Dogfish Head Red & White

Tasted with Jen while brewing 20 gallons of Beer and five of Mead. More specifically a Bourbon Oak Vanilla bean Stout and a Red Wheat IPA. We tried this with Jen's new Cheese tasting set that she received for Christmas. Paired with Havarti and Aged Cheddar.

Appearance: A deep rubied amber with a large foamy white head that dissipated quickly. The beer is quite turbid with what seems to be a rather dispersed but frequent flocculent.  Some lacing appears on the side of the glass during the tasting.

Aroma: Sweet and tart with what is reminiscent of grapes and sour apples and other diacetyls and little malt aroma. Predominantly green, light grapes are the ones that make the greatest impression.
Taste: Quite fruity and tart. The beer still exhibits some tannin character at the end whether that is actually from the grape additions or the grain hull from the mash or boil. Otherwise there aren't any hops to really speak of. Mild citrus  takes an undertone with some equally complementing cloves and perhaps even vanilla (though that may just be from the beer brewing.
Mouthfeel: Smooth and delicate with a soft mouthfeel and a thick gelatinous body. The carbonation is small but is a contributing character of this "malt beverage"
Overall Impression:  In the beginning, the sweetness of the fruit and tart taste mask the high alcohol content of this malt beverage and in essence could make an individual drink it way too quickly.  Be careful.  This is 10% abv and should probably be shared with a close friend.  Preferably a session drink.