Dogfish Head Brewery Announces Return of Olde School Barleywine

Posted on by mashingin

oldeschool1_editedDogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware) will officially reintroduce Olde School Barleywine as a limited release beginning on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.

First released back in 2002, Olde School Barleywine quickly achieved the status of being one of Dogfish Head’s most popular seasonal beers.  This is in large part thanks to the addition of dates and figs to tame the trademark hop bitterness found within the American-style Barleywine.  Although this ageable ale weighs in at a sturdy 15% ABV, it proves to be a gentle giant that is “beautifully balanced . . ., dark red to amber in color, with a sweet and velvety flavor profile and huge complexity and warmth.”  You can either enjoy Olde School Barleywine fresh to enjoy its full hop power or stash your bottles away in the cellar to later experience developing “oxidative characteristics, including honey and toffee flavors and aromas, and lessened bitterness.”

“Our approach was to do a new world take on traditional English barleywine,” says Dogfish Head president and founder, Sam Calagione. “American style barleywines tend to be more hop-forward while, in comparison, English barleywines are malt-forward and develop their fruity attributes from the esters. When properly aged, the pit-fruit and sweet, sherry characteristics mature into something spectacular.”

Olde School Barleywine officially returns on January 3 as a Limited release offering.  This brew will be available in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles at craft beer-friendly establishments found in Florida and throughout the rest of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s 31 state (+ D.C.) distribution footprint.  Olde School Barleywine is released quite infrequently these days, so be sure to grab an adequate supply this month to hold you over until its next release.  Prost!

Vital Information for Olde School Barleywine from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Release – Limited, beginning January 3, 2017
Style – American Barleywine
Original Release Date – 2002
ABV – 15%
IBUs – 85
Added Ingredients – Figs & dates
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles
Beer Finder (a.k.a. Fish Finder) – https://www.dogfish.com/brewery/fishfinder   

UPDATED – Dogfish Head to Expand Distribution to Alabama and Four Other States in 2017

Posted on by mashingin

dfhlogoDogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware) recently announced plans to extend their reach over the next year by adding Alabama, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico and West Virginia to the brewery’s distribution footprint.

Through the wonderment and beauty of fine craft beer, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery has been “dedicated to bringing off-centered goodness to off-centered people” for over 21 years now.  The brewery has earned a highly-respected reputation for creating experimental and sometimes extreme takes on classic styles, but the elevated ABV levels for several of their offerings had many beer fans in Alabama fearful that Dogfish Head may never enter the Heart of Dixie.  The Alabama craft beer community can now put those worries to rest because the brewery has officially declared that 2017 is the year.

Dogfish Head has already started their 2017 distribution expansion by rolling out a little early in New Mexico.  At launch, the brewery is leading with “a full line-up of iconic, fan-favorite brews, including 60 Minute IPA, 90 Minute IPA, SeaQuench Ale, Flesh & Blood IPA, Namaste White, Indian Brown, Palo Santo Marron, Burton Baton, Midas Touch, and seasonal releases. Limited quantities of specialty beers and occasional rarities will also be available throughout the year.”  Craft beer lovers in Alabama, Minnesota, Missouri and West Virginia can expect the same treatment whenever the brewery announces launch dates in those states.  Due to the state’s ABV cap on beer, Alabama can expect to see a slightly abridged version of the Dogfish Head portfolio of brews.

**UPDATE – 3.6.2017** Beginning March 6, Dogfish Head’s full portfolio of beers will arrive in Alabama via a trio of wholesalers: Gulf Distributing, Supreme Beverage Company and Premium Beverage.

“The craft beer scene is taking off in the southeast and there are a ton of beer lovers throughout the state,” Dogfish Head CEO and founder Sam Calagione said in a press release. “We have our new canning line pumping out beer and enough brewing capacity to ensure we can keep retailers well stocked with our off-centered, well-differentiated family of beers and are ecstatic that Dogfish Head fans hailing from Alabama can finally enjoy their favorite brews in their home state.”

Confirmed Alabama Launch Events

  • Tuesday, March 7 at 4 p.m.: The Nook (3305 Bob Wallace Ave SW, Huntsville) – Dogfish Head Tap Takeover featuring 90 Minute IPA, 60 Minute IPA, Flesh and Blood IPA, Palo Santo Marron, & Midas Touch
  • Tuesday, March 7 at 5 p.m.: Wish You Were Beer, Campus No. 805 (2500 Clinton Ave W, Huntsville) – Dogfish Head Launch Event featuring 90 Minute, 60 Minute, Palo Santo Marron, Burton Baton, Namaste, Beer to Drink Music To, Indian Brown Ale, and more on tap and available in bottles and cans to go
  • Wednesday, March 8 at 5 p.m.: The J. Clyde (1312 Cobb Lane, Birmingham) – Dogfish Head Launch Party
  • Wednesday, March 8 at 5 p.m.: Hop City Birmingham (2924 3rd Ave S, Birmingham) – Dogfish Head Beer Release and Sampling
  • Wednesday, March 8 at 6 p.m.: The Beer Hog (112 Bowling Lane, Pelham) – Dogfish Head Tap Takeover featuring 60 Minute IPA, 90 Minute IPA, Beer To Drink Music To, Flesh and Blood IPA, Namaste White, Burton Baton, Midas Touch & Palo Santo Marron

We will update the list above with more events as soon we hear about them.  **UPDATE – 3.6.2017**

Once Dogfish Head Craft Brewery is ready to launch in Alabama, we will be sure to update you with available beers, launch events, and any other pertinent information at that time.  Stay tuned and start getting excited.  Prost!

dfhbrewerynewpack

 

 

Dogfish Head Launches 60 Minute IPA in cans, Announces Return of Red & White

Posted on by mashingin

dfh60min2In a November already filled with good news from the brewery, two more exciting pieces of information have now been released by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware):

  1. 12 oz. cans of 60 Minute IPA are beginning to hit shelves now.
  2. Red & White has officially returned for a limited time.

With the purchase of a state-of-the-art canning line from Krones, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery has now officially joined the canned craft beer movement and 60 Minute IPA will fittingly be the brewery’s first offering released in cans.  60 Minute IPA is a fan-favorite India Pale Ale that “is continuously hopped — more than 60 hop additions over a 60-minute boil.”  This beer’s popularity has played a huge role in Dogfish Head’s impressive growth over the years, so it only seems appropriate that 60 Minute IPA is given the honors to embark on the canning line’s maiden voyage.  On Monday, November 7, 12 oz. cans of 60 Minute IPA will head out into distribution “throughout the Mid-Atlantic, then into Dogfish’s full 30-state plus Washington D.C. distribution footprint in early 2017.”  Flesh & Blood IPA and SeaQuench Ale will then join the brewery’s year-round brand can lineup in early 2017 as well.

“Early on in the craft brewing renascence I was underwhelmed with the canning technology for craft beer,” said Dogfish Head founder and President Sam Calagione. “But times have changed, equipment has evolved, and we’ve designed a beautiful, state-of-the-art Krones can line that delivers the quality and consistency our consumers have come to expect from our beer.”

dfhredwhiteAs an added bonus, fans of Dogfish Head will be delighted to hear that Red & White is returning to shelves as a limited release from the brewery’s lineup of Occasional Rarities.  After attending a beer and wine dinner on the West Coast, Dogfish Head founder and President Sam Calagione was inspired to create Red & White as an offering that captures characteristics of both beer and wine.  The “White” portion of this offering refers to the lovely base of a Belgian-style Witbier brewed with coriander and orange peel. The juice of Pinot Noir grapes accounts for the “Red”, and then “a fraction of the batch is aged in one of [the brewery’s] 10,000-gallon oak tanks.”  Once completed, Red & White presents itself as a 10% ABV offering that “successfully marries the refreshing citrusy qualities of a Belgian-style white beer with the robust complexity of a red wine.”  This limited release offering is available now in 750ml bottles and can be found at select craft beer establishments within Dogfish Head’s distribution area.

There you have it.  Go ahead and grab a bottle or two of Red & White to share during the fast-approaching holiday season, and make a note to remind yourself that those cans of 60 Minute IPA will begin turning up in the Southeast at the start of 2017.  Prost!

Vital Information for 60 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Release – Year-round
Style – India Pale Ale
ABV – 6%
IBUs – 60
Aroma – Hop-forward with piney & citrus notes
Flavor – Hoppy with moderate bitterness & crisp finish
Food Pairing – Spicy foods, pesto, grilled salmon, soy-based dishes, pizza
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft. 12 oz. cans become available in Mid-Atlantic region on November 7, 2016 with distribution into the full 30 state distribution area of Dogfish Head to follow in 2017.

Vital Information for Red & White from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Release – Limited/Occasional Rarities Series, November 2016
Style – Belgian-style Witbier
ABV – 10%
IBUs – 35
Aroma – A combination of citrus and berry with a balance of subtle spicy notes
Flavor – Winey red and orange citrus complemented with subtle spiciness
Food Pairing – Grilled red meat, Reuben, meatballs, stewed greens, grapes
Suggested Glassware – Snifter
Availability – 750 ml bottles
Beer Finder (a.k.a. FishFinder) – http://www.dogfish.com/brewery/fishfinder

Dogfish Head Goes Dark Side with Release of Beer for Breakfast and World Wide Stout

Posted on by mashingin

dfhb4b1Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware) has announced that they will officially release Beer for Breakfast Stout and World Wide Stout as limited offerings beginning on Monday, November 7.

To celebrate the 21st year of brewing Chicory Stout (the first beer brewed at Dogfish Head’s pub when it opened in 1995), the folks at the brewery have decided to trick this old favorite out with a little culinary influence this year and create Beer for Breakfast.  This new release is a full-bodied Stout that has been brewed with RAPA Scrapple, “a classic Mid-Atlantic staple to the most important meal of the day . . . affectionately described as an ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ type of meat as it’s a patty made from pork scraps, cornmeal and spices.”  Coffee, brown sugar and maple syrup join the scrapple to provide craft beer fans with a breakfast-themed brew boasting “notes of coffee and smoke, subtle maple and spice.”  Beer for Breakfast weighs in at 7.4% ABV and 30 IBUs.

“The recipe for our original breakfast beer Chicory Stout, just turned 21 this year.  Legal drinking age.  To mark this momentous occasion, we have taken a couple decades experience brewing with culinary goodness and combined our favorite pure, all-natural breakfast ingredients into a beer that we will think you will agree is the most important meal of the day,” said Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head founder and president.  

dfhwws2If news of Beer for Breakfast’s release is not enough to get you excited for Stout Season, the always impressive behemoth known as World Wide Stout will be joining that offering in a November that Dogfish Head appears to be dedicating to “dark beer aficionados.”  World Wide Stout first debuted back in the winter of 1999, and this 15-20% ABV Imperial Stout has been wowing craft beer fans ever since.  With a “depth more in line with a fine port or a rich madeira,” this is a Stout that is truly meant for sipping and sharing.  World Wide Stout can be enjoyed fresh, but patience will serve you incredibly well here because this beer ages beautifully.

“Like Fort and 120 Minute IPA, World Wide Stout only gets better in its golden years. Allow it to mature in your beer cellar and you’ll find the heat of the booze fades into the background and the port notes and roastiness take over and merge harmoniously into a timeless aged ale”, said Calagione.

Beer for Breakfast Stout and World Wide Stout will both begin hitting shelves and taps as limited release offerings on November 7.  Beer for Breakfast Stout will be available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft through the month of December.  World Wide Stout will see availability in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft while supplies last.  Both beers will be available at select craft beer retailers found in Florida and throughout Dogfish Head’s full distribution footprint.  The best strategy to employ here is to grab a few bottles of World Wide Stout to stash away for aging and pick up a sixer or two of Beer for Breakfast to make that aging/waiting process a bit more bearable.  Prost!

Vital Information for Beer for Breakfast from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Release – Limited, November & December 2016
Style – Stout
ABV – 7.4%
IBUs – 30
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Aroma – Strong aroma of coffee and smoke, subtle maple and spice notes
Flavor – Roasted coffee, smoked bacon, subtle maple and herbal notes, slightly sweet and roasty
Food Pairing – Hearty breakfast foods (eggs, homefries, scrapple/sausage/bacon), steak, vegetable hash, creme brulee

Vital Information for World Wide Stout from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Release – Limited, November 2016
Style – Imperial Stout 
ABV – 15-20% (varies by release)
IBUs – 70
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Aroma – Roasted malt, coffee and licorice
Flavor – Roasted malt and subtle coffee notes
Food Pairing – Chickpea falafel, lamb sliders, short ribs, IBA five-onion soup, bacon chocolate cheesecake
Beer Finder (a.k.a. FishFinder) – http://www.dogfish.com/brewery/fishfinder

 

Tasting Notes: SeaQuench Ale from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Posted on by mashingin

SQ2Tasting Notes journeys into the world of Session Sour Ales this week by taking a look at SeaQuench Ale from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware).

Before we get to the review, let’s cover some background information on this exciting new brew.  SeaQuench Ale is a new limited release from Dogfish Head that combines the stylistic worlds of Kölsch, Berliner Weisse and Gose in one beer.  This union features a good dose of wheat, sea salt, black limes, and fresh lime juice to create a highly drinkable Sour Ale capable of quenching any thirst.  This 4.9% ABV offering is still hanging out on shelves in six-packs of 12 oz. bottles and pouring on draft, but its limited availability is nearing an end.  Look for this brew at craft beer establishments in Florida and throughout Dogfish Head’s distribution footprint.  For more information on this offering, click here to read the release profile I published back in August.  Now that the formalities are out of the way, let’s see what SeaQuench is all about with some Tasting Notes!

Tasting Notes for SeaQuench Ale from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Appearance: SeaQuench hits the glass as a hazy, straw yellow in color.  When held to direct light, lemony yellows develop and that haze holds fast but also divulges that it is not completely opaque.  The body displays a carbonation level that judiciously streams bubbles in single file lines found randomly along the full circumference of the glass.  The pour produced a fizzy half finger of bubbly white head that dissipates almost as quickly as it appeared.

Aroma: Just as it should, lime citrus saturates the air as soon as the beer is poured.  Lime zest and peel account for the majority of the aromatic profile, but a touch of the briny black lime hints at its role in this beer with a salty citrus quality turning up as well.  Trademark lactic sour notes develop around just a whisper of wheat.  It may be cliché, but this smells of summer on the coast.

Taste: Tart lime and lactic sourness initially grab your attention with a quickness on each sip. Lime juice, peel and zest shine brightly along with a nicely timed interjection from the preserved lime character.  The brininess of the black lime and the added sea salt jump in to clean things up with a breezy, saltwater quality.  Coriander and spicy hops add a little dynamic jolt at times.  The wheat is a bit of a wallflower here, but it does timidly wave hello just as the beer’s flavors vanish from the palate. Bright, clean, and delicious.

Mouthfeel: This beer is wonderfully light in body with a moderate carbonation level.  It is mostly tart on the palate, but salt and a touch of sweetness tickles the taste buds as well.  The ABV is absolutely nowhere to be found, allowing the beer to be incredibly crisp, refreshing and quenching.  The aftertaste is all freshly squeezed lime.

Final Thoughts: By combining the easy-drinking German styles of Kölsch, Berliner Weisse and Gose, the folks at Dogfish Head have an absolute winner here.  The lactic hit of the Berliner easily works with the limes to create a refreshing tartness that is balanced by the subtle, grain sweetness you expect from a Kölsch.  The saltiness from the Gose then kicks in and finishes things off with a perfect level of salinity that wipes the palate clean to entice another sip.  I also have to say that I am totally sold on the idea of black limes making an appearance in future Gose offerings.  Simply a perfect choice in ingredient and I feel like a fool for not thinking of it myself.  All in all, SeaQuench Ale has achieved the level of an ultimate thirst quencher.  Each sip is bracing and a delight. I simply cannot get enough.  Prost!

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA Returns

Posted on by mashingin

unnamedDogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware) recently announced that 120 Minute IPA has once again returned to shelves.

Do you like hops?  I mean . . . really like hops?  I mean . . . like a level of hoppiness that makes you wonder if it could possibly strip paint?  Me too, and that’s why it is such good news to be able to report that Dogfish Head’s 120 Minute IPA is back for a limited time.  If you are unfamiliar with this offering, 120 Minute IPA is an Imperial IPA that typically clocks in somewhere between 15% and 20% ABV.  To counteract the sweetness level that is produced at this elevated ABV level, this offering is “continuously hopped with a copious amount of high-alpha American hops throughout the boil and whirlpool, and then dry-hopped with another pallet of hops” to rack up an incredible 120 IBUs.  Often referred to as the “Holy Grail for hopheads,” 120 Minute IPA is an extreme take on the style that is a perspective-altering, craft beer experience you will not soon forget.

120 Minute IPA is available now as a limited release and sold as single serve 12 oz. bottles.  Look for this offering now at select craft beer retailers in Florida and in any state within Dogfish Head’s distribution area that legally allows the sale of beers of this ABV.  120 Minute IPA can be enjoyed fresh, but it does equally well when aged for a few years.  That said, the brewery recommends that you do not attempt to tackle a 12 oz. by yourself.  Find a friend, share, sip, savor and discuss.  Prost!

Vital Information for 120 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Availability – Limited, April & September releases
Style – Imperial IPA
ABV – 15-20%
IBUs – 120
Packaging – Single 12 oz. bottles
Recommended Glassware – IPA glass, snifter, red wine glass

Dogfish Head launches SeaQuench Ale as new limited release

Posted on by mashingin

SQ2Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware) recently announced the limited release of SeaQuench Ale Session Sour this week.

To kick off a “new partnership between Dogfish Head and the National Aquarium that will focus on inspiring conservation of the world’s aquatic treasures,” Dogfish Head Craft Brewery has brewed and released SeaQuench Ale Session Sour.  This new offering is a sessionable Sour Ale that is a blend of three German styles.  SeaQuench starts with a “straightforward Kolsch with lots of wheat and Munich Malt, then . . . a salty Gose with black limes, coriander and . . . sea salt,” and it is all finished “with a citrusy-tart Berlinerweiss made with lime juice and lime peel.”  The National Aquarium contributed by helping the brewery replicate the sea salt from Maine and the Chesapeake Bay to give the Gose portion of this beer its satisfying salinity.  The blended, finished beer comes in at 4.9% ABV and has “amazingly tart, refreshing crisp flavors of lime and the deeper slight bitter of black lime, a touch of salt on the tongue, [and] a bit of malt sweetness in the finish.”

The limited release of SeaQuench Ale officially shipped from the brewery on August 1st and will be hanging out throughout September.  Look for this one on draft and in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles in Florida and in other select markets within Dogfish Head’s distribution footprint (full list below).  Additionally, SeaQuench Ale will be available year-round in the National Aquarium’s cafe and at select National Aquarium events.  Get it while you can and be sure to enjoy this refresher during the hottest months of the year.  Prost!

Vital Information on SeaQuench Ale Sour Session from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Release – Limited, August through September
ABV – 4.9%
IBUs – 10
Distribution – FL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI
Fun Fact – “Releasing just in time for the 500th anniversary of the Reinheitsgebot – aka the ‘German Beer Purity Law’ that says it’s illegal to brew with anything other than water, barley, and hops – SeaQuench Ale both commemorates (and disintegrates) this art-censorship law.”

 

 

Dogfish Head launches Flesh & Blood IPA

Posted on by mashingin

unnamedDogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales (Milton, Delaware) recently released Flesh & Blood India Pale Ale as their newest limited offering.

The brewers at Dogfish Head developed Flesh & Blood IPA to be quite the citrus-laden experience.  Real lemon flesh, blood orange juice, orange peel and lemon peel were all used in the brewing process.  To complement and accentuate those citrus notes, a mix of Warrior, Centennial, and a “rare experimental hop” was employed in the recipe.  The finished beer presents an “explosive, zesty fruitiness and subtle dry tartness of citrus to deliver a highly quaffable ale that’s incredibly unique and lovely to down the whole year round.”

Flesh & Blood IPA is available now as a limited offering packaged in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft.  You can find this brew in Florida and in several other select markets throughout Dogfish Head’s distribution footprint (click here to track some down).  Prost!

Vital information on Flesh & Blood IPA from Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales

ABV – 7.5%
IBUs – 45
Availability – limited release found in AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI