Black & Blue
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Delaware, United States 🇺🇸
Belgian Style - Strong Ale Rotating Out of Production|
Score
6.70
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Black & Blue is a Belgian-style golden ale fermented with blackberries and blueberries. Because we dose Black & Blue with real berries -- rather than artificial flavoring -- the fruit comes through in the flavor, not just the aroma.
The pureed berries are added as the beer leaves the brewhouse. In fermentation, the yeast -- the same one we use in Red & White and Pangaea -- feeds on sugars from the barley and the berries, giving Black & Blue a unique complexity.
The label art for Black & Blue comes from portrait painter David Larned. David and his wife Sarah (also a painter, Sarah painted the still life for our Red & White label) are big Dogfish fans and live with their pug Weezie in Pennsylvania. David honed his craft in Florence, Italy, and at the University of Pennsylvania. David has had exhibits across the United States, but primarily works with portrait subjects on commissions in his studio.
The pureed berries are added as the beer leaves the brewhouse. In fermentation, the yeast -- the same one we use in Red & White and Pangaea -- feeds on sugars from the barley and the berries, giving Black & Blue a unique complexity.
The label art for Black & Blue comes from portrait painter David Larned. David and his wife Sarah (also a painter, Sarah painted the still life for our Red & White label) are big Dogfish fans and live with their pug Weezie in Pennsylvania. David honed his craft in Florence, Italy, and at the University of Pennsylvania. David has had exhibits across the United States, but primarily works with portrait subjects on commissions in his studio.
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7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
Shared at home from a 75 cl bottle. Pours a clear pale red with a white billowing head. Fruity aroma. Berries forward with a malty aftertaste.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Nov 2012
at 16:20
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
750 ml bottle @ home. Color is amber with a red hue. Head is as good as non-existant. Aroma’s: sweet fruit (raspberry is evident), some hoppiness too. Retronasal there’s also some alcoholic sweetness. Flavor is medium sweet with hints of fruity tartness and a little bitterness. Rather strong alcohol feel (warms the throat). Medium bodied. Finishes somewhat dry, but the flavor is quickly gone. Worth a try.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Nov 2012
at 07:07
6.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
750 mL bottle at The Fred. Pours amber, with a medium, foamy, tan head. The aroma is blackberries, caramel malts, and a little saaz hops. The flavor is sweet, and a little tart, with some malt and cheese coming forward in the finish. The palate is medium to heavy, sticky, acidic and dry, with a clean finish. The carbonation is lively and adds to the feel of a fruity champagne. Overall, this is a forward and well made fruit beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Sep 2012
at 20:51
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
Tap at the Rehoboth Beach brew pub - 23/05/12. Dark reddish amber with a small white cap. Belgian yeast on the nose and berry notes, a little spice. Blueberries in the taste, yeast, malts, a little background hops - well balanced overall. Medium bodied with a fair burst of carbonation, alcohol is well disguised. A little puckering in the finish but in a pleasant way.
Tried
from Draft
on 29 Aug 2012
at 12:31
6.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle. Ruby beer with a pinkish cream head. Earth and light malt aroma with light berries. Blueberry and cherry flavor with malt, light alcohol, and light yeast. Medium bodied. Blueberry and cherries linger with light yeast and light earthiness.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Jun 2012
at 13:05
6.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 5.5
Huge, that’s for sure, but the alcohol is hidden well enough beneath the bushels of berries. Very much the fruit beer, like an Imperial Purple Haze only with even more fruitiness. So if you’re in to fruit beer, well, this bottle will be like manna for you. For me, it’s drinkable, but grows cloy and clingy rather fast. Is that Bill Clinton on the label?
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 May 2012
at 09:50
5.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 7.5
On tap at Petrol Station. Pours a clear copper with a small off white head that diminishes quickly to nothing. The aroma is a fruity malt and strong blueberry. Thin mouthfeel with an acidic fruit and a bit of a medicine flavor. A decent fruit beer from Dogfish Head.
Tried
from Draft
on 05 May 2012
at 17:17
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
Draft Pale reddish pink color, small bright white head. Aroma of grape juice, although the lady sitting next to me took a bath in perfume, so I may be missing some subtleties. The taste is raspberries, lemon, redcurrant. Not much hops to balance. OK.
Tried
from Draft
on 28 Apr 2012
at 08:53
6.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Pizzeria Paradiso, Alexandria 9oz tap ($10): Pours a bright red (fruit) colour with a white head. Aroma is of berries and a bit of beer, but in a different way than I would describe it for a wheat fruit beer. Taste is only very slightly sweet. Very tart, and pretty dry. The alcohol is completely covered, and I would be totally clueless that this was a 10% alcohol beer. Ultimately, this a singular beer and worth trying, but alas, it is not something I would prefer to drink over a super dank Belgian ale.
Tried
from Draft
on 26 Apr 2012
at 20:00
7.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottle @ Dan’s house. A touch hazy, ruby red appearance with a small, tan head. Moderate raspberry and quite rich blueberry, a touch tangy aroma. Tart, tangy raspberry, sweet blueberry, light caramel, a touch spicy flavor with a fairly boozy finish. The aroma was a lot better than the flavor.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Feb 2012
at 20:14