A few months back, we covered Dogfish Head’s first-ever whiskey release, Alternative Takes: Volume 1, a whiskey that was aged in rum barrels. Now, the company’s distillery arm is back with Dogfish Head Straight Whiskey.
Coming in at 80 proof, Dogfish Head Straight Whiskey is made from a custom blend of 100% 2-row malted barley that is milled, fermented, distilled, and aged on-site. On the aging side of things, DFH veered away from the typical barrels used in whiskey aging and instead opted to take a wine-like approach to things – the barrels used are lightly toasted and charred (compared to a much heavier char for most bourbons or other whiskeys). The resulting whiskey is lighter with more of the malted barley flavors coming through.
On the nose, you’ll find caramel and ripe apples as well as bready, sweet malty notes. The palate is medium-light and fairly dry, with burnt sugar, some wood notes, and a little bit of fruitiness on the end. The finish is medium-long and drying.
If this is the first time you’ve heard about a spirit Dogfish Head, don’t be too concerned. While they have been produced since the early 2000s at Dogfish Head Brewing’s restaurant in Rehobath Beach, Delaware, Brewings & Eats, distribution has not gone far beyond the Delaware area (with a few surrounding states getting lucky to get a few bottles of some of their spirits). From 2002 to 2015, the spirits produced by the company were made there on a still they had named “Frankenstill” with the bulk of the product staying in the restaurant for guests to enjoy before, during, or after their meal. In 2015, though, they moved their operation to a new, state-of-the-art facility to continue to produce the multiple rums, vodkas, gins, brandy they had become known for.
Dogfish Head Straight Whiskey is the third whiskey product from the distillery. They previously released Sonic Archaeology, a bottled cocktail containing a blend of DFH’s rum, brandy, and whiskey, as well as the aforementioned Alternative Takes: Volume 1.
If you’re looking to get your hands on Dogfish Head Straight Whiskey, start looking at how to get to Delaware, because (at least for now), the spirit is only available in the distillery’s home state.
