Dogfish Head Faithfull Ale

Definitely one of the Top 5 sought after beers of this winter, I'm finally sitting down to try the Dogfish Head Faithfull Ale.  This brew was created to honor the 20 year anniversary of Pearl Jam and their debut album "Ten."

Quite honestly, I have no idea what to expect getting into this brew. DFH describes a Belgian-style golden ale with a little hops and a lot of black currants. Really? What in the world is that going to taste like?

The Faithfull pours out a light golden color, with great clarity.  Foam is thick at first but fades back fairly quickly, leaving behind just a touch of lacing.  As the picture shows, there is lively carbonation arising throughout the duration from the center of the Dogfish glass.

The nose is really, really unique! I'm getting a very bready/yeasty nose, reminiscent of something like a Duvel, but them I'm also getting a citrusy/fruity component like Tripel or Hefe. I can't specifically pick out Currants but the fruitiness is definitely present. I'm not getting any hint of hops in the nose but I'm not surprised, the DFH website shows only a IBU rating at 20.

Once on the palate the Faithfull Ale is a little less complex than expected. It's quite smooth and drinkable, with a touch of fruit tartness. I hesitate to use the word "tartness", but it resides somewhere between 'sweet' fruit and 'sour' fruit so I guess I'm going to stick with 'tart'.  There is just a touch of hops in the background but I only really took notice after the beer warmed up closer to room temperature.

There was a ton of people asking for this limited beer weeks before it arrived. Is it a good beer?  Yes, absolutely! Is it worth all the phone calls trying to find the store that has a bottle and the 20 mile drive? Meh, probably not. But, I will say you should grab one if you get the chance.

Dogfish Head Brewing
Faithfull Ale
TCSH Rating - 7.5/10
Aka - Worth buying a bottle!

Eli
Bibo Ergo Sum