Higher Math
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Delaware, United States 🇺🇸
Strong Ale Rotating Out of Production|
Score
6.54
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Way back in the early ’90s, a 20-something waiter in New York City named Sam got a taste for small American “microbrews.” A do-er, Sam stopped by a homebrew store and embarked on the first batch of his very own beer. On the way home, he spotted a bag of cherries at his local bodega and thought they’d make his beer a little more interesting.
He was right, and the day after he and his friends enjoyed that first batch, he started researching what it would take to open a brewery.
The rest, as they say, is history. Higher Math is a tribute to that auspicious first beer and celebrates 20 off-centered years of Dogfish Head. It’s a golden strong ale fermented with sour cherry juice and cocoa nibs and clocks in at 17% ABV.
Higher Math has forward notes of cherries, pineapple and stewed fruit, with late notes of cocoa. It has a lingering sweetness and a notable warmth from the alcohol.
He was right, and the day after he and his friends enjoyed that first batch, he started researching what it would take to open a brewery.
The rest, as they say, is history. Higher Math is a tribute to that auspicious first beer and celebrates 20 off-centered years of Dogfish Head. It’s a golden strong ale fermented with sour cherry juice and cocoa nibs and clocks in at 17% ABV.
Higher Math has forward notes of cherries, pineapple and stewed fruit, with late notes of cocoa. It has a lingering sweetness and a notable warmth from the alcohol.
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8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottled. Pretty interesting beer. SD our cherries and chocolate and a sherry like sweetness.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 May 2025
at 01:35
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
12 oz bottle, split 3 ways, 7/18/19. Murky brown color. Chocolate, cherry, and booze. Strong and flavorful. The time in the bottle has mellowed it out a bit, this one was even boozier a few years ago when it first came out. Pretty good for a small pour, but not something I'd want 12 oz to myself.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Jul 2019
at 13:19
2.2/10
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Appearance 2
Aroma 3
Flavor 2
Texture 2
Overall 2
Slightly hazy copper tinted amber and light brown coloured body with no head at all. Aroma of insanely pungent syrupy and strong alcohol notes up front with some figs, earth, grain, resin and just pure moonshine and super sweet notes, very absurd throughout and not very nice to the nose. Full-bodied; Rich syrupy flavours with some resin, a crazy amount of alcohol coupled with an even more insane sweetness and apricot and fruity flavour, but the resin, earth, alcohol, pungent molasses, caster sugar, candy sugar and caramel are insanely strong and not very nice - also the alcohol is a bit too warming and pungent with no other real flavours noticeable due to the strength of the alcohol and sugars. Aftertaste is deep and pungent without much else than the alcohol and sugars, but a tiny bit of grass and earth noticeable towards the end - not good either. Overall, a ridiculously pungent and strong beer that isn't good in the slightest bit - and seemingly made just to be 'strong', since the flavour is awful, the body isn't good, the palate is horrible and the overall nature of this beer to the style is just plain bad. Sadly, I think that fifteen years ago this might have been thought of as a 'good' or 'interesting' beer, but luckily people have realised that this is truly awful and serves no purpose as a 'beer' to be drunk. I gave it some time to mellow out, and the years didn't help anything - it was plain awful. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Wegman's in Alexandria, Virginia on 05-November-2015 for US$9,99/mixed six pack sampled at home in Washington some 2.5 years later on 04-June-2018.
Tried
from Can
on 05 Jun 2018
at 08:01
4.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 3
Texture 2
Overall 3.5
2015 bottle. Dirty brown in color. Aroma is cherry skins and a lot of alcohol. The flavor reminds of a alcohol soaked Christmas fruitcake with a harsh slap of booze in the finish. Still Insanely hot for the age. Mild sour note in the background. The texture is sticky and syrupy. A total mess of a beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Dec 2017
at 12:14
8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Given the 17% ABV, I have saved this bottle for quite a long time waiting for an opportunity when I could sit back and take time to savor it. Initially I got the too-strong sweetness of the sour cherry, which interestingly masked the high ABV. I purposely let the beer sit, taking only small sips over almost an hour. I don't know if this strategy led to how the taste changed--I usually enjoy any beer more as my palate adapts to it--but the tasted improved. The sour cherry taste continued with just enough cocoa chocolate. The initial underlying barleywine character faded as the golden ale character developed, which was also an improvement. Overall, I enjoyed the experience. Doubtful that I will drop $10 again for a bottle, though.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Nov 2017
at 17:24
8/10
No head, strong barley wine nose, not a bad taste though for 17 fucking percent, strong honey and chocolate cherry flavor, holy fuck.
Tried
on 12 Aug 2017
at 14:40
8/10
Jak woda odparuje to zajebisty brytyjski barleywine, susz, figi, owoce, kandyzowane klimaty, slodziutkie. Huj ze koncern
Tried
at
Chmielarnia Marszałkowska
on 21 Jul 2017
at 20:13
7/10
Tried
on 16 Apr 2017
at 21:34
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Poured from bottle reddish brown with a thin tan head and nice lacing. Aromas of raisin prune cherry fig bread sugar honey. Taste is rich alcohol bread honey sugar dark fruit. Wow this could age a few more years.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Apr 2017
at 20:33
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Courtesy of Brian
Hazy amber color with red hue, the small head vanishes quickly. Some aroma of caramel, vanilla, alcohol. Sweet, boozy, some malt, bread, cookies, coffee, and loads of alcohol.
Weird.
Hazy amber color with red hue, the small head vanishes quickly. Some aroma of caramel, vanilla, alcohol. Sweet, boozy, some malt, bread, cookies, coffee, and loads of alcohol.
Weird.
Tried
on 13 Apr 2017
at 23:53