Black & Blue - Dogfish Head Brewery

dirtylou

Washington

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml split with the lady love, while i pack for south africas

appearance: pours into a snifter, bright amber body with a light beige froth and little retention...this one glows with fruity tones

smell: a nice sugary-tart nose, raspberry puree, blueberry and other berries, cane sugar, sweet tarts

taste: sweet tarts, mostly raspberry puree, blue and blackberries, sugary sweet and lightly astringent. better than reviews indicate and the lady enjoys it

mouthfeel: light and tart

drinkability: easy street for the abv

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2008 02:04:16 | More by dirtylou

beertunes

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into tulip. Poured a slightly pinkish red-brown color, with about an inch of slightly tan head that had medium retention and slight lacing.

A pleasant fruit aroma hits the nose, any sweetness is from fruit not malt. There is a slightly sharp tang behind the fruit flavor. The finish is a little sticky but not overly clingy.

A body that is smooth and a little light slides over the tongue. The drinkability is good, but maybe after a couple the sweetness might get to you. Overall a decent beer that's worth trying if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2009 01:50:29 | More by beertunes

kylehay2004

Florida

3.55/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Nice 1.5 finger head with excellent retention on a clear amber with copper hues body. Excellent lacing.

S: grape and blueberries. Caramel and toasted malts in the background.

T: finally a fruit beer which is still a beer. The blueberry and blackberries come and go and lingers in the finish with caramel malts, yeasty, spices and peppery zest. This one is a little too sweet only a little tart.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: a little too sweet. Still one of the better fruit beers I have tried.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2012 01:55:28 | More by kylehay2004

nickfl

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This bottle was two weeks shy of a year old when sampled.

A - Two fingers of white head with a slight pink tinge on a clear, reddish orange body. Decent head retention, but not much lace.

S - Malty and slightly sour with notes of currants and some spicy yeast aromas. A little bit of vanilla as well.

T - Sweet and malty up front with some warm alcohol notes. Boozy, fruity notes follow with a vanilla character that nicely compliments the berries, as well as spicy yeast notes of clove and cinnamon. An assertive acidity balances the fruit in the finish along with a good dose of hop bitterness that lasts well into the dry, vinous finish.

M - Thick, slightly syrupy body, with moderately high carbonation and a dry finish.

D - This is an unusually nice fruit beer, in that it has a great deal of fruit character but balances the berry character with just the right amount of acidity to avoid becoming cloyingly sweet. While this beer has some distinct alcohol notes, they have become quite mellow and never lead one to suspect that the alcohol content is as high as it is. Overall a very pleasant beer that is very drinkable, considering its wine like strength.

This would be an excellent dessert beer and I suspect that it would be able to stand up to an even longer cellaring.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2008 03:41:29 | More by nickfl

tpd975

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Got this one awhile ago from the local beer guy, have been meaning to drink it for sometime and today was its day.

A: It pours a pretty purplish red color with a nice two finger head that settles to one.

S: Nothing too special here. There is a definite yeasty maltiness to it with a hint of berry. To be honest the smell is so faint I can't tell you if I am smelling raspberry or blueberry.

T: This one has some spice and fruitiness to it. Nothing really stands out though identifying exactly what it is I taste. It's not sweet at all in fact it has a nice tartness to it. I wish there was a more pronounced taste from the berries. On a good note it does hide the 10% ABV wonderfully.

M: Very nice here. There is a great bit of carbonation; it’s very creamy yet sparkling.

D: I can drink the whole bottle easily myself, but I will stop at that.

Overall: Not too bad, glad my beer guy kept one back for me to try. I missed out on the Red & White which is unfortunate since it gets really good reviews. This one is a pretty good fruit beer, but is somewhat lacking in taste. I with DFH would have put a little more berry punch in this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2007 16:50:59 | More by tpd975

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.2/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

750 ml bottle, bottled on 2/12/07. The beer pours a red/purple/amber/brown color with a white/light pink head. Head retention and lacing are good. I can smell berries/fruit, not necessarily raspberries and blueberries but the aroma is fruity. The taste is sweet and tart berries with a bit of a medicinal flavor and malt, but no hops that I can taste. Taste does get a bit better as the beer warms. Mouthfeel is light and a bit slick. The alcohol isn't noticable at first, but it does kick in later on. Drinkability is OK, but nothing special. Overall I think it's a decent beer, but a bit of a disappointment to me.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2007 23:04:34 | More by bluejacket74

GClarkage

California

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

02/21/08- Purchased at Sun Devil Liquors in Mesa, AZ.

Presentation- 750ml bottle with a code imprinted on the neck of the bottle itself. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

Appearance- Kinda of a grape soda looking pour. Not super purple, but enough to notice. 1/2 inch bbubbly head which soon fades leaving minor lace streaks.

Smell- Definite blueberry nose. Couldn't define the blackberry, but a nice fruity and mildly bready blueberry nose.

Taste- Fruity, not to the point of a lambic (Lindemans), but a nice dose of a tad syrupy blueberry and blackberry mixture. Mild malty backbone and a bit nutty on some sips. Hops pretty much non-existant. 10%??? Really didn't hit me that hard.

Mouthfeel- Mild carbonation which lessens as it warms. A touch sticky and a tad syrupy and thick. Sugary mouthfeel.

Drinkability- Perfectly fine brew. Liked it, but probably wouldn't buy it again...especially for the $14.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2008 01:12:40 | More by GClarkage

tdm168

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a bright amber with a one inch of head. Nice retention. Smells of black raspberries and blueberries. Both are equally noticeable. There's also a hint of yeast. Taste is blueberries first and the black raspberries coming in second, but both have equal contribution again here. Despite all the fruit, it's not overly sweet. The alcohol is noticeable as the beer warms, but it adds warmth and takes nothing from the flavor. Well carbonated, crisp, smooth, very drinkable.

At 10% this beer is scary drinkable. This is one of the best fruit beers I have ever had. I'll definitely pay the price tag for this again.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 17:48:59 | More by tdm168

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into imperial pint glass on 11/12/08. Shared with brewslut.

A - Hazy, deep rusty orange body with a reddish tint and almost one finger of bubbly off-white head and plenty of active carbonation bubbles darting to the surface. Head settled into a quarter inch of creamy retention that deposited a bit of lace on the glass.

S - Extremely fruity nose with apparent blackberry, raspberry and blueberry right up front. Fruit aroma appears to be authentic rather than artificial. Sweet malts are complemented by a mild sour tang and a more subtle yeasty character.

T - This is definitely not as sweet as I had anticipated. There is quite a bit of sourness present to complement the sweetness of the berries. Some bready and caramel malt notes emerge in the backend. No noticeable bitterness to mention.

M - Medium body with a mild syrupy - yet slick - texture and moderate carbonation. Surprisingly, this brew is not overly sweet or cloying at all. For 10% ABV, the alcohol is barely noticeable. Finish blends sweet and sour characteristics on the palate.

D - I heard mixed reviews about this brew, so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. However, I found this to be a flavorful beer with a nice sourness and authentic berry character. I admire the fact that DFH really tries to push the brewing envelope. Not everything is going to be outstanding, but you have to respect them for going against the grain. With that said, I found this brew to be quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2008 01:09:30 | More by ffejherb

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Had this at the "Hops for Hope" charity tasting.

A - Poured a distinct amber with a slight layer of head. Kind of expected a hazy blue due to thinking it was a "fruit" beer
S - Mostly blueberries. Raspberries and alcohol followed but mildly.
T - Not overwhelmingly alcohol taste, mostly a mild fruit backbone, but it seems out of place for a beer. Kind of too much.
M - Actually thinner than expect for 10 percent but flavors were very boozy.
D - Well I wanted to try these beers for a reason, to sample extreme beers on the cheap. This accomplished this as this was my second favorite along side of a few others of 6 beers sampled.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2010 05:01:36 | More by DrDemento456

Mebuzzard

Colorado

2.55/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Ok, this one pours a funny color. Burgundy/blue/black...not sure. Kind of a light ruby foam. Weird.
Smells like stale blueberries, metal and strawberry. I can't quite make it out, but it isn't bad...just odd.
I'm taken back by the taste. Off balance of berries (black and blue I assume). The metallic hint is back. Moves from thin to syrupy. Perhaps i expect too much from DFH, but this is not very good. A nice attempt, though.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2007 01:25:48 | More by Mebuzzard

mynie

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ML bomber (is it sold any other way?)

Pours--oh well, hmm... I-it's nothing, really, only I was kinda hoping it would be black or blue. It's more of a cloudy brown, though, like a dark Belgian ale.

Smells of light berries with a mild malt kick. I can pick up the raspberries, all right, but the blueberries aren't as intense as I'd hoped. Still, pretty nice, well balanced without going too far in either the hyper-alcoholic Belgian direction or the hyper-fruity fruit beer direction.

Tastes very much like it smells only with a great deal of the balance lost somewhere in the shuffle. Nicely sweet, very fruity, backed up by a mildly bittersweet malt.

Incredibly drinkable, for its potency, but not as cool as I hoped it would be. Still, hats off (as always) to Dogfish Head for trying something new.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2007 04:41:15 | More by mynie

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

2.7/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On Tap at Hulmeville Inn.

Appearence is much lighter than expected given the ingredients and the name of this beer. The color is olympic medal gold with a touch of faded orange sticking out. A flimsy cap that becomes nothing and leaves nothing.

Smell is quite pungent. I do get alot of berries, black over blue. But I also get a big heaping of grape. And it's not just grape, this smells exactly like grape jolly ranchers. After I smelt it, that's all I could get out of it.

Taste is quite bold and filled with sweet berry flavor. The problem is that it comes off artificial and that is because of the grape jolly rancher that engulfs this here beer. I get anice hit of backberry and grape, the blueberry, not so much.

Feel is a strong medium and the carb is a bit lighter than the Red and White counterpart. I was burping up Jolly ranchers long after I finished this so the artificial flavor stays a bit. A bit of alcohol to but not hot. I did not enjoy this so much. To fake tasting and everytime I taste candy in my beer, it's a huge turn off.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2011 02:36:05 | More by onix1agr

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap at Cork City in Hoboken, NJ

A: Pours a cloudy golden orange to amber in color. The beer has a quarter finger tall off-white head that reduces to virtually nothing. Minimal lacing is observed.

S: Moderate aromas of berries - blackberry and blueberry - on top of some malts and Belgian yeast.

T: The taste of this beer is very similar to the smell with both sweet and tart berry flavors dominant - blackberry and blueberry. Light flavors from the malts as well as just a hint of the Belgian yeast.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth.

O: The beer is a little sweet for my palate but it hides the alcohol very well. This is more of a sipping beer than an easy drinker or a sessionable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2012 02:26:08 | More by dbrauneis

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.1/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 750ml bottle with no date on the bottle. Poured into a tulip glass, this beer was a reddish hue with a small head. It had a sweet aroma. I couldn't detect any particular fruit. Taste was the same: sweet, but not much else. I think after drinking the bottle that maybe I could taste some backberry, but I,m not sure. No hint of blueberry. Some malt gave it a decent mouthfeel. This beer was too sweet for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2007 19:25:49 | More by lordofthewiens

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I guess I was expecting this to have a bluer tint, but its color is entrancing enough. Can't even begin to describe what color it is, I guess a burnt rusty dark orange will have to do. The head is off-white leaning toward a very watered-down, faded version of the beer's color, and it's an inch-thick and holding on forever, staying thick for the duration. With some sips, thick gobs of lace stick the the sides. I don't know how this will fare in the other categories, but it looks fantastic.

A variety fruits come to the nose, if not exactly the fruits that were used in the beer. Definitely various berries, but also some melon and various things like peaches and lemon. Also detecting a Belgian-like yeast, or something Belgian-ish...a faintly funky thing, which indicates there may be something tart happening in the flavor. Hmm.

Not a ton of tartness in the flavor, actually, but a generous touch of alcohol. The black raspberry and blueberry puree certainly come through, and they taste completely natural, which is appreciated (and hardly the norm for fruit beers). Some backup provided by sugar cookie dough malts. The fruit essence is a tad overwhelmed by the alcoholic nip. The experience is improved by a milky sweetness, which carries over into the mouthfeel, which is creamy and silky--a rounded thing just carbonated enough to deliver some textural depth.

I like this, although flavor counts most, and there's a little something missing that I can't put my finger on. I want to like it more, as DFH has my eternal respect and support for their many experimental and often stellar experiments. Still worth a try, although the high price tag might point many people toward other "must try" beers that won't do as much damage to the finances.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2009 21:39:50 | More by Metalmonk

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a 750 ml bottle, this beer is a clear amber color. Although spottingly white, the beer has a mostly nonexistent head. Its aroma is fruity, predominantly blueberry, with a touch of other fruit. There is a notable malt scent as well. There's virtually no hop scent. The taste is semi-sweet, with a firm bitterness. Although there's a lot of fruitiness and a touch of yeast, it's a fairly clean beer. Medium body, and quite drinkable. The beer is straightforward and interesting. It's not particularly engaging, however. It's a reasonably good fruit beer. Not much more.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2010 02:45:27 | More by Suds

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a clear copper-orange color with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades slowly leaving behind some nice lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of blackberry and blueberry with a bit of pale malt and a hint of booze.

T - Starts off with some blackberry and blueberry sweetness with some pale malt. Through the middle, some lightly bready malt comes through with some light yeast flavors. The finish is a mix of blackberry and blueberry with some pale malt and a touch of booze.

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

D - Very drinkable. Very fruit forward, but the overall beer is really nice and interesting. I like the balance.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 09:02:21 | More by ngeunit1

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - pours an orange/mauve with a very flat white head of almost a finger. Receding rapidly, it leaves no lace behind and has only a thin collar and single circle of foam in the center of the Belgian glass. I like the color though.

Aroma - an indistinct fruitiness, faint yeast, and a rumbling of alcohol beneath it all. With some worthwhile effort, I can identify the raspberry.

Taste - an initial burst of yeast, quickly swept over by the fruit flavors. No definite flavor there, and then that is washed away by warm and enveloping alcohol. On the aftertaste, after some delay, the raspberry makes a nice statement, lingering past the booziness. With warming I get more of the blueberry. It took some time but eventually everything plays out on the palate nicely.

Mouthfeel - very bubbly, a bit of fruit/alcohol slickness and a medium to medium-full body.

Drinkability - a sort of Imperial Fruit Beer, this is tasty and potent like Genesis 10:10, yet more elegant like Quelque Chose. Though an expensive bottle, I'd purchase it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2007 20:25:51 | More by brewdlyhooked13

billab914

Virginia

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

Poured from a 750ml bottle into my Lost Abbey sinner stemware. It poured a murky, reddish/orange color. The color looks pretty much like it has some dark blue fruit mixed in. It started off with a thick, pillowy white head to it but it faded after a minute or so. It did leave a bit of lacing as I drank it though.

The aroma not surprisingly has a pretty big fruit aspect to it. Both of the blueberry and blackberry come through pretty nicely. I get a little bit of a honey and caramel sweetness to it as well. Pretty good aroma for a fruit centered beer.

The taste also shows a lot of the berry characteristics to it. The blueberry and the blackberry mix pretty well together and give it a pretty good fruit juice like quality. It's definitely on the sweet side, but isn't cloyingly sweet. The taste is pretty much all about the fruit.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with carbonation being a bit above average. Drinkability was good, it was a pretty good fruit centered beer with some good and fresh berry flavors. It had a fruit juice like quality to it that was pretty good. Overall a pretty decent beer, and a very good beer of the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2010 01:07:26 | More by billab914

emmasdad

Colorado

3.08/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Received a bottle of this one as a gift from my wife for some holiday or other. Poured a reddish-orange color with a slightly off-white head. Somewhat tart on the nose, with aromas of dark berries, alcohol and candi sugar. Medium bodied and tart, with flavors of dark berries, candi sugar and booze.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 05:56:15 | More by emmasdad

DavoleBomb

Ohio

2.73/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a pint glass.

4.0 A: Lightly hazed orange amber color. One and a half fingers of creamy off white head with great retention given the ABV and some spotty lacing.

3.0 S: Smells more like a saison than anything else. Musty and funky. The raspberry and blueberry come through, but not in epic proportions. It's not bad or anything, but it's far too weak for a brew this strong.

2.5 T: Taste is also a bit boring. The only thing that comes through well is the alcohol. Fruitiness is there, but is rather muted like some bullshit fruit beer from some bullshit brewpub. I expect more from DFH. There's some funkiness again, but not enough of that either.

3.0 M: Mouthfeel is medium-ish. However, the carbonation isn't spritzy enough and the beer lays somewhat dead on the tongue. Not particularly creamy or smooth either.

2.5 D: Definitely not one of DFH's best. The only thing good about this is the appearance, but in the scheme of things important, that doesn't mean much. Boring smell, boring taste, boring mouthfeel. Thus, not very drinkable and worse if you factor in price.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2010 01:54:10 | More by DavoleBomb

kmpitz2

Tennessee

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle, 12 oz sample. The beer is a deep rose to light red color with a tight 2 finger that falls to a nice coating over top of the brew. Clarity is moderate and there is a small carbonation running through the glass. The aroma is giving me definite blackberry fruityness that sits over a base that reminds me of wheaty beers, and is the same as I have found in the Red and White and Fort. The flavor is a little subdued to me. The fruityness is dominant, but it is also interrupted by a detectable alcohol character. It really seems to be somewhat distant in the flavor category. I'd like a more prevalent character. Mouthfeel is on the thin side, with a mild carbonation. I think the alcohol character works towards making the beer feel more thin. Overall, I am finding this beer interesting. It delivers what I expected, just not in the quantities as far as flavor goes.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2007 00:58:31 | More by kmpitz2

superspak

Michigan

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle into signature tulip glass, bottled in 2012A. Pours moderately cloudy orange copper color with a nice 2 finger dense and fluffy off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lasts. Nice soapy lacing clings on the glass, with plenty of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of big tart raspberry, blueberry, grape, raisin, clove, light molasses, red wine, and earthy yeast spiciness. Very nice aromas with a good balance of yeast esters with the big authentic fruit notes; with a nice malt/spicy ester balance as well. Taste of tart raspberry, blueberry, grape, raisin, clove, light molasses, bread, red wine, and earthy yeast spiciness. Fair amount of fruit tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of tart raspberry, dark fruits, clove, light molasses, bread, red wine, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice balance and complexity of fruit flavors; with a good balance of malt/yeast spiciness and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Medium carbonation and full bodied; with a slick and moderately syrupy mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice imperial Belgian fruit beer. Nice complexity of fruit flavors and balance of spicy yeast esters; and very smooth to sip on for a 10% brew. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 03:41:44 | More by superspak

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.15/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a deep amber color with a reddish hue and a fluffy off white head that sticks around for a while. Smells of sweet berries, candy sugar, higher alcohols, lightly phenolic. The taste is not really what I expected from the nose. Lacking is much in the way of berry sweetness. I get a bit of tartness mixed with a malty sweetness before I feel the twinge of alcohol descend from my lips down my gullet splashing into my stomach. Tart sticky mouthfeel, medium to thick body, medium level of carbonation. I have mixed feelings about this one. I found the tartness and the flavor tasty, but the alcohol burn was a bit to much for me. Maybe an aged bottle of this would be better? I don't think I liked it well enough to put forth the effort to age though.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2010 00:34:37 | More by johnnnniee