Dogfish Head Midas Touch

Dogfish Head Midas Touch. Handcrafted Ancient Ale. with barley, honey, white muscat grapes, and saffron. 12 fl. oz., 9% ABV. Brewed and bottled by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Delaware.

This is one I haven't had in a while, and first wrote notes on in December, 2002. I last mentioned a few days ago that there are times that I'm fine with my notes of over a decade ago, and there are times that I'm not. I've decided that this goes in column B.

What's the story on this? It was released initially in 2001, first in 750 ml bottles (which is how I first tried it), and is briefly described thusly: "This sweet yet dry beer is made with ingredients found in 2,700-year-old drinking vessels from the tomb of King Midas. Somewhere between wine and mead, Midas will please the chardonnay and beer drinker alike. 12 IBU."

I'm going to try this one as if fresh, then bring out the old notes. Okay? Ready? Here we go!

Appearance: hazy, golden hued, brief white head.

Aroma: grape must and honey notes greet the nose first. Lightly spicy and fruity, with alcohol creeping into the aromatics.

Taste: Minor hops (if any?), but significant bitterness at first. Funky fruit associations flood the palate next, sweet honey notes hanging on the sides. We've got a honey ale, a fruit ale, and some odd blend of a white wine and a mead, that has the alcohol strength of a Belgian triple or such. I don't drink either wine or mead, but I have no problem with this.

I wrote a bit about cider a few weeks back, without actually drinking one, and decided that they didn't do it for me. If I like this, I should like meads, right? And then, why not ciders, while we're at it. This isn't really beer, not like we know it today, and yet I'm finding it quite delicious. It doesn't replace beer for me, though. Honey and grapes may be an occasional diversion, but won't really replace hops and malt, no sir.

So, here are those notes from 12-04-02: "A recreated ancient ale, using such offbeat ingredients as white muscat grapes, and saffron. Pours a big, bone white head, gorgeous amber/orange color, soft, sweet aroma. Lovely texture! It just rolls off your lips and floods your mouth with pleasure. Warm, glowing, the grapes are evident, and, soon enough, the honey comes shining through. Perfect for summertime picnics, of around the fireplace. Fresh, sparkling, very mead-like...I've never had a honey beer quite like this. There is no beer like this, that's for sure.
Great stuff, and reminds me of the best Belgians I've enjoyed."