Stout is sweet but drinkable
Matthew Hartshorne
Issue date: 3/11/11 Section: Arts & Entertainment
The American craft brew scene has become quite crowded over the last decade or so, to the point where it would be difficult to visit every brewpub in the state. Some of these breweries, such as Troegs and Victory, have become quite well known for having very consistent, very good beer with a decent distribution, and there are many other of these regional breweries spread across the country. Then there are a couple of craft breweries such as Russian River that have become known across the nation; Russian River and head brewer Vinnie Cilurzo gained notoriety for creating the double IPA style as well as brewing a large number of fantastic sour beers.
Dogfish Head Brewery is one of the most famous East Coast breweries largely because of its founder, Sam Calagione, and his obsession with strange beers. Dogfish Head opened as a brewpub named Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in 1995 in Rehoboth, Del. This was the first brewery to open in the state since Prohibition was lifted, and Calagione actually had to have the law changed to allow the business to open. The brewpub flourished, no doubt helped by the lack of competition at the time, and quickly moved from their 12-gallon system to a 12-barrel system, allowing for bottling and distribution. By 2002, Dogfish Head had outgrown their second brewery, and to meet the increased demand, they moved their main brewing and bottling operations to a new facility in Milton, Del., which continues to expand with growing demand.
The strange beers obsession has been with Dogfish Head since the beginning. Calagione's first beer was a pumpkin beer named Punkin Ale. This, as explained by Calagione, was the beer that convinced him to open the brewery; he entered it into the food contest at Punkin Chunkin and won first place, which made him think, "How hard could this be?" Since then, Calagione has made the brewery's motto "Off-centered ales, for off-centered people," which perfectly describes his brewing style. I have never even heard of, much less seen, a "normal" beer from Dogfish Head; Calagione always has some special twist on the style. The perfect examples are the Chicory Stout and IPA line. The Chicory Stout combines the standard malt and hops with oatmeal, coffee and chicory, which gives it a unique taste that I thoroughly enjoyed. The IPAs, on the other hand, always seem too sweet for me; given the other Dogfish Head beers I've had, this is not surprising, but I don't know if it's by flaw or design. Because of this, I've never really known how to evaluate Calagione's brewing abilities; is he actually a fantastic brewer who can't stand mundane beers, or is he actually not very good technically but covers for it by experimenting with crazy things?
Dogfish Head Brewery is one of the most famous East Coast breweries largely because of its founder, Sam Calagione, and his obsession with strange beers. Dogfish Head opened as a brewpub named Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in 1995 in Rehoboth, Del. This was the first brewery to open in the state since Prohibition was lifted, and Calagione actually had to have the law changed to allow the business to open. The brewpub flourished, no doubt helped by the lack of competition at the time, and quickly moved from their 12-gallon system to a 12-barrel system, allowing for bottling and distribution. By 2002, Dogfish Head had outgrown their second brewery, and to meet the increased demand, they moved their main brewing and bottling operations to a new facility in Milton, Del., which continues to expand with growing demand.
The strange beers obsession has been with Dogfish Head since the beginning. Calagione's first beer was a pumpkin beer named Punkin Ale. This, as explained by Calagione, was the beer that convinced him to open the brewery; he entered it into the food contest at Punkin Chunkin and won first place, which made him think, "How hard could this be?" Since then, Calagione has made the brewery's motto "Off-centered ales, for off-centered people," which perfectly describes his brewing style. I have never even heard of, much less seen, a "normal" beer from Dogfish Head; Calagione always has some special twist on the style. The perfect examples are the Chicory Stout and IPA line. The Chicory Stout combines the standard malt and hops with oatmeal, coffee and chicory, which gives it a unique taste that I thoroughly enjoyed. The IPAs, on the other hand, always seem too sweet for me; given the other Dogfish Head beers I've had, this is not surprising, but I don't know if it's by flaw or design. Because of this, I've never really known how to evaluate Calagione's brewing abilities; is he actually a fantastic brewer who can't stand mundane beers, or is he actually not very good technically but covers for it by experimenting with crazy things?
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