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.
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| 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!
Amulets and Ale Rating:
Have you seen my California raisin USB drive?
ReplyDeleteUm NO! That's sweet.
ReplyDelete