Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra
Raison D’Extra is our amped up version of the Raison D’Etre. It is brewed from a similar grist (raisins included) to a massive 42P, giving it 20.5%ABV, along with 20 IBU and a color of 20L.
18.5% ABV in 11/2005 12 oz. release
18.5% ABV in 11/2005 12 oz. release
3.8
1123 reviews
Milton, United States
Community reviews
A purchase several weeks ago at The Cellar in Odessa, I recall Dogfish Head is rather proud of this product, price-wise. Let us see the justification. I open the 12 oz bottle (born on date of 1/11/19) before lifting into my Cowtown snifter. The liquid is a dark, walnut brown topped by a thinnish, light tan rim around the glass, low carbonation apparently. I find the scent inviting, dark fruit and all, raisin for sure, something from the field. And the drink, hmm, pretty damn fine. very Belgian dark ale tasting for an American ale. Black plum, sorghum, a bit of bakers chocolate, a hint of raspberry jam. A thick burn as it goes down, no abv shown on the label. Dogfish's website is noncommital, puts it in the 15-18% range. Whatever. Potent.
Hazy brown color with thin tan head. Malty and alcohol aroma. Flavor is alcohol and sweetness, raisin or prune, with an alcohol burn at the finish.
Bottle purchased at Beertipia. Poured hazy dark amber with an off white head. Aroma of raisins, dates, wine, dried fruit, earthy, brown sugar, sweet malt. Taste was mild bittersweet, fruity, raisin, mild alcohol for 16.5%.
Boozy. Dark fruit. Spice. Murky brown amber. Sudsy off white head. Fast fade. Leaves some wisps of bubbles on the surface. Sticky sweet. Thick. Raisins. Clove. Brown sugar. Vanilla. Boozy.
Dark brown with a khaki head. Aroma of toasted caramel, toffee, brown sugar and raisins. Sweet, boozy, toasted taste. Medium-full bodied.
Bottled 3/15/07.....Revied 8/2/2013: Bought this at Knightly Spirits/Orlando around 2010 and have been aging since. I have been saving for my 1000th review. Over 6 years old and tastes nice. The alcohol at this ABV% is not really hidden, but blends in smoothly and doesn't have too bad a bit. I guess this improves with age, but I didn't want to go too long at risk of spoiling. Sediment was forming on the inside of the bottleneck, but whipped it off before pouring and it was all good. Flavor of a strong barleywine with sweet raisons lingering on the end. Aroma almost like a sour. I wouldn't say this is my favorite barleywine that I've sampled...but a damn good beer that now has some sentimental value.
Bought in Alexandria, VA, bottle dated 01/11/2019.
Dark mahogany brown color. Slightly hazy. Practically no head- just a light tan ring. Pretty oily. Aroma is huge- vinous, syrup, cherry, and raisin. Flavor has rich malts, strong syrupy dark fruitiness. A bit medicinal, but interesting.
Many thanks to Erzengel for sharing! A hazy dark reddish brown beer with a small beige head. Aroma of heavy strong caramlish malt, red malt, bourbon, raisins. Taste of strong dark caramelish malt, red malt, bourbon, vanilla, riped fruits, raisins.
Many thanks to kappldav123 for sharing this bottle! Deep intense raisins and dry sticky malt in the nose. The beer starts extremely deep but also alcoholic. Sharp burning alcohol over a thick and rich dark body. Nice oxidation together with a deep and dry raisin roasted malty ending. Moderate bitter, intense chocolate cake, fruity raisins, alcohol. Nice one!
Older bottle from my cellar. Looks really good. Beer in the glass brownish, small head. Woody old-malty aroma. Starts heavy and strong, alcoholic, woody, sharp. Not too malty. Woody-alcoholic burning aftertaste. Heavy gun.
Pours cloudy mahogany with nearly non-existent beige head. Aroma is dried fruit, brown sugar and toffee. Taste is raisin, molasses and rich caramel, warming to cinnamon and bananas. Finish is smooth sweet fruit, with a hint of an alcohol burn.
From bottle at home. Cloudy dark amber with minimal head. Big aromas of raisin and alcohol. Flavors are raisins, prunes, sweet malt, spices. It's full bodied, and lets face it, lots of booze, it's not exactly hiding in there. Thick stewed fruit finish, lots of warmth. Great stuff.
This is what I would imagine eisbocking a Rochefort 10 is like. Big, dense an tawny. A brooding beer that keeps 18% in check well. The grape gives it a slightly acidic quality. A tad over bearing, but all in all a wonderful piece of beer as art.
Draft at The Hoppy Monk. Dark brown with thin off white head. Aroma of dark fruits and apple. Sweet with Belgian yeast backbone.
2015 vintage
18%
dark mahogany brown with ruby highlights. Thin off white head that falls to a thin collar. thick and sticky AVB legs.
nose is very dark fruits. Raisin, dark fruit, fig, toffee, soft port. Booze not nearly in your face as expected.
Taste is very dark fruit centered. Touches of port and rum but very well balanced. Booze well hidden. Scary drinkable with some age. Slow sipper but worthwhile
Bottled November 2014, opened March 2017. 12 oz bottle pored to tulip snifter. Big raisin nose initially but nose got more complex as it warmed. Palate also got more complex as it warmed. Fig, port, toffee, red wine, berries, and more. High ABV sneaks up with a pleasant warming that just makes me wish I had more of this. I bought a single bottle of this expensive beer, but next time I see it I’ll buy as many as I can afford.
12 ounce bottle into signature tulip glass, bottled on 11/21/2014. Pours very hazy dark reddish brown color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of huge raisin, prune, plum, fig, date, cherry, apricot, pear, apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, molasses, toasted brown bread, leather, tobacco, wood, and herbal; with lighter notes of licorice, peppercorn, and yeast earthiness. Incredible aromas with fantastic complexity and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, raisins, and dark/bready malt sweetness; with great strength. Taste of huge raisin, prune, plum, fig, date, cherry, apricot, pear, apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, molasses, toasted brown bread, leather, tobacco, wood, and herbal; with lighter notes of licorice, peppercorn, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate herbal bitterness and yeast spiciness after the finish; with lingering notes of dark fruit, cherry, apricot, apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, molasses, toasted brown bread, leather, tobacco, wood, herbal, light licorice/pepper, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, raisins, and dark/bready malt sweetness; with an awesome malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light dryness from bitter/spiciness, lightly increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very smooth, creamy, slick, and lightly syrupy/sticky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is extremely well hidden; a light warmth with zero booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an insane fruited Belgian strong dark ale! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, raisins, and dark/bready malt sweetness; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV. Very rich, complex, and well balanced; never overly sweet or heavy for the ABV with nice dryness. A really amazing offering all around, and just as impressive as a 6 year old bottle I had 4.5 years ago.
Boom goes the dynamite. Strong stuff. Aromas and flavors of raisins, molasses, caramel, hops and wood. Smooth palate and nice color. Sipper.
Ooosh! This is delicious! Almost a raisin, grape like flavor. Smells like a nice leather belt. Molasses flavor. A little flavor like a port or sherry.
12 oz bottle, 2014 vintage. Cloudy reddish brown color with a thin film of white head. Nose is unbelievable! Sherry, dried fruit, just fantastic! Taste is sweet but well balanced with the alcohol burn. I purchased 1 bottle of this but should have bought them all.
A reddy mahogany body with obvious effervescence and a quickly disappearing light tan head. The nose is a work of art - dark berries, congac, raisins, dough and red wine. The taste leads with a significant thick raisin presence, rich toffee, and dates. There is a slight citrus hop bitterness, ripe juicy dark berries, cognac and a nice injection of balancing red-wine acidity. there is a touch of cocao and yeast in the finish. A slick mouth feel and a dense slightly sticky body help maintain the taste. So well integrated, complex and balanced.
12oz bottle. Pours a brownish red with a small beige head. Aroma is raisins and alcohol. Taste is much the same with brown sugar, figs, cinnamon, and molasses. Sweet wine (sherry? port?) like finish. Medium body. Low carbonation. Heavy, thick mouthfeel.
On tap. Pours a cloudy brownish with a thin beige head and light lacing. Smells sweet, alcohol, raisin, fruit. Doesn’t taste like 18%, sweet flavor (and plenty of it), brown sugar delicious. Light bitterness and a nice sweet aftertaste. Interesting and fun.
At Maakun’s. Bottle courtesy of Maakun. Black with almost no head. Maybe because of all the alcohol! Aroma of raisans and alcohol. Krentebol, raisans, marzipan, dades. Over medium sweet. Medium body, very dense and alcoholic. More like an aperatif than a beer.
Bottle shared at home. Clear dark mahogany with small off white head that leaves a small ring. Raisin bread, "krentenbol", quite some alcohol, sweet white wine, glue, loads more alcohol, brown bread, brown sugar, caramel, sherry. Lots of nice complex almost oxidized notes, but also crazy amounts of alcohol. Very sweet with alcoholic bitterness. Full bodied with a bit burning alcoholic finish. Way too much alcohol for me.
12 ounce bottle from Total Wine in Medford, way sweet, raisins come through.
Clearly unfiltered... Caramel colored with lots of beige floaters.
Dates cherries & stone fruit.
Rich, viscous warm and sweet.
I shared a bottle with two friends and we were all pleased. I'm easy, but they're snobs, so I assume it must have been great ;)
Poured from bottle dated 11/21/14 dark caramel color with minimal head and nice lacing. Aromas of caramel malt dark fruit cognac. Taste is dark fruit caramel alcohol and a nice balanced burn. A good sipper.
2013 bottle poured into a snifter -- Pours a muddy brown, zero head, and its nose is extremely boozey. A very pleasant sipper. Most of the raisin has fallen out, it drinks like a very strong Belgian dubbel. A very interesting experience. Check this one off the ’want list’.
Great sipping beer. Malty roasty flavours dominate, with doughy notes. Very rich palate.