Dogfish Head World Wide Stout
by admin on Aug.16, 2007, under ale, beer, imperial stout, stout
Background: I wish Dogfish Head would embrace labeling and actually indicate on the bottle what the ABV of the beer inside is. 18% ABV is slightly higher than I was expecting. Bottled in 2005.
Appearance: Soda pop. Very thin, highly bubbly head falls away quickly. Pitch black and opaque.
Smell: Chocolate and caramel with some woody vanilla overtones. Alcohol is present on the nose, but subdued.
Taste: Huge roasted malt flavour, presenting mainly as bitter chocolate and charred coffee; some dried fruit and bourbon character. Sweet and bitter in perfect proportions. Sweetness falls away in the finish leaving vanilla, some piney hops, and maybe a bit of oak(?). Alcohol is noticeable, but not intrusive.
Mouthfeel: Thick and creamy, medium carbonation. Finish is slightly oily from the alcohol.
Drinkability: Huge beer, nicely done. Rich and complex, this is best sipped slowly; remember, there's a lot of alcohol in there. Pairing suggestion: treat it like a port.
