Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre
Raison D'Etre Voted 'American Beer Of The Year' in January 2000 by Malt Advocate Magazine. A deep mahogany ale brewed with beet sugar, green raisins, and Belgian yeast. As complex as a fine red wine. 36 IBU - available year round, 12 ounce bottles & draft - Descriptors: Notes of pit fruit, decadent, winey, raisiney, malty
3.6
2371 reviews
Milton, United States
Community reviews
Old rating. Approachable Belgian strong. Dark mahogany. Raisins, prunes, brown sugar, dark malts. Solid not mind blowing.
At first I didn’t care for this beer too much, but had hardly tried many Belgian Ales, which grew on me over the next few months...as well as this beer. The next couple times I tried it, I was able to appreciate it as it is, which is a very good ale. The flavors are both sweet and bitter at the same time, hard to describe. Definitely raisins, sugars, other spices, hops. A darker copper/amber color, medium carbonation. Has a good kick too. One of many great DFH beers.
Old rating. Bottle from Old Town. Brown pour with a beige head. Yeast, currants and roasted malts on the nose. As it warms up more fruit comes out: muscat, prune, fig as well as some allspice. Slightly sweet and bitter on the palate. A bit boozy as well. Long bitter finish.
Pours a nice mahogany color, but had no lacing at all or head retention. Smells like a Belgian beer with raisin and butterscotch. A solid beer here, but nothing to write home over.
Bottle at home. Pours deep brown, nose is blackcurrant, raisin, taste is similar, rich, fruity.
undated 12oz bottle served in a pint glass. [from notes]
The DH gets off to a good start, with a lovely reddish amber color and a lasting, creamy looking light tan head. The liquid is clear and the head is multi-density.
The aroma is pleasant but rather mild and lacks depth and complexity being mainly the aroma of various ripe and dark fruits with some alcohol esters, grape bubblegum and a just hint of hops. The alcohol aromas become more pronounced with warming, leading me to lower my rating of this aspect.
This is an exceptionally fruity beer, with a flavor profile dominated by prunes, plums, raisins and generic sour fruits. The tartness nicely contrasts with the sweetness of the aroma. The ABV is not only apparent, it actually seems higher than 8%, as if someone sprinkles some light rum in my beer (no, I’m home alone at the moment).
M - medium body; smooth, but with a tad too little carbonation.
O - This one departs from the admittedly highly variable flavor profile of this beer style. Where’s the malt? It is still a moderately enjoyable if disappointing offering from DH. I’ll buy another bottle but try aging it first.
Unique and complex. Tastes sweet and malty with dark fruits, brown sugar, and Belgian yeast. One of my favorite beers.
330ml bottle shared @Buskers Pub (Rome). Brown appearance with a big head. Aroma has a lot of belgian character, malt, caramel, raisins, esters, spices. Flavour is sweet at first, with a decent bitter end, caramel, raisins, some hops traces. Medium to high body, medium carbonation.
12oz bottle. Pours dark brown amber with minimal head. Smells of raisins (surprise) and a little like wine with yeast. Taste same with dry finish. Good stuff!
Bottle. Pours a clear amber beer with a small, quickly disappearing off white head on top. Aroma is fruity, yeasty, raisins are slightly detected in aroma. Flavor is quite sweet, lots of yeasty esters going on alongside some slight fruity notes. Even has some boozyness in it that I didn’t quite expect. Still a decent beer though, but was hoping for a bit more oomph.
Ambrée et légèrement embrouillée, la bière ne mousse que très peu lors du versement. Fruits confits, liqueur d’orange et sucre d’orge constituent un bouquet qui ferait peur à n’importe quel diabétique. En bouche par contre, c’est beaucoup moins lourd que prévu et ça se boit très facilement. Les mêmes éléments olfactifs prennent tout leur sens dans le palais. Délicieux.
Clear red brown colour, white head. Aroma of raisins, malts, brown sugar. Sweet flavour, light bitter, malts. Full body. Sweet finish, hint of bitterness.
(From 355mL bottle shared @ The Autumn Gathering Formerly Known as RBBAG (I) Mons, Gent 2014)
Interesting beer that shows amazing depth and complexity. It has pit fruit and brings the malts to add a raisin and wine flavor. Takes a certain mood to enjoy.
Flaske delt med Ovesen på HNB 17.11.14: klar mørk rav og tett beige skum som varer - ingenting å si på utseende , og heller ikke på aroma og smak, dette er et øl i toppklasse. Lys appelsinmarmelade blandet med aprikoser og sjokolade. Alt for lett å helle over drøvelen, glasset var tomt lenge før vi var ferdige med kveldens andre omstikking.
Bottle shared with JMD at HNB 17.11.14. Clear copper. Dense beige head. Aroma of cherry compote, prune compote and roasted nuts. Similar taste and aftertaste. A bit of fizziness at start also makes it an easily drinkable ale.
Bottle 12 fl oz thanks to _angst_! Sampled on October 28, 2014.
Clear mahogany reddish brown color, small light brown head. Sweet, unrefined sugar, alcohol, light Belgian yeast scent. Sugary, tart, toasted, light roasted taste. Dry, grainy aftertaste. Sort of fizzy mouthfeel, medium bitterness that is rather dry and a bit harsh.
Bottle bought @ Kihoskh. Pours tiny hazy reddish brown with a rather small frothy and bubbly goldenish beige head that leaves some spotty trace on the glass while dissipating. Smell is sweet and fruity with sweet dark bread, caramel, raisins, moist wood, soil, hay, St Johns wort and caramelized orange peal. Taste is sweet, slightly bitter, slightly malty and fruity with sweet dark bread, caramel, cereal, banana, raisins, liquorice root, moist wood, orange peal and ash. Mouthfeel is round, tiny astringent, tiny sparkling and medium bodied. Finish is sweet, bitter and fruity with sweet dark bread, raisins, hay, soil, bread spices and orange peal. Quite allright...
Bottle thx to _angst_ cons 2014-10-28 Göteborg
AR: rasins, plum cake, wee yeasty, dried brittish fruits
AP: hazy mahogny, frothy fizzy creamy dark beige head
F: thin feeling, belgian yeasty, dutch waffel cakes, rasins
Thank you Martinus! Tasting glass from 355 ml. bottle consumed @ “The Tasting formerly known as Mons RBBAG I (2014)”. Copper amber brown, little head. Sweet caramel, raisin, syrupy, tad molasses nose,.. Taste is thick malt, sweetish sugar, caramel, candy, raisin, dark fruit, almost tad barley wine malt feel to it, sweet sugar. Thick malty body. This is quite delicious stuff, pleasant surprise for sure.
September 26, 2014. Bottle at home. Pours clear ruby red with a dense off-white head. Aroma is brown sugar, dark fruits, raison, spices. Taste is medium sweet brown sugars, dark fruits and light bitter. Finish holds sweet dried fruits, alcohol and spices, light bitterness. Medium bodied.
"sweet sweet sweet, but very drinkable for an 8% beer. there is still a slight bitter finish from the hops, but only in the finish. mouthfeel is thick and a little sticky. not one of their best, but pretty good anyway. 6/09-more belgian beet sugar in the nose and flavor as it warms. same rating."
Aroma of grapes and raisins. Cloudy brown color with virtually no head. An unpleasant taste of sugary sweet malt, with a dry feel and an unpleasant sugary chalk finish. A highly over rated beer.
355ml bottle. Dark copper, bordering on brown. Head quickly recedes to a thin covering. Aroma is cocoa, plum, faint red fruits, still fainter spices and a touch of smoke. Taste is leather, chocolate, sticky fruits. Slightly syrupy feel to it. Good approximation of a Belgian, but not as good as the real thing.
A Dogfish Head újabb gyöngyszemének mély mahagóni színe belga quadrupelek illatát idézi, voltaképpen egy igazi piknikkosár kandiscukros fügével, mazsolával, kékszőlővel és keksszel. Az előbbiek folyékony kivitele is igen megnyerő, a keret pedig, melyben testet ölt a komponensek szövetsége, elképesztően sima, krémes és árnyalt. Maláta, barnacukor, csonthéjas termések és túlérett banános ízek egyvelege, melyek olyannyira elegánsan simulnak össze egy likőrös halmazba, hogy egy cseppet sem tűnik émelyítőnek, eltúlzottnak a végeredmény. Valódi specialitás, ami magán hordozza a vörösborok jellemvonásait is, összességében azonban mégis a belga erős ale-ek családjába tartozik, a műfajteremtő darabok némelyikétől egy fokkal talán még kifinomultabb karakterrel.
Brown no head; aroma is prunes/raisins; Flava is medium sweet and hoppy notes of Belgian sugar; feels medium with fizzy foaminess; finishes crush and tangy sweet
33cl bottle. Pours deep mahogany red with a low creamy beige that quickly fades. Smells of malts with light roasted notes, caramel, molasses, spices, dark fruits and light alcohol. Taste is caramel with fruity notes. Light bitter finish with a pleasant caramel aftertaste with some coffee hint and a nice final alcoholic warmness. Very good.
sweet sugar and belgian yeast,red/brown, clear, tan foam, light sweetness, lightly bitter, medium body, creamy, soft carbonation, nice sweet fruit finish,
Bottle @ Aarhus tasting. Clear dark amber with an off-white head. Aroma is sweet, malty, caramel, candy sugar and yeasty. Flavor is quite sweet and moderate bitter. Sweet finish with warming alcohol. 280714
Bottle, 8%. Clear dark brown with small tan head. Aroma is malt, caramel, toasted, oak, yeast, dark fruits and a little plume. Flavour is malt, caramel, toasted, oak, wood, yeast, dark fruits, plume, little chocolate, sweet and toasted, candy sugar and a little bitter.
Bottle. Nice head with good duration. Color is amber. Aroma and taste are rich fruits, caramel, malt, syrop, candy sugar, yeast and hops. Nice sweet finish.