Palo Santo Marron revisited

A little over two years ago I treated myself to one of these. At the time, I mentioned that I’d squirreled one away to save for later. And there it sat, mostly forgotten as other beers came and went.

Forgotten, that is, until now.

My wife is working the night shift. The kids are in bed. The house is quiet. While I didn’t have the worst day ever, it was far from the best.

Perhaps a little indulgence is in order.

A good chunk of the flavor of this beer comes from the exotic and extraordinarily hard Palo Santo wood from Paraguay. It’s probably just an illusion, but this 12 fluid ounce bottle seems heavier than others.

The color is a deep, dark-chocolate brown. Head is surprisingly fizzy and dissipates quickly. In the aroma I get some chocolate-covered cherries and burnt caramel. Mouthfeel is thick, and the alcohol heat I detected two years ago has not abated. More burnt caramel and brandy in the flavor. This is definitely a sipping beer. I think I could have cellared it for longer.

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

Dogfish Head Palo Santo MarronBeer-a-Day #224

An unfiltered, unfettered, unprecedented brown ale aged in handmade wooden brewing vessels. The caramel and vanilla complexity unique to this beer comes from the exotic Paraguayan Palo Santo wood from which these tanks were crafted. Palo Santo means “holy tree” and it’s wood has been used in South American wine-making communities.

I got to sample a bit of this at a F.O.A.M. meeting several months ago and have been looking to buy a bottle ever since. I finally scored some the other day. I’ve put one away to age for a bit, but cracked open the other bottle as a reward for a hard day’s work.

It’s a deep, deep chocolate brown, thick and opaque. It smells “rich”, with caramel and vanilla and a bit of heat from the alcohol. More caramel and heat in the taste, with something that reminds me of brandy. Very complex. I couldn’t take a steady diet of these, but it sure is a nice treat.

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron