Dogfish Head Raison D'etre

Looking to add a couple of beers to my contribution for tonight's beer swapping/tasting event at the Goose Island Clybourn location (the original), I picked up a six pack of DH Raison D'etre as it happened to be the freshest good beer at my local Jewel's beer selection (the DH 90 minute was 2 1/2 months old and Sierra Nevada Kellerweis bottles were dusty).

Admittedly not the most inspired pick-up (typical last minute Zuch planning), I hit it out of the park with this one.  I strongly disagree with the Beer Advocate rating of a B on D'etre as I thoroughly enjoyed the mahogany colored offering.

Hit Jackpot on This One

A very smooth drinker for an 8.0% ABV beer, D'etre had a well balanced flavor with the raisins and sugar beets.  Only a slight alcohol taste at the end sips allowed for this to go down so pleasantly.  Definitely meant to be enjoyed in moderation and in a deliberate manner, D'etre fit in nicely as an end of the night of beer (and could be a dangerous precedent for this fat guy that wants to watch the amount beer I consume).

As an added bonus, this beer drank very well at room temperature.  I really wanted to sample this beer last night and only refrigerated it for a couple of hours before popping it open (making the last few sips warmer then I normally like).

All in all, another inspired offering from one of America's top breweries that always stays at the forefront of innovation.

Goose Island Clybourn Event

As I alluded to earlier, tonight is the the monthly Beer Advocate beer sampling and swapping event at the Goose Island Clybourn location.  This will be my maiden voyage to this well heralded event and I look forward to posting a recap shortly afterward.