Burton Baton

Dogfish Head’s mastermind, Sam Calagione, has never been apologetic in his pursuit of beers that push stylistic boundaries, creating some of the most sought after brews on the market today. The sublimely wood-aged Burton Baton IPA is just one of those beers. Oozing with massive notes of sultry Madagascar vanilla and sticky caramel, the nose is unabashedly oak-driven. Tim pushed through the sweet vanilla to reveal “potent earthy, almost minty” hop notes backed by an underpinning of Oloroso sherry, leading him to proclaim this a “beautifully oak-aged brew, reminiscent of the finest Old Ales.” This beer does not throw the longest-lived head, but sports a decent collar of foam. It sulks in the glass, throwing glints of mahogany from its deep copper core. The flavor leads with a solid alcohol punch riding over chewy crystal malt. Tom was blown away by the initial vanilla blast, but worked his way deeper to find a “warming Jamaican rum” note, with sufficient bitterness to balance. He did feel, however, the massive alcohol punch was overpowering. Pete found a “pleasant, chewy, nutty, caramelly base note” with hints of toffee and golden treacle, all balanced out by an emphatic hop bitterness and prodigious alcohol kick. Weighing in at a crushing 10 percent ABV and laced with a powerful oaky character, this is not your standard IPA – extremely tasty and surprisingly easy on the palate.