Red Grapes X White Beer

Dogfish Head - Red & White [Ale brewed with coriander & orange peel with pinot noir juice added with 11% aged in pinot noir barrels and 89% aged on oak barrel staves] (750ml ---> Dogfish Head Curved Pint Glass : 10% ABV : 35 IBU)

Obviously, I'm a fan of good beer, and I'm also a fan of good wine... So when wine grapes are utilized as an addition to beer, I see the potential for extremely great things!! This particular brew is one I'd been longing to indulge in for quite some time, and after having the exceptional evening at work I had encountered, popping the top of this beauty is much easier and far more rewarding than the scenarios of arson that have continually plagued my thoughts since I clocked out… So to end my rant about my employer, let us move onto this brew calling my name from the fridge… With a fairly aggressive pour, a rocky, two inch, off-white head sat atop an extremely cloudy blood orange hued brew… The head faded moderately quickly and left behind hardly any lacing, but a decent retentive cap decided to linger… On the nose is the immediate presence of pinot noir, as well as a fair amount of soft citrus, and some tamer dark berry traces… Upon tasting, a fair amount of spice was immediately picked up, which could be either the yeast strain or the coriander, but that faded quickly as the mellow citrusy sweetness made it's appearance…

Mid palate, the pinot noir juice made its' presence very known, as it donated more mellow sweetness and gave the first hints of barrel aging, which also helped mellow the sweeter elements… The finish is where the oak barrels really began to shine, as it adds a depth and complexity in the flavors present in this brew, as well as doing a fine job of masking the 10% ABV that started to present its' heat on the back end… The oak fades to the back fairly quickly, but the flavors don't die with it, they simply reemerge as more evolved flavor elements - As if the mythical Phoenix were a Pokémon… A BEER Pokémon!! The mouthfeel on this beer is it's main downfall, as it has a somewhat syrupy consistency to it, which doesn't exactly lend itself kindly to this brew… Overall it fell slightly short of my expectations, as I typically enjoy most all beers brewed with wine grape juice, as well as most any beers that are barrel aged… So thinking that the two combined were a sure homerun is nobody's fault but my own… Not saying this beer didn't hit a stand up triple, but it was far from a grand slam, as I was by no means blown away by it… I hold no regrets though, it was a great example of a blended beer, just not my favorite… None the less - Another great brew, Cheers!!