The Brewery: Dogfish Head (Milton, DE)
The Brew: Black & Blue (Belgian Fruit Beer)
Availability: Bottles & Draft (Limited)
ABV: 10.0% | IBUs: 25
Rating: 8.2/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center
The Story? Black & Blue is the first of four Dogfish Head Occasional Rarities that I'll be covering over the next week or so. Typically, fruit beers are not the first thing I grab for. Artificial flavoring or poor backbone choice (uninspired wheat beers, etc) are usually the big culpruit, but I never swear off a whole style.
Enter Dogfish Head, who as usual, like to do things their own way. B&B is Belgian-style golden ale fermented with black raspberries and blueberries - real berries; nothing fake here. It also, boasts a 10% ABV, which is one of the highest I've seen on a fruit beer. All signs point to enjoyable on my radar, so far...
The Beer? Black & Blue immediately releases fragrant aromas of sweet and sour berries while pouring. A finger of white head with a pinkish hue tops the hazy deep amber body. Strong blueberry notes dominate the nose on further breaths in.
The use of real fruit really pays off in this one. Rustic, juicy flavors are abound - smooth and refreshing, while tart, but not at all wild or funky. The Belgian Golden style is a good palate choice to allow the sweet blueberries and soft tartness of the blackberries to shine through, without getting overly sweet. There's a slight earthy aftertaste preceded by a slight dryness on the finish.
Overall, a solid beer, nothing terribly groundbreaking, but a must try for any fruit beer lover and recommended for any of your friends into the lighter side of wines and looking for a gateway into craft beer.
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