Dogfish Head
Dogfish Head Beer to Drink Music To debuts
Dogfish Head Beer to Drink Music To is a new seasonal joining the Delaware based brewery’s today. A special party is planning at the Milton, Delaware brewery.
Dogfish Head is no stranger to beer and music collaborations – (see Positive Contact, American Beauty, Beer Thousand, etc.) This time, the beer be will be for whatever you want to listen to. Meet the official beer of Record Store Day – Dogfish Head Beer to Drink Music To.
In case you vinyl isn’t your thing, Record Store Day is the third Saturday in April, that celebrates independently owned record stores worldwide.
As for Dogfish Head Beer to Drink Music To, the base beer is a Belgian-style tripel, brewed with Sweet Orange Peel, Green Cardamon, Peppercorns, Vanilla.
While the beer debuts today at the brewery, markets should see 12 ounce bottles and draft in the weeks to come.
Style: Belgian-style Tripel (w/ Sweet Orange Peel, Green Cardamon, Peppercorns, Vanilla Beans)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Released: February, 2016
9% ABV
Image: Beer Street Journal
Dogfish Head Oak Aged Noble Rot (Tasting Notes)
Dogfish Head Oak Aged Noble Rot is a January surprise release by the Milton, Delaware brewery.
First released in 2012, Dogfish Head’s Noble Rot is a wine/beer hybrid. How? Unfermented grape juice, aka “must” from viognier grapes, that have been infected with a helpful fungus called botrytis. Thus, where the name “Noble Rot” comes in. The fungus reduces the water content of the grapes, making them sweeter. Next, the brewery adds pinot gris must, that has been intensified by the a process called dropping fruit (where larges bunches of grapes are clipped to amplify the grapes left behind).
The brewery uses a Belgian strain of yeast to ferment both editions of Noble Rot.
Dogfish Head Oak-Aged Noble Rot has been resting on oak for a full year. Available in 750ml bottles. Shipping immediately.
Beer Street Journal tasting notes: Much of the original flavor of Noble Rot shines through in the oaked edition. Notably, the oak is very prevalent. Honestly, this beer is dominated by notes of the grapes, and oak. Very unique. A great supplement to those that love the original wine/beer hybrid.
Style: Fruit Beer (w/ Grapes. Oak Aged.)
Availability: 750ml bottles
Release: Mid-January, 2016
9% ABV
Spotlight: Dogfish Head Higher Math, celebrating 20 years
Dogfish Head (Milton, DE) celebrates 20 years of brewing this year. They are celebrating off-centered, and accordingly. Dogfish Head Higher Math has arrived.
The base beer is a golden ale, fermented with cherries on cocoa nibs, finishing at a bold 17% alcohol by volume. (Our initial post mentioned it was going for 20%.) Still one of the strongest beer in the the brewery’s history.
Due to it’s high ABV, that eliminates a small list of states that Dogfish Head currently distributes to from getting the the anniversary offering. Good rule of thumb for figuring this out – if you don’t currently receive Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA, then you won’t see Dogfish Head Higher Math on your shelves.
Tasting this bold beer, the alcohol is present, along with the sour cherry juice. It is deceptively sweet which makes it easy to down 12 ounces of 17% beer. Share it, or wear a helmet when consuming.
Dogfish Head Higher Math in on shelves now in 12 ounce bottles. Happy 20th Dogfish Head. Can’t wait for 20 more years of what you put in our glasses.
Style: American Strong Ale (w/ Cherries, Cocoa Nibs)
Availability:
Release: October, 2015
20% ABV
Below, pics of the test batches from Summer, 2015.
New Artwork: Dogfish Head Piercing Pils
Dogfish Head Piercing Pils, the brewery’s pilsner brewed with pears, returns soon. The seasonal release will feature updated, artist created artwork.
Dogfish Head Piercing Pils uses a mix of grain sugar and sugar from pear juice to ferment to alcohol. The juice is supplemented with an addition of pear tea for added aroma. The brewpub worked on this recipe one summer in order to get it right.
Style: Pilsner (w/ Pears, Pear Tea)
Hops: Saaz
Yeast: Czech Pils
Availability: 12oz bottles, Draft
Return: Late November/December, 2015 (Seasonal)
6% ABV
Image: Dogfish Head
Dogfish Head rebrands spirits program, new bottles ship in November
Dogfish Head has just relaunched their spirits line, now known as Dogfish Head Distilling Co.
The brewery has been making small batch spirits since 2002. A reoccurring question the brewery has received from its fanbase, asks when the brewery/distiller is going to grow the program and target a larger audience. This prompted Dogfish to expand the distillery at the Milton, Delaware location last year.
Now, the new state of the art distillery is headed by Graham Hamlett, previously of Flag Hill Winery and Distillery in Lee, New Hampshire. Spirits are created on two 500-gallon copper stripping stills and a 250-gallon copper vodka column, manufactured by Vendome Copper & Brass Works in Louisville, Kentucky.
With the relaunch of the brand comes three spirits- Analog Vodka, Compelling Gin and Whole Leaf Gin. The Gin uses whole leafs, and the continually hopped process much like how the brewery brews their IPAs.
Fans can expect the new bottles on shelves just before Thanksgiving. Plans are in place to expand distribution to other mid-Atlantic states in 2016.
Image via Dogfish Head
Dogfish Head Sells 15% Equity Stake
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, DE) has sold a 15% stake in the brewery to LNK Partners, a New York based private equity firm. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Before the “buy-out/sell-out” accusations swirl, it is brewery founder Sam Calagione’s ultimate plan to buy back the equity stake in the coming years.
Some important things to note about this transaction (as noted by the brewery). This equity deal is NOT a move towards a Dogfish Head IPO, or majority ownership. The brewery is family run, and will remain so. The equity acquisition is move for smart growth, not fast growth.
Today, I am excited to announce that Mariah and I added a new asset as external support to Dogfish Head – LNK Partners. You are likely thinking, who or what is that? Well, they are an incredibly smart and experienced group of people who have worked with companies of all sizes and styles like Levi’s, Performance Bicycle, Gatorade and Calvin Klein to help those guys achieve their goals in their respective industries. LNK is making an investment to own 15% percent of our company…
LNK Partners will have a seat on Dogfish Head’s Board of Directors.
Dogfish Head recently completed a $50 million dollar expansion, and has been re-entering markets they were forced to withdraw from due to production capacity issues.
Even more importantly – The Brewer’s Association states that a brewery is still considered and independent brewery (by their definition) when “Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.”
Dogfish Head Gets Go Ahead To Rebuild Brew Pub
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery was denied the first time they attempted to rebuild their Rehobeth Avenue restaurant.
Rehoboth, Delaware has a local law stating that restaurants serving alcohol must be 5,000 feet or less. The current location on 320 Rehoboth Avenue is 8,280, but has been grandfathered into the the law, passed since its opening.
The plan has been to renovate the location, which would expand it to 9,820 feet. To do so would require a new exemption to the 5,000 foot limitation.
Sam and Mariah Calagione’s plea to Board of Adjustment mentioned the need to renovate to stay competitive with local businesses.
The Calagiones won their appeal 4-1.
Image via Dogfish Head
