Midas Touch Golden
Elixir
Review Date 5/11/2007
Try?
Re-buy?
Beer is over 6000 years old. Did you know that? It’s
true. It's the oldest known alcoholic beverage. In fact, there have been
some historians who have suggested that civilization evolved around attempts
to cultivate barley to make-you guessed it- beer. But the beer of long ago,
though fermented from barley much as it is today, was a very different
animal than almost anything you can get at the local liquor store.
Except, perhaps, Dogfish Head Midas Touch Golden Elixir. That’s because this beer, like those of long ago, has some exotic spices used to flavor it: saffron, honey, and white Muscat grapes. In fact, the first beers (and those made for thousands of years after beer’s introduction) were not hopped at all, relying on any number of ingredients to balance and flavor.
With Midas Touch, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware based Dogfish Head was aiming at an ancient recipe of a brew that was a hybrid of mead, wine, and beer, using here the primary fermentables from all three.
Recently, a Canadian wine writer named Natalie MacLean kicked up a storm when she wrote a piece about the inherent superiority of wine to beer. I believe that her remarks are apropos to the review of a beer made with wine grapes, which as luck would have it I had planned to review tonight anyway.
From the opening line, it’s apparent that Natalie’s account is tongue in cheek:
The fact that wine is infinitely better than beer is obvious to those of us who drink it.
Well, of course those who drink wine as a matter of course would prefer it to beer. That’s a given. But there really is no need for a competition between the two beverages, since taste is an individual matter, and nobody can tell you what you like better than you can yourself.
And Midas Touch is living proof that beer and wine can coexist, peacefully, in the same glass even. Of course, it may be that Natalie was just having an off day, and decided to pick on beer because beer drinkers can imbibe some incredibly complex brews for a lot less than it costs for rare and exotic wines. Sure, some people think $10 is a lot for a four-pack of Midas Touch, but it’s a lot cheaper than a bottle of Rothschild any day of the week, I tell you.
Dogfish Head Midas Touch pours to a bright whitish golden color,
almost appearing to be as much a product of the grape as the grain were it
not for the light yet persistent head of white foam that rests atop the
liquid. As with a fine champagne, a steady stream of bubbles rises from the
bottom of the glass to the top. The nose is slightly vinous, rather sweet,
and spicy with traces of pungent saffron.
Immediately upon sipping, you’ll get the best of all three worlds here: light, biscuity malt, fruity, vinous grape, and sweet, rich honey. All three flavors come through nicely, and a hint of saffron adds a delightful spiciness. In the finish, the Muscat grape notes and honey flavors intensify. The ending is surprisingly dry like a fine white wine, a result of the elevated alcohol content (9% by volume) and spice.
I like Midas Touch a lot. It’s different, and it’s delicious. It’s light and drinkable yet complex at the same time. And I’ll bet even Natalie MacLean would like it. Beer, it seems, is still the Rodney Dangerfield of the alcohol world: it gets no respect. But that’s OK. I always liked old Rodney.
And besides. Everybody knows that beer is better than wine anyway.
Except, perhaps, Dogfish Head Midas Touch Golden Elixir. That’s because this beer, like those of long ago, has some exotic spices used to flavor it: saffron, honey, and white Muscat grapes. In fact, the first beers (and those made for thousands of years after beer’s introduction) were not hopped at all, relying on any number of ingredients to balance and flavor.
With Midas Touch, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware based Dogfish Head was aiming at an ancient recipe of a brew that was a hybrid of mead, wine, and beer, using here the primary fermentables from all three.
Recently, a Canadian wine writer named Natalie MacLean kicked up a storm when she wrote a piece about the inherent superiority of wine to beer. I believe that her remarks are apropos to the review of a beer made with wine grapes, which as luck would have it I had planned to review tonight anyway.
From the opening line, it’s apparent that Natalie’s account is tongue in cheek:
The fact that wine is infinitely better than beer is obvious to those of us who drink it.
Well, of course those who drink wine as a matter of course would prefer it to beer. That’s a given. But there really is no need for a competition between the two beverages, since taste is an individual matter, and nobody can tell you what you like better than you can yourself.
And Midas Touch is living proof that beer and wine can coexist, peacefully, in the same glass even. Of course, it may be that Natalie was just having an off day, and decided to pick on beer because beer drinkers can imbibe some incredibly complex brews for a lot less than it costs for rare and exotic wines. Sure, some people think $10 is a lot for a four-pack of Midas Touch, but it’s a lot cheaper than a bottle of Rothschild any day of the week, I tell you.
Dogfish Head Midas Touch pours to a bright whitish golden color,
almost appearing to be as much a product of the grape as the grain were it
not for the light yet persistent head of white foam that rests atop the
liquid. As with a fine champagne, a steady stream of bubbles rises from the
bottom of the glass to the top. The nose is slightly vinous, rather sweet,
and spicy with traces of pungent saffron. Immediately upon sipping, you’ll get the best of all three worlds here: light, biscuity malt, fruity, vinous grape, and sweet, rich honey. All three flavors come through nicely, and a hint of saffron adds a delightful spiciness. In the finish, the Muscat grape notes and honey flavors intensify. The ending is surprisingly dry like a fine white wine, a result of the elevated alcohol content (9% by volume) and spice.
I like Midas Touch a lot. It’s different, and it’s delicious. It’s light and drinkable yet complex at the same time. And I’ll bet even Natalie MacLean would like it. Beer, it seems, is still the Rodney Dangerfield of the alcohol world: it gets no respect. But that’s OK. I always liked old Rodney.
And besides. Everybody knows that beer is better than wine anyway.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
