It’s international stout day,
2011! Upon realizing I wasn’t nearly as prepared, stout speaking, for this joyous day, I perused my cellar for a special beer to crack. Although rich with black gold, I was not willing to pop cork on any of my three year Black Ops vintages. Similarly, Imperial Stout Trooper, or Imperial Russian Stout wouldn’t be relished today. Yet, at the top of my cellar rack, I happen upon a bottle I stashed away a few years ago. Yes, I think this will be a perfect time to enjoy a one-off in my cellaring endeavors. Those beers I previously mentioned, I keep yearly vintages of. However, I don’t usually keep Dogfish Head World Wide Stout around. Young, it’s just too boozy to balance any of the chocolate or coffee flavors. In my experience, specifically with Black Ops, as big Imperial Stouts age, the hotness dies down, and the wonderful maltiness flavors take center stage. This seems like a perfect time to crack this beer, so let’s see how 3 years treats this Goliath of a brew.
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Brew: World Wide Stout
Vintage: 2008
Style: American Imperial Stout
ABV: 18%
Notes: Poured into a snifter.
Appearance
Pitch black. No light will shine through the abyss. Definite lacing lingers for quite a while, as would be expected of a brew this high in sweetness.
Smell
Raisins on the nose, with grapes and a hint of cherry. Espresso also, on the back end.
Taste
This beer is so complex, I can actually describe it in stages. First taste is of a fruity sweetness, which grows as the beer flows over your tongue. Next comes the roasted malts, mixed with a molasses sweetness but without the initial fruit flavors. Upon the swallow, you are left with a definite coffee finish, and slight boozy burn at the very end.
Mouthfeel
Good carbonation with a slight syrupy feel. Medium to full body.
Overall
Unlike Lindsay Lohan, time has done this beer well. It is not overly boozy anymore, and the fruit flavors provide fantastic complexity. I’m not the biggest fan of this beer when it is young, though I’d like to get my hands on a new bottle to compare against. This isn’t an everyday stout for me (I am an unashamed Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout fan boy), but I will be picking up a few extra bottles to age. Maybe for International Stout Day, 2014.
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