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Bottle/Tap: Bottle

I’ve come to the conclusion that I seem to be enjoying Dogfish Head beers as of late. I still can’t, and never will, get into those insane IPA beers, but everything else they put out is exciting.

Case in point: Raison D’Etre, or Raison D as a clerk referred to it, an ale brewed with a sense of purpose, as the label states, and boy, they aren’t kidding around. On average Dogfish beers are over 5%. If you plan on any heavy activity, try to limit your intake. The Raison D boasts an 8% on the label, and you never get that real alcohol burn.

This ale had me hooked on first smell. Not an overpowering aroma, it reminded me of caramel. In retrospect, I wish I was eating a caramel apple at the same time. This ale poured a dark red almost brown into the glass and was begging to be sampled.

Right off, this ale was smooth, very smooth. You really could taste how sweet it could get and still have some spice to give it a refreshing bite toward the finish. This ale is brewed with Belgian beet sugars and green raisins. Fact: I do not work on Schrute Farms, so I couldn’t distinguish the difference between beet sugar and regular sugar.

The translation of this ale is: reason for being, the reason for this ale to exist is to warm you up on a chilly afternoon. The flavor seemed to improve as the ale got closer to room temperature. Try keeping your beer in a cool area, not always a fridge. As the beer warms, it releases more flavor and character than a really cold beer. However you stash your beer, make sure you have a few of these ales in the mix.