ApriHop - Dogfish Head Brewery

    ApriHop is an American IPA that is brewed with apricot juice. This fruity and hoppy beer is brewed by Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware as their Spring seasonal. It also seems to be craved by psychotic, albino rabbits, so that's something.

    The apricot IPA pours a clear, brass color with a half-finger head with great retention.

    ApriHop's aroma is strongly fruity as the hops and apricot juice form their own unique smell. Citrus notes as well as the stonefruit scents can be picked out, as can an earthy undertone. Light malt sweetness lies underneath the fruit and hop scents.

    The fruity IPA is medium bodied and sports a medium level of carbonation. Overall, the beer feels nicely creamy on the tongue. Dogfish Head's love of higher-than-normal alcohol levels makes the beer's alcohol content of 7% ABV unsurprising.

Stay away from my beer, or I'll devour the little one's soul!

    ApriHop's flavor is actually kind of disappointing. I was expecting a nice, lightly fruity, hoppy beer. Instead the flavors I'm getting are mostly earthy and herbal hops notes with a strong ale flavor at the end. There really isn't much apricot OR hops flavor in the beer, especially when you consider that the beer's label describes it "massively hopped". The label goes on to describe that the majority of the "massive hopping" was dry hopping after fermentation, which explains why there is lots of great hops scents and not so much flavor.

    This beer's label has me really concerned that there is a population of apricot-crazy albino rabbits somewhere out there. Just looking at that thing's eyes tells me that it would stop at nothing to enjoy its sweet, sweet apricot nectar of the gods. Plus, it's a widely accepted fact that albinos actually consume the souls of their victims. All I know is that if I run into one of these things on the street, I'm outta there.

    I was very interested in Aprihop at first. I could easily see how apricot juice would go well with hops and was excited to give it a try. As previously stated though, I ended up being disappointed in it. The beer was still decent, but not at all as advertised..

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Raison D'Être - Dogfish Head Brewery

    Raison D'Être is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale brewed by Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware. Some might recognize the beer from the short-running TV series Brew Masters as it was featured on one its 6 episodes. According to the show, this is one of Dogfish Head's signature brews.

    Raison D'Être pours a beautiful dark brown color with a tinge of copper. A slight half-finger head crowns the beer temporarily, before subsiding into a patchy foam on the brew's surface.

    The Belgian Strong smells deep and full of complexity. The aroma of candied dark fruits and dark sugars are immediately perceptible before notes of roasted and bready malts take the main stage. There is a slight hint of alcohol in the aroma, common in Strong Ales.

    Dogfish Head's brew is medium bodied and contains a moderate to high level of carbonation. The beer at first feels very creamy, but turns slightly watery when swallowing. The alcohol content of 8% ABV is likely the culprit for the slight warming sensation felt when drinking the ale.

    Raison D'Être has a lot going on in the flavor department. Immediately your tongue is met with the sweet flavors of raisins and candi sugar. From there, the beer takes your taste buds on a journey through Belgian yeast flavors and spiciness, ending with the roasted, bready malts that were present in the beer's nose. There is a tiny bit of alcohol flavor to the beer, though it doesn't come off as unpleasant in the slightest.

These were humans when you started drinking...

     Growing up in the '80s, one of my favorite group of TV characters were the California Raisins, a claymation group of anthropomorphized raisins that sang Soul and Motown type music. The group was created by the California Raisin Advisory Board to promote raisin consumption across the country, but I don't think I ever connected that the singing raisins were a commercial. I mean, why would I want to eat my favorite music group? Anyway, the similarity between "raison" and "raisin" is pretty obvious to me. Add in the fact that the beer even tastes like raisins, and you have the "raison" that I will call this beer Raisin D'Être from now on.

       Raisin D'Être is an extremely interesting ale. Dogfish Head successfully created a beer that is both very complex, and accessible. I can't see myself having more than one of these in a sitting, but I would suggest trying this brew as a way of expanding your beer palette. Pick up a bottle, and take small sips. Try to separate all the different flavors in your head as you enjoy the beer. It's difficult at first, but you'll eventually find that you can pick apart the flavor's makeup. So don't wait! Head to the store and tell the cashier you need to pick up some Raison D'Être because you heard it through the grapevine! 

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