Spring Break
Brews Clues
This Weeks Lager: Immort-Ale
By: Dennis Mongello
Issue date: 6/8/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Originally published: 6/8/07 at 2:42 AM EST
Last update: 6/8/07 at 2:42 AM EST
Originally published: 6/8/07 at 2:42 AM EST
Last update: 6/8/07 at 2:42 AM EST
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In the interest of full disclosure, I have to be honest. Dogfish Head is my favorite brewery. It just edges out Yard's, and Victory and Boulder Beer just doesn't have enough to offer yet. Because of this, this review might sound a little biased. The praise I give Dogfish Head's Immort Ale might come the praise that Dogfish Head's other beers deserve. Honestly though, I think the praise comes from the fact that Immort Ale is one of the best beers I've ever had.
As I poured the beer into the glass, only a thin lacing appeared and there were no visible bubbles in the medium brown brew. It poured clear with just the slightest bit of translucence. This is common for an American brown ale with such a high alcohol content. The deep brown color even hinted at the maple and oak used to flavor this full-bodied brew.
Actually though, the first thing I noticed from the Immort Ale was not its appearance but its smell, which was unusually strong. The beer gave off strong alcohol notes masked slightly by hints of vanilla and oak. Overall, it gave off a pungent aroma and could be smelled from pretty far away when first poured. While I only have pint glasses on hand, this beer is probably best enjoyed in a wide mouthed goblet, to fully enjoy its nose.
So ok, it looks good, it smells good, but what about the taste? One thing Dogfish Head is great at is masking the heavy alcoholic taste of their highly alcoholic beverages (even if they can't mask the smell). Immort Ale is a very complex beer with several layers of flavors all begging for attention from your taste buds. Sweet notes of maple meet savory hints of vanilla in the middle of your tongue. The tip of the tongue senses the faintest of bitterness from the hops, and the whole thing has noticeable smoky overtones and a similarly smoky aftertaste provided by oak aging. Drinking this beer will be a new experience that is probably best compared to a mix of a strong English ale mixed with a full bodied Belgian spiced ale.
As I poured the beer into the glass, only a thin lacing appeared and there were no visible bubbles in the medium brown brew. It poured clear with just the slightest bit of translucence. This is common for an American brown ale with such a high alcohol content. The deep brown color even hinted at the maple and oak used to flavor this full-bodied brew.
Actually though, the first thing I noticed from the Immort Ale was not its appearance but its smell, which was unusually strong. The beer gave off strong alcohol notes masked slightly by hints of vanilla and oak. Overall, it gave off a pungent aroma and could be smelled from pretty far away when first poured. While I only have pint glasses on hand, this beer is probably best enjoyed in a wide mouthed goblet, to fully enjoy its nose.
So ok, it looks good, it smells good, but what about the taste? One thing Dogfish Head is great at is masking the heavy alcoholic taste of their highly alcoholic beverages (even if they can't mask the smell). Immort Ale is a very complex beer with several layers of flavors all begging for attention from your taste buds. Sweet notes of maple meet savory hints of vanilla in the middle of your tongue. The tip of the tongue senses the faintest of bitterness from the hops, and the whole thing has noticeable smoky overtones and a similarly smoky aftertaste provided by oak aging. Drinking this beer will be a new experience that is probably best compared to a mix of a strong English ale mixed with a full bodied Belgian spiced ale.
