Dogfish Head – Chicory Stout

Hello fellow beer snobs. Up tonight is Dogfish Head’s Chicory Stout. This is one of those “pleasant surprises” as I opened up the old beer fridge and hidden in the back I found a few brews that KnoxBeerSnob Don brought me back from his last trip to Bruisin’ Ales.

Also, for the record, sometimes it is VERY hard to take the picture of the beer you’re writing about, get said picture transfered, reduced, and ready to rock BEFORE you begin drinking said beer. This one was extremely difficult as it smells REALLY good.  Gotta do this first or well…it may not get done at all.

On to the beer. Those of us who know Dogfish Head know their tagline, “off-centered ales for off-centered people” which may have changed to “off-centered stuff…” Huh…anyway. The bottom line is that Dogfish is known for pushing the limits of beer and pushing out some unique stuff.  This beer ranks as one of DogFish Head’s oldest brews. Chicory Stout is very dark to the color – actually matches the bottle quite well. It poured with very little head and gave an immediate aroma of cocoa, honey, and coffee. It reminds me a little of New Belgium’s 1554 but the similarities don’t carry much further than that. This beer has a very distinctive taste – a little smokey or roasted – reminds me of roasted coffee beans but it’s not like a mouthful of them though, it’s subtle. This beer doesn’t taste as sweet as the smell lets on and finishes with a little hoppy bitterness and that’s where the chicory really seems to stand out.

Final Snobs: This is a cool beer. Unique in it’s flavor and one I’ll certainly keep an eye out for next season. Honestly, it kinda makes me want to put on my jacket and stand on the deck while I grill a steak – maybe next time.