Review 170: Deschutes The Dissident

Review 170

7/22/13

Deschutes The Dissident: 11.4% abv

Background: Well, here we are with another special review. A coworker of mine donated this beer to our cause and for that we are greatly appreciative. We of course took advantage of that by writing a review on it. Deschutes Brewery doesn’t show up in Michigan, but that doesn’t mean they’re the new kids on the block. Deschutes was founded in 1988 in Bend, Oregon. They distribute to 18 states, and are the 11^th largest brewery in the U.S. Now we’re talking. Founder Gary Fish named the brewery after the nearby river, which can be well noted on their emblem. This particular beer is the Dissident, 2013 vintage, which is a Flanders-styled brown ale, sour and tart in character. This is a wild yeast beer and according to Deschutes, they use Brettanomyces (a type of yeast often known as the “Brett”) as their catalyst. Deschutes claims this to be a brewing “challenge”, as it is fermented in isolation in pinot noir and cabernet barrels with a lot of favoritism and special treatment. We recall that cherries were part of the mix too, here. So this is obviously a complex and well-cared for beer. The fun question is next. What does it taste like?

Nose: The nose starts off with a good mixture of spices and fruits, with some anise, cinnamon, gingerbread, allspice, and some red grape flavors. There is a slight hint of dark cherries, but it certainly isn’t as prominent as one would think. The fruitiness includes tart green apple, with some yogurt-like creaminess and some confectionary sugar notes that come through. It is a sweet, mellow sweet smell that lulls you into an arguably questionable sense of security. There is a very sweet red wine character that comes through, probably due to the cab and pinot aging.

Arrival: The arrival starts of tart with some sweet lemon flavor to it, with definite cherry tartness up front. To compliment these two flavors, there is a sense of tart green apple to bring up the arrival even more. There is almost a carbonated lemon-lime soda flavor that comes through as well. There isn’t much sense of grain or oak, but it does pack the initial tartness of a sour candy. There is a very faint hint of agave in the arrival present, which adds to the syrup-like sweetness.

Body: The agave that was found in the arrival slips into the body with some presence, along with the tart fruit notes, but gives way to some spicy notes that were found in the arrival as well. There are some notes of cherry and blackberry that come through, with slight hints of red wine and dark grapes. There is a little bitterness and a subtle creaminess that come through in the body, with just a small subtlety of pepper. There is a little bit of Christmas spice character that goes along with this beer, but it is very minute.

Finish: There is, from the nose, a sense of sweet red wine without any sense of dryness to it. There is a really dominant sense of creaminess in the finish, which is in good contrast to the fruity character that resides in the beer. The tart apples, cherries, blackberries, and other flavors reminiscence of a Sangiovese. The finish is about medium in length and not terribly complex, but it does finish off smoothly, and convinces you that you are not actually drinking an 11% beer. Don’t let it fool you though. That will end you up in a ditch.

Final Comments:  We’ve had a small number of sour beers in our time, and by far, this strikes me as one of the more unique, complex ones. That being said, it isn’t mind blowing, and the finish definitely loses some of zest that the nose and arrival mounted up. It isn’t hard to drink, but I can see how if you like hoppy beers, this could really get to be a bit sweet over time. This strikes me as a cordial-type beer, and is a great thing to share with friends. It does show incredible promise that sour beers don’t have to taste just like grape juice (I’m looking at you La Roja), and with a little more complexity and less tartness dominating the flavor, this could truly be a home run type beer. We enjoyed the spiciness and unique qualities that aren’t normally found in beers of this style. As far as Deschutes goes, this is a great first impression of them and we look forward to the opportunity to try more of their beers.

Why you’d buy it: This beer is a great learning experience and you don’t mind a mixture of sweetness, tartness, and mild spices

Why you wouldn’t: You don’t like tartness

Score: 8.5/10

Review 107: Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre

Review 107

11/21/12

Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre: 8% abv

Alright people. Dogfish Head is a big deal to some of you for their 90 Minute IPA. Dogfish Head Brewery is from Delaware, and only recently has it entered into the Michigan market. They were founded in 1995, which makes them younger than I am...amateurs. So are they worth the fuss? Well we were going to tell you a while ago, when they were a bigger deal, but we are backed up on spirits and beers to try. Since we’ve done a lot of IPAs, we wanted to move forward with something different. This is a “mahogany ale”, or a Belgian style brown ale which we are effectively calling a brown ale, so let’s get started. On the nose, we have a light, smooth blend of light woodiness and light hops, mixed with some wheat-like graininess. There is also a noticeable fruitiness in the form of raspberries and strawberries, but it includes yeast, raisons, cantaloupe, and heath. Overall, a unique, complex nose. When finally trying the beer, you’ll get instant sweetness from molasses and maple syrup like flavors, some berries and dark grapes and raisons. The body of the flavor gives off more light, dry raison taste, with some mixed berries, and some sugar and honey flavors. Unfortunately, there is a watery character to this beer, which is instantly a disappointment. The finish is light with some hops, raspberry and strawberry again, walnuts, and more cantaloupe. It is slightly dry as well. Overal, this is not a complex beer, and the nose is the most enjoyable part of it. It is sweet and drinkable, but other than that, it isn’t very compelling. Luckily it isn’t too expensive, so it might be worth a try, but we wouldn’t rush out to the store for it. We are hopeful that the next Dogfish Head gives us better luck. Thank you to some guest reviewers, Josh and Justin. Glad to have you contribute. 

Score: 7.0/10

Review 66: Dragonmead Final Absolution

Review 66

6/20/12

Dragonmead Final Absolution: 8.5% abv

We're still in Michigan, finding unique and awesome expressions of beer around the different areas. This one is a particularly noteworthy piece by Dragonmead Brewery in Warren, Michigan. This is a Belgian Trippel ale, which is known to be heavier and higher in alcohol content, so let's give this a go. 

The nose is fruity and refreshing, providing flavors of grape, champagne, apple, honey, slight lemon, anise, vanilla, cantaloupe, a subtle peppermint, and pumpkin. The nose is pleasant and complex, with a refreshing body and tons of flavors to swoon over. The taste continues this trend, providing many of the same notes for enjoyment, including honey, lemon, honeydew, lots of apple, vanilla, grape and strawberry, wheat, bubblegum, fall spices and pumpkin, and a little bit of champagne. 

The finish actually takes a slightly different path, having a subtle vegetal quality, covered with melon, slight hops, a continuation of peppermint, and that little reminiscence of pumpkin at the end. The length of the finish is medium and aptly satisfying. This beer is a great one, with tons of flavors and enjoyable complexity, albeit leaning on the side of sweet, as a Belgian would. It's definitely worth a check out if you like the style. 

Score: 9.0/10