Burton Baton is one of several Imperial IPA offerings from Delaware’s Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. The twist in this variety is that it’s flavored with oak. The nose is woody and floral, and it’s a medium to full bodied ale. There’s a good acidic bite from the oak in the middle, but without the overpowering alcohol flavor that you often find in ales flavored by or aged in oak. The bite is offset by the sweetness from the malts in this big 10% ABV beer, and the finish is rich, sweet, and lingering. This is a fabulously offbeat Imperial IPA, and it earns extra points from me for the uniqueness and execution, which is superb.
I give it a 4.6 out of 5.