Dogfish Head's Palo Santo Marron

For those who haven't tried anything by Dogfish Head, you are missing out.  Their 60 and 90-minute IPAs are phenomenal examples of the kind of ingenuity present in American brewing.  My local store, Point Grey Beer & Wine Cellar, has a great selection of DFH products (including their multiple-award winning Raison D'Etre), including a number of single bottles.  Last week, I was looking for North Coast's Rasputin XII Anniversary Stout (whiskey barrel-aged stout), but they hadn't received a shipment yet.  The clerk instead pointed me toward DFH's Palo Santo Marron, a particularly malty beer brewed in Palo Santo wood barrels (as the label says, "We've got wood.  Now you do too.").  DFH's website says that the wood is used in South American vineyards to impart a very special flavour, and there is definitely something special about this brew.  Those of you familiar with other DFH beers know that they border on the extreme in terms of taste (sometimes my mouth feels numb after a 90-Minute IPA).  Palo Santo is no exception.

I'm not entirely sure if I can taste the wood in this beer, but the alcohol is particularly strong (12%).  The feel is thick and syrupy like a good stout, but the malt tastes less black and more browned (Marron does mean brown in Spanish).  I found it hard to taste the caramel and vanilla supposedly given by the wood barrels, but I did get a significant feeling of spiciness.  Beers like Palo Santo are a great find if you enjoy trying something new and bold, but if you just want to get enjoyment out of your beer, you're better off with a traditional brown ale.  I happened to enjoy it, but there's no way that I could drink more than a bottle.  I'd suggest pairing it with some food; DFH's website suggests steak, chorizo, farmhouse cheddar, or cajun.  I made a simple meal of spicy udon stirfry and a salad with anjou pears and aged canadian cheddar.

12%ABV
12oz. Bottle
Around $5 at specialty liquor stores

aroma: malt, coffee, alcohol

Colour: deep black with dark tan head

Mouthfeel: thick, syrupy

Taste: dark malt aftertaste, spicy/alcohol, intense,