Beer: Palo Santo Marron (February 17, 2009 bottling)
Palo Santo, the Holy Wood.
Brewery: Dogfish Head
I am going to try not to over indulge on words here. Dogfish Head brewery has been a horse of a different color in the American Craft Beer scene since day one. There slogan is Off Centered Ales for Off Centered People. If you ask me there is nothing off-center about them, but then again that might because I am perhaps slightly off-center. It is a Yang Yang thing, sans Yin. My first recollection of Dogfish Head was when I moved to New Jersey in the late spring of 2001. I had come across two beers whose name and packaging had caught my eye, Indian Brown Ale and Chicory Stout. The former was eye-opening and encouraged me to somewhat recklessly begin throwing brown sugar into my home-brew. The latter made me enjoy the idea of having stout with breakfast in place of coffee. The following spring I had my first taste of Immort Ale (an excellent beer that will be reviewed for cellaring soon) and just as I had hatched plans of grand journeys to visit Rehoboth Beach life began its twist and turns to new jobs. By the late summer of 2003, I had not made the short drive from Union County New Jersey to the Delaware Brewpub and was instead on my way to the Capital of New York State. Over the last several years I played a cat and mouse game finding some of my favorite Dogfish beers fresh in both bottle and on draft, as well as finding some of the harder to come by seasonal releases. When Palo Santo Marron was unleashed in 2008 I was extremely intrigued by the idea of what the brewery was setting out to do. You can get a good idea from the videos which can be found on YouTube. In short, the Brewery was making off centered tanks for an off centered ale for off centered people. The tanks are built from Palo Santo wood, this was no small under taking. I had my first brush with Palo Santo in the early spring of 2008 and enjoyed it enough to say the couple of four packs I had are long since gone. Last February I tucked away a four pack of a February 17, 2009 bottling into the cellar and waited patiently. Sam Calagione and the crew at Dogfish did the hard work, I just waited some. Did it pay dividends?
Appearance: Poured into a Dogfish Head fat body snifter, color is nearly black, would need to be in a shot glass to see through at all. The head is initially a good inch and a half thick when poured with vigor and is light brown in color (looks like raw sugar crystals).
Aroma: The aroma is very malt forward with a cocoa character, some dried fruit, touch of currants and raisins. Vanilla bean, dark rum and touches of maple sap and raw honey. A wave of alcohol and then earthy wood tones. No hop aroma really to speak of with a year of aging. There is a resinous character that I can’t quite put my finger on that can realistically only be attributed to the Palo Santo wood. That resinous aroma mingles with the alcohol as almost raw tobacco leaf. Spicy is one way to describe it.
Flavor: Deeply rich and spicy, yet difficult to wrap words around. There is an upfront warming alcohol that washes the tongue and hits the back of the throat on the first sip, unlike any other beer I have ever had. The alcohol sensation is akin to chipotle peppers. Usually a heat like this is abrasive or offensive in a beer, but is extremely well received and balanced with the residual sweetness. I pick up some chocolate character, big notes of dark rum and spiced sugar, bourbon, raw earthy wood tones, pine sap, maple sap and espresso. Tobacco and slight smokiness. Hop flavor is not something found in the malty complexity of the beer at this point. Bitterness is apparent upfront but washed out by the residual sweetness and the alcohol, leaving a touch in the finish. Emerging roastiness as it warms.
That is What I Call a Headstand.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with a very creamy silky smooth texture, semi-sweet finish, but the alcohol warmth provides a counter balance. Still a very suitable carbonation at one year.
Overall Impression: This is without a doubt one of the most unique beers you will experience. Aged or not. Many great beers are somewhat repeatable with the difference existing in the brewing nuance. This is beyond nuance, you need to cut down a Palo Santo tree and make a mini fermentation tank. At this point, a year into the bottle the flavor has so much depth, it will be a will power fight to keep these aging along. Fortunately I have a couple of 4 packs of September 2009 bottling to toy with too. It has the character of an imperial stout, but a very drinkable body. While it is full-bodied, it is not cloying or heavy. The only thing that sets you back from another is the 12% abv. Anything else you drink in the same evening will be mute and meaningless. I drank an IPA that is highly regarded and I like a great deal just to compare and contrast. It was like drinking celery water in Palo Santo’s wake.
Cellaring Recommendation: Grab at least a couple of four packs and let em go. Right now these show only very good progress. The only negative I can think of is petty, I wish it came in 750 ml bottles.
Tasting Date: March 21, 2010
Next Projected Tasting: February, 2011
