Taste itself is not neutral, so I'm not arguing for the absence of standards altogether. But I am arguing that a truly objective standard in things "indifferent" (as opposed to clear Scriptural teaching) is all but humanly impossible, making our judgments in such matters a combination of personality, providence, and culture.
The same goes for food and beer, both of which I consider to be art forms, so when breweries like Dogfish Head continually crank out great beers that do not conform to established standards, my conservative notion of "rules" is left floundering, while my palate is expanded, creating the desire for more of the same rule-breaking.
Alas, being a food and beer anarchist is not such a bad thing sometimes.
Dogfish Head's latest (at least to be released here in GA) is their Palo Santo Marron, which advertised as an American Brown Ale. The bottle claims the beer was aged in gigantic wooden barrels (10K gallons), the largest built in the country since Prohibition. Surely a unique entrepreneurial endeavor...but does all the hype measure up?
The Palo Santo pours a very dark brown, as close to black without being so. The pour produces an attractive 2-finger brown head, that slowly dissipates into 1-finger, but leaving a creamy residue in the glass.
The nose is a strong and rich malt, with a solid dose of wood, vanilla, and a tinge of alcohol.
A thick creamy mouthfeel coats the tongue, and is nearly devoid of carbonation.
Powerful brown malts dominate the flavor, initially, only to be mixed and complemented by wood, vanilla, various dark fruits, and a slight alcohol burn. No discernable hop presence, not even in bitterness. This is extremely complex and trying to nail it all down would be difficult for my palate, but as the glass drains and the beer warms, the complexity increases, especially the woody character. The alcohol also becomes more prevalent, though not annoyingly so like in some beers I've had.
About 3/4 of the way through, the alcohol pleasantly reminds you of it's presence (12% ABV) and the warming sensation is akin to port, but without any real sweetness. Or rather, the sweetness of the rich malt is offset by the other flavors making an exquisite drink to both imbibe and savor.
Much, much bigger than a traditional brown ale, though not as harsh as a barleywine, and more mellow than an old ale, the Palo Santo is a fabulous beer that should be reserved for special occasions, a digestif to wrap up your day. For those who are less alcohol tolerant, I would recommend sharing with an appreciative friend. I have no doubt these will age well, and though I drank 2 (1 was shared) out of the 4-pack, my intention is to purchase some more and age for upcoming Christmas festivities.
Hats off to Dogfish Head for this wonderful beer, and thanks to JN for telling me to go and seek this out. I would have found this eventually, but in this case, sooner is better than later.
Labels: beer reviews
