The Dirt
Every now and then I encounter a beer that truly pushes the beer-making envelope. Many of those are from Dogfish, and the Palo Santo is one of them. When you drink it, you think you're drinking an imperial stout, but with something else. In fact, it's a brown ale - a crazy brown ale. After brewing, the beer is a high-octane brown at 12% abv, but what really makes this beer different is the aging process. It is placed in a giant tank made of palo santo wood, claimed to be the second densest wood in the world. It also happens to be one of the most aromatic woods as well, and a few weeks of aging gives this beer all kinds of new flavors.
On the first sip, a ton of flavors hit your tongue. The most obvious is a dark chocolate flavor, more pronounced at the end. But after a few drinks an element of vanilla, nutmeg, and other spices start to linger. There's almost a hint of bourbon with all of these flavors coming together. Too many for me to identify them all. A great beer to drink after dinner, and in a snifter glass.
Worth it?
This is definitely one of those beers that you just have to ignore the price tag. A great special occasion or gift purchase...or to indulge. Whatever reason you come up with, it's a good one.
The Final Word
