DFH Midas Touch Golden Elixer
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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Dogfish Head, with its motto “Off-Centered Ales for Off-Centered People”, doesn’t allow convention to stand in its way of progress. Neither does it bow to the passage of time, evidenced by its attempt at recreating an elixir nearly 3,000 years old.
I doubt the imitation succeeded with much fidelity, but they’ve certainly succeeded in creating an entirely enjoyable and quickly quaffable brew.
My bottle is young (dated in October 2008), but the label describes it as a “Handcrafted Ancient Ale with barley, honey, white muscat grapes & saffron”.
The website provides more detail:
This recipe is the actual oldest-known fermented beverage in the world! Our recipe showcases the known ingredients of barley, white Muscat grapes, honey & saffron found in the drinking vessels in King Midas’ tomb! Somewhere between a beer, wine and mead, this smooth, dry ale will please with Chardonnay or I.P.A. drinker alike.
(At a mere 20 IBU, I’m not sure what type of IPA drinker they are looking to attract . . . there is little bitterness to be found.)
They go on to explain that the legend of the wealthy King Midas was based on an actual King, whose tomb was later discovered containing the “largest Iron Age drinking set ever found–157 vessels, including a ram-headed and lion-headed situla–for preparing, serving, drinking and libating a special beverage at the funerary feast of the king.” Chemical scrutiny of the residue left behind revealed the drink was a cocktail made of grape wine, barley beer, and honey mead.
Between the chemical analysis and the thumbprint in the logo, this beer sounds like something out of CSI: Ancient Turkey.
Back to present day, I accidentally over-chilled my bottle and pulled it from the freezer just in time. I wouldn’t rank it on par with discovering penicillin, but I definitely found myself pleased with the unintended results.
I poured the beer into a pint glass, watching suspended ice crystals float through the honey-colored beer. The taste of the near-freezing beer was crisp, sweet, and devoted. When the drink warmed a few degrees later, more of the herbed/saffron flavor came through. Yes, the brew was more complex and interesting at 42 degrees — but those first few freezing sips were incredible.
Muscat grapes and honey make the Midas Touch taste far more like a desert wine than a beer. They dominated both the aroma and the taste. I became so convinced I was drinking an ice wine that I grabbed an over-sized Chardonnay glass and used it to transfer the Golden Elixer. Later, when I looked up Midas Touch on the Dogfish Head website, I wasn’t at all surprised to see they recommended serving the beer in a wine glass.
I would love to keep a few bottles of Midas Touch Golden Elixer around as an after-dinner drink for special occasions. It’s a weak “wine” at 9% ABV, but quite a strong and rewarding beer. Not everything that Dogfish Head touches turns to gold, but Midas Touch certainly lives up to its name.
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