Review – Dogfish Head Black & Blue Ale

Dogfish Head Black & Blue Ale
10% abv

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a chilled pint glass.

Appearance
Dark, cherry oak wood color with lots of tiny fruit sediment particles floating around. A fair amount of creamy, off-white head. Although this beer was somewhat transparent, it hardly let any light through the glass.

Aroma
Alcohol, ripe fruit, berries, fresh soil.

Taste
Sweet then bitter. The berries overwhelmed my taste buds upon the first sip. However, this is definitely not a “fruity” beer. Many people remember getting the pink stick of chewing gum from inside a pack of baseball cards and this beer reminded me of that flavor. It has been so long since I’ve opened a pack of cards but the taste came immediately back to me.

Mouthfeel
Easy on the mouth and easy to drink. The high alcohol content did not impart much burn in the throat and the carbonation seemed just right.

Overall
I am in love with a new Dogfish beer. On a scale of one to ten, I would give Black & Blue a 15! This strong ale is exactly what I look for in a flavorful, enjoyable beer drinking experience. It is such a shame that this beer only comes around periodically because I would love to have it stocked in my beer fridge all year long.