Dogfish Head Black & Blue

The first thing you see as you look at the bottle art of Dogfish Head's Black & Blue is a finely dressed gentleman with a perfect bone structure smiling as he enjoys a glass of Black & Blue. This image alone says a lot about Dogfish Head's black raspberry and blueberry fermented ale. First and foremost it implies that by drinking Black & Blue you will feel as fancy as the man pictured on the bottle. Secondly it shows that even the pickiest of people will find something they like about Black & Blue even if it isn't readily apparent after taking the first sip.

The most important of these realizations however is that Black & Blue successfully bridges the gap between fine beer aficionados who enjoy their beers at high ABVs (Alcohol By Volume) and the more casual beer drinkers that enjoy an occasional Yuengling or Sam Adams.

Black & Blue pours a beautiful reddish brown color and is pleasing just to look at. When first poured the amount of head was a little too generous and slightly overwhelming; after a few minutes though it was drinkable.

At first I was expecting an intense blueberry/fruit taste, seeing as Black & Blue was brewed with blueberry puree, a brewing method I have never come across in all my years drinking beer. I took my first sip and was instantly surprised at how subtle the flavor was. This beer tasted more like beer than the fruit overload I was waiting for. I was a little disappointed, but slowly the flavor grew on me and I began to notice the hidden flavor more.

The smell of Black & Blue is also very pleasant and smells strongly of blueberries, like if real blueberries were crushed right in front of my nose; it makes the beer all that more appealing. At 10% ABV, Black & Blue slowly crept up on my friend Quincy and I. We wanted to keep on drinking it, but the alcohol took effect so quickly that we had to stop and pace ourselves.

As I drank Black & Blue I was reminded of the beers I drank when I first starting enjoying beer. It was hard for me to pick out the subtle flavors back then and with Black & Blue I was reminded of that. Even if you only enjoy the most popular beer brands, such as Budweiser or the like, Black & Blue doesn't stray too far from beer flavor that it would discourage you from trying it. Black & Blue is a great stepping stone for beer lovers to get into the more fancy beers that are available on the market and I'd like to thank Dogfish Head for yet another great brew! Enjoy responsibly!