Dogfish Head SeaQuench Ale is a beer brewed with lime juice, lime peel, black limes, and sea salt. It is definitely one of the more daring beers Dogfish Head Brewery makes and they aren’t afraid of being unique.
This beer is three beers in one. As they note it starts with a Kolsch with wheat and Munich Malt. Then comes the Gose with sea salt and black limes, and coriander. That is flowed by a Berlinerweiss with lime juice and lime peel. They blend them all together in the fermentation tank and the result is one of the more unique beers I have ever tasted.
The pour of the beer is a cloudy gold, like you would get with a wheat beer. It did form a white head that rose to just under two fingers. Sadly, the foam and the glass didn’t get along and it quickly dissipated but that is due to the glass and is not a knock on the beer. The aroma is citrus with lime being prevalent for obvious reasons. It is a really pleasant aroma that teases the salt behind the citrus notes. It kind of smells like you are smelling a margarita near the ocean.
The first sip was a bit of a shock. There was a lot of lime and the salty finish caught the taste buds off guard. The second sip was much more pleasant as the taste was expected. Every sip after was actually more enjoyable than the one before. The lime is the first to hit and it tastes like summer. That is followed by a little wheat flavor and quickly pursued by a salty pucker as a finish. The salty finish leaves you wanting another sip almost immediately which was fun.
The beer is medium-bodied and sips well throughout the glass. There is moderate carbonation and it keeps very well throughout the drink.
Overall this is a unique beer with a lot to offer your taste buds. If you don’t like lime you won’t like this. If you like key lime pie you will probably love this. It has the taste of summer by the beach and any time a beer can transport you to a different place that is a good thing. At 4.9% ABV this is one you can definitely day drink by the lake or beach while soaking up some rays and enjoying the warm weather and at $9.99 for a six-pack it isn’t a bad price for a craft brew. This is one beer that you will want around this summer, even if it is just to try.