Unless you have had your head in a hole for the past few years, you probably already know that Dogfish Head Craft Brewery makes some of the most creative and boundary bending brews on the market. They make huge ABV beers, awesome tribute beers, exciting seasonal beers, and the list goes on and on. Rare, if never, has been the time when I had a Dogfish Head brew in my hand and not enjoyed it. Their seasonal Chicory Stout is on the shelves now, and seeing as how I am a stout lover, picking up a few on a recent outing seemed like a can't miss.

In the glass, the Chicory Stout has a dark, murky brown coloration, and takes on a bit of a cola appearance around the edges when held up to a light source. With an aggressive pour one can achieve about two fingers worth of mocha colored head for a few moments before it retreats to nothing more than a fine film laying on the surface. The label plainly states that it is ''A rich, dark brew smoothed out with a touch of chicory and organic Mexican coffee'', and as long as you read the label, getting your nose in the glass offers up no surprises. Truthfully, it smells like a cup of cold chicory coffee. There are some light notes of cocoa powder, vanilla, and chocolate, and at times you can pick up on a very earthy, peppery layer, but you always end up back at the cold cup of coffee impression.

When you go in for the first taste, you can't help but notice the mouthfeel before anything else. It is surprisingly thin for a stout. Thin to the point that it can catch you a bit off guard. After you get used to it though, those chicory and coffee flavors really start to take over. Your mind quickly moves from the idea of a cold cup of coffee, to the appreciation of a nicely flavored brew. The chicory takes on the earthy characteristic that was noted in the nose, and it is quite tasty. Now unless you pay close attention, it might start to get one dimensional at this point. The other flavors are very light, and take a little patience to find, but if you give them some time they compliment things nicely. Tobacco, vanilla, and chocolate all come through randomly, while a roasted and nutty malt backbone holds things together through the finish.

When it comes to grading and recommending a beer like the Chicory Stout things can get very difficult. Doing so based solely on the beer itself isn't that hard, but doing so based on the fact that it is made by Dogfish Head really throws a monkey wrench right in the heart of the machine. Honestly, the Chicory Stout would make a great session beer for the more seasoned drinkers, and a good bridge beer for those wanting to get started on the better beer journey. I just can't help shaking my head at times over the fact that I really want more out of this one. Dogfish Head constantly blows us away with amazing, eye popping brews, but this one just seemed to land in the realm of ''good'' for me. I guess when it is all said and done, most breweries would probably kill to have that kind of ''problem'' on their hands. But then again, Dogfish Head isn't most breweries.