Dogfish Head Sixty-One, a “continually hopped India Pale Ale brewed with Syrah grape must.”
Hmm, that doesn’t sound right, does it? Grape must? Must be one of those wino terms.
The beer does have an odd purplish tinge to its deep amber color. Or am I imagining that? I do know for certain that a pristine white head rims the inside of the glass and clings to it in artful lacing as the beer descends, making it all look very inviting.
I take the first sip and, yup, there it is at the end, as bold as a punch in the face, the palate-prickling grapeyness of the Syrah must. But it’s not enough to put you off. In fact, you’ll find yourself quickly going for the next sip to repeat the process. It’s a pleasant and sessionable IPA.
I guess it is time to get over my prejudices about winos and admit that their one-note grapes actually do have a purpose – to make more of this beer and other beers that would benefit from the dry prickliness of grapes.
I can see a grapey wheat beer. A grapey dry stout. A grapey lambic….really, wherever you want the flavor profile to take you.
This grapey Dogfish Head IPA is genius.

“Thrills to come” promises the neck label of Door County Brewing’s latest release, Silurian Stout. The Barnum & Baileys-like hyperbole continues on the six-pack carrier, which declares it to be the “Most legendary Milk Stout in all Creation!”
As every school child in Door County knows, Silurian refers to the ancient shallow sea that covered Door County more than 425 million years ago. But since Door County school children are not the market for Silurian Stout, the story of the Silurian Sea is told on the side of the six-pack.
This beer, then, is the brewery’s tribute to the rick, dark stew of the Silurian Sea.
Lactose – or milk sugar – is what separates milk stout from other styles of stout. The lactose adds a silky creaminess to the beer.
Danny McMahon, brewer at Door County Brewing, has come up with a very tasty, easy drinking stout that begins with a palate-prickling dark chocolatey assault and finishes with distinct and very pleasant coffee tones that hang on for a good time.
Please note that this beer – like most beers with depth and complexity – taste best when allowed to warm up a bit. Drink it straight from the fridge or in a chilled mug and you are going to lose some of the complexity.