Dogfish Head Brewing Company Tasting

The Dogfish Head Brewing Company tasting I went to tonite was a great mix of beers that I've had and some that I had never even heard of. As is customary we started light, with the 60 Minute IPA and began to move into some of the more exotic and intense brews that Dogfish Head continuously experiments with. But although I tasted more than eight different brews from Dogfish Head there is one that I'd like to profile, and that is the Raison D'extra "The big brother of the Raison D'etre"

Raison D'Extra 21% ABV 12oz

To understand the Raison D'Extra you first need to know the Raison D'etre. The D'etre is brewed with green raisins, malt, and beets That's right, Beets. It's flavor and aroma are as complex as a wine, and the flavor leaves nothing to be desired. The sweet malty flavor is decadent and rich with strong raisin flavors. The rep gave me a simple reason to drink the beer, "It's just so good for you." So let's move on to the big brother.

Basically the same beer in theory was brewed with a different yeast which enables the beer to be aged for a longer period of time. This beer was bottled in 2006, and they've been sitting on it letting it become what I tasted tonite. The incredibly potent Raison D'Extra. It has a very sweet malty nose with a strong sweet raisin almost candied, the flavor is that of Rum Raisin Ice Cream which is only boasted by it's rich full-bodied chewiness. It's strong alcohol content sends a warming sensation down your throat, at this moment you realize... "This beer just blew my mind" and you'll say or think this because it challenges what a beer can be, but it's breaking barriers in all the right ways. There is one problem, and that's finding it, because it is a limited run it is likely you won't be able to find it just anywhere, so if you're lucky enough to live in an area with a quality Beer Store, or depending on your state, Liquor Store and start there. I hope this encourages you to try beers that you might not normally try, you might just find something extraordinary.

Plus, if you can't find the Raison D'Extra, go for the Raison D'etre, it's a great place to start. And remember it's got veggies in it and "It's so good for you."

Cheers!