Taste as Big as the World

Dogfish Head brewery in Delaware has made an incredible stout called World Wide Stout. This is a very apt name.

I pass by this particular brewery's fares every time I go to my favorite beer store (shout out to Oades Big 10 in East Lansing), and have been tempted. What usually keeps me from buying, though, is that so many times, a craft brewery's stout is bitter, and so complex that it's like they threw all of their left-over ingredients into a pot. You know, like leftover night; a shred of beef brisket, 3-day-old mashed potatoes, withered salad, a chicken leg, some totino's pizza rolls and some very suspect green beans. There's no balance and no plan.

But what the Hell. Don't knock it till you try it. SO glad I did.

This was the best stout I have even had (next to Guinness - amen - of course). It was black black BLACK...like Splinter Cell black. Ninja black. Hiiiii-YA! It had a nice off-white, toasted almond-colored head that didn't last terribly long, but left nice lacing as I quaffed this masterpiece.

Enough about the look. It's like the part in a porno when the actress prances around in lingerie. Why?? Anyway...

What I smelled in this beer were characteristics normally attributed to wine: currants, coffee, spice. Good hop character. I raised the beer glass to my lips....the beer hit my tongue...

...and after a few minutes, I regained my sight. Surely, the bright flash I saw was God's smiling approval of this beer. Currants. Chocolate milk. Coffee. Roasted barley, like fresh out of an oven. There is a slight alcohol tinge, given that this beer is like 18% or something of that nature, but I found it to be a great compliment to the beer, and reminded me to savor it, not chug it like a glass of silky chocolate milk. This stout has balance. This stout has a plan.

The mouthfeel was like drinking silk. It has the consistency of drinking a glass of Ovaltine. I recommend this beer. I give it 9/10.