A few Dogfish Head ales

Thanks McNuts for the smooth trade with plenty of beers to look forward to!
_________________________
60 Minute IPA
6% ABV
12 oz bottled 10/21, sampled 10/04.

    Amber colored with moderate clarity and a nice and creamy, two finger off white head. Excellent retention and lacing. Perfect looks. Aroma is somewhat hoppy, slightly earthy/grassy, with lots of malts. Actually, the toasty-biscuity malt character is more prominent than the hops.

    Tastes rather dull for an IPA, slightly sweet and slightly bitter. Nothing to notice here. Very generic, and closer to APAs more than AIPAs. Medium body and good carbonation. Lingering sweetness is certainly not welcome. Thoroughly ordinary for an "IPA"

    I am sure back in 2003 it pushed the envelope on the East Coast, but right now it only comes off as a balanced American IPA, not meant in a good way.

4, 2, 3.5, 4, 3
_________________________
Faithfull Ale
7% ABV
A couple months old.

Poured a clear golden color with a nice and fluffy Belgian head. And that was the best feature of this beer. Smelled like nothing at first but generic fruitiness came about with warmth. It's the taste that was really empty: bland and flavorless; and the mouthfeel was terribly disappointing. Had it been crisp and clean, it would have passed off as a decent beer, but the mouthfeel only added to the dullness of this beer --- oddly creamy with low carbonation, very much opposite of what one would expect from a beer of a style similar to, say, Duvel.

Very disappointing, but not a terrible beer. Just very average and not worth paying $$$ or trading for.

4, 3, 3, 2, 3
_________________________
Burton Baton
10% ABV

A blend of oak aged and fresh DIPAs. A little over an year old at this point. 12 oz bottle poured into a generic pint.

    Pours a hazy amber color with a tiny head. Good head retention and lacing though, especially for the size of the head itself.

    Goddamn! this is a good beer! Aroma is of an excellent barrel aged barleywine --- rich oak-vanilla and plenty of malts. There are no hops and nor did I expect any. Great taste with mute bitterness, plenty of wood, a very very tannic finish and lingering oak flavors. Although not very complex, this beer serves as a great vehicle for oak. Rich and mellow, simultaneously.

    Expectedly warming, with a medium body and soft carbonation. Amazingly clean finish for its magnitude, I find it no sweeter than 60 minute IPA. An excellent beer that I would drink again, and again.

4, 4, 4, 4.5, 4.5