Style: Raspberry Ale

ABV: 16-17%

Pairs well with the next Final Fantasy or a major series with a few years between each release.

Welcome to another craft beer review for Games And A Glass! My apologies for the absence; I’ve started up a new semester at school and it takes some time for me to adjust to a new schedule. But here we are. This week I am reviewing a beer (My second!) from Dogfish Head Brewing, located in Milton, Delaware.  The beer for this week will be their Fort, an “Ale brewed with a ridiculous amount of raspberry juice,” as the brewery says. This week’s beer was generously donated by my friend Dave so cheers to you, buddy. But of course, before going into the review, let’s get a refresher on Dogfish Head.

The history of Dogfish Head can be found on their site, and it tells the story of the brewery’s goal to bring original food and beer to the state of Delaware.

“The story of Dogfish Head began in June of 1995 when we opened Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats – the first state’s first brewpub – in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The plan was to bring original beer, original food and original music to the area … and we did just that!

Not only was Dogfish Head Delaware’s first brewpub, it was the smallest commercial brewery in America. With our very first batches brewed on a system that was essentially three little kegs with propane burners underneath, we were brewing 12–gallon batches of beer for a whole restaurant. It proved to be more than a full time job and when the doors to the brewpub first opened, we brewed three times a day, five days a week! The benefit? Brewing on such a small system gave us the ability to try out a myriad of different recipes. Insert ‘off-centered ales for off-centered people.’ Our hunger for weird ingredients and venturing off the beaten path was just getting started.

Fast-forward to today and we’re still motivated by non-conformity. By spontaneity. By experimentation.

At every turn, our restless desire to create what hasn’t yet been imagined keeps us bringing new stories, new tastes, and new experiences to you.

Because we don’t jump on the bandwagon, we are the funky drummer.

Every day is an exploration. A thoughtful search through a crowded world, we search for that thing that makes us pause – that idea that excites us, the inspiration we can’t ignore. The journey can be unpredictable … but that’s what makes it kind of magical.

If you haven’t had the chance to taste Dogfish Head, find a beer, track down one of our spirits or visit one of our restaurants! You’ll quickly see why international beer writer Michael Jackson called Dogfish Head “America’s most interesting and adventurous small brewery.”

In case you’ve been living under a rock and need a quick refresher, Dogfish Head’s mainstays for beer include their 60 Minute IPA, Namaste White witbier, and SeaQuench session sour. Their more limited releases includes the Worldwide Stout and this week’s Fort. The thing with their annual, higher alcohol releases is that you can drink them now or you can stow them away for a few years and let the beer age. This beer is aged to an extent, I’m just not sure how long because the date on the bottle has faded away.

The notes provided on the site for Fort read, “Fort has a Belgian-style base, then we follow a similar fermentation process to the one we use on beers like 120 Minute IPA and Worldwide Stout.”

And now onto my thoughts!

Nose: There’s quite a bit to unpack with this beer’s aroma. First and foremost, there’s a heavy and dark Belgian-style character that is front and center. Underneath, though, there’s a hint of raspberry and a slight tartness to the beer. It’s a weird combination of aromas that takes some getting used to. It smells quite boozy too given its higher alcohol content, and after first pouring it into my glass, its aroma reminded me of wine for a moment.

Palate: The taste is quite interesting as well. It comes in waves, and the raspberry itself sticks out the most. You definitely notice it as the central flavor, but the way the raspberry tasted was especially notable. It’s very sweet and it reminds me of one of those cookies with a raspberry filling or with the spread on top. It’s very familiar and I really enjoy how it’s presented in the beer. It’s rounded out with a semi-strong alcoholic finish to it. Thankfully the raspberry lingers on the tongue for a little while.

Overall: This is quite an interesting beer. I really enjoy how significant the raspberry is in its taste, and the familiarity I get from each sip. Beyond that though, I can’t imagine myself having more than a few sips of this beer. I can definitely appreciate how unique it is, and damnit I wish I knew its current age, but it can be heavy and a lot to drink. Aging a beer like this is a really cool concept to me, and I’m looking forward to the next time I can try something that’s aged. Cheers!

I’d like to thank you for reading my craft beer review. If there’s ever a craft beer you’d recommend I try and/or review, please let me know and I will try, to the best of my ability, to acquire it! And remember, like a fine alcoholic beverage or a memorable video game, please enjoy in moderation.

While you’re here, feel free to check out The Spirit Shop NJ on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and where I currently work, we have dozens of craft beers with new ones coming in weekly! Check us out!