, cook with it or give it to someone you don't like.

****2007 vintage, bottled 07//09/07. Poured into a snifter. Consumed 4/27/2012, so roughly 4 1/2 years old.

3.5 A: Ruddy plum color. A little over one finger of frothy beige head. Retention is better than some of the other vintages since it isn't a fizzy head, but still not unlike what you'd expect from an 18% brew. No lacing.

2.0 S: Like the 08, this has a raspberry rubbing alcohol vibe to it, but it doesn't burn my nose. Otherwise a bit spicy.

2.5 T: This doesn't taste all that great, but I must say that most of the alcohol is well hidden. It's still boozy, just not as boozy as what the nose suggested. Raspberry and booze without much else poking through.

3.5 M: Lighter heavy body. Good moderate carbonation. Mildly creamy. Decent here.

2.5 D: I'm not a huge fan of this vintage, but it kills the 08 by a long margin.

****2006 vintage. Poured into a snifter. Consumed 2/8/2012, so roughly 5 years old.

3.5 A: Opaque ruddy amber brown color. One finger of fizzy beige-ish head that fell quickly and left no lacing. Amazing how different this one appears from the 05 vintage.

3.5 S: Smells a lot different too. Raspberry is far and away the strongest component. Just a touch of booze. The earthiness of the 05 vintage is not present. A light toffee component exists with notes of sherry.

1.5 T: Unlike the 05, this is fairly boozy. Maybe not 18% boozy, but 12-14% or so. This also has some notes of oxidation as sherry is a fairly strong component of the taste. Perhaps a touch of cardboard as well. Raspberries are quite strong. Little to no spicy component.

2.5 M: Heavy body. Carbonation level is good for a beer this old. Not all that creamy. It lays somewhat dead on the tongue.

2.0 D: Much worse that the 05 vintage. No way in hell this would taste like the 05 if I waited another year. Notes of oxidation and much boozier. It's hard to say whether the differences are from technical issues such as bottling, natural batch variation, or terroir.

****2005 vintage. Poured into a snifter. I believe I owe thanks to mday for this. Consumed 2/3/2012, so roughly 6 years old.

3.5 A: Transluscent medium amber color. One finger of fizzy beige-ish head that fell quickly and left no lacing. 18% ABV fruit beer means I'll cut it some slack.

3.5 S: Still a ton of raspberries in this. Actually that's about all there is, though this is a lot earthier than when fresh. Booze is barely detectable.

2.5 T: The taste isn't anything to write home about though. It's tasty, but the raspberries are quite faded compared to fresh. Despite this, raspberry is still the main flavor. I'm picking up a healthy spiciness from the yeast. Clove and pepper are there to a good extent. Earthiness abounds, but not in a funky way. Alcohol is very well hidden with a light warming on finish.

4.0 M: Heavier medium body. Carbonation is as if it were fresh, which is quite a feat for a bottle this old. Spritzy with a decent creaminess.

3.0 D: While it's not as good as fresh, it hasn't aged poorly. A lot of the raspberry flavor is gone, but it brings out a spiciness that I never knew was there. Feel free to age this, it's a lot different and still quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 01:34:02 | More by DavoleBomb

ArrogantB

Colorado

1.3/5  rDev -64.4%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

750ml bottle 2008 vintage. I knew this would be a tough beer but I was still completely unprepared for this shit. Sort of a light orange with a pinkish hue. Aroma is acetone and nail polish remover, disgusting. Flavor is very sweet, hint of raspberries and overwhelming alcohol. It was what I imagine industrial cleaning supplies to taste like. I think this was the worst beer I have ever tasted in my life .

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 17:06:06 | More by ArrogantB

superspak

Michigan

1.93/5  rDev -47.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

750 ml bottle into wine glass, bottled in 2008. Pours extremely hazy red orange color with a foamy 1 finger off white head with poor retention that reduces to almost nothing. Aromas of strong raspberries, booze, and some tartness and big sweetness. The nose isn’t particularly inviting, but is alright. Taste of huge booze up front with some raspberries, malty sweetness, and some spiciness. Lingering notes of sweetness and booze on the finish. Big alcohol in the taste and a huge warming on the finish. This is pretty much undrinkable, way too much alcohol presence. Big syrupy mouthfeel with light-medium carbonation. This was just not good at all, my first drain pour. I could not see myself finishing this bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 18:45:15 | More by superspak