As they can say it best, I’ll let Dogfish Head tell the tale  “Life & Limb is a collaborative effort, the brainchild of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. Life & Limb is a 10% ABV strong, dark beer that defies style characteristics- brewed with pure maple syrup from the Calagione family farm in Massachusetts and estate barley grown on the Grossman “farm” at the brewery in Chico, CA. The beer is alive with yeast-a blend of both breweries’ house strains-bottle conditioned for added complexity and shelf life, and naturally carbonated with birch syrup fresh from Alaska.

Life & Limb is dedicated to the family of beer drinkers and enthusiasts worldwide who continue to support the little guys, iconoclasts, entrepreneurs, and pioneers who risk life and limb to shape the vibrant craft-brewing community.

The other beer of this collaboration is Limb & Life (draft only). Both beers will be released later this fall.”

Dogfish Head has long been know for their cavalier attitude and adventuresome spirit toward brewing, and Sierra Nevada is an icon and credited by some as sparking the craft beer movement in the late 70′s and early 80′s. Combine the two and you have Life and Limb.

This unique beer pours a very deep brown with rich accents a ruby red when held up to the light. I poured this one into a goblet, producing a half finger head, that sustained itself during the duration of the experience. While it just sat there, the bubbles continued to swim there way to the top of my glass. A good start to be sure..

Take one whiff, and instantly you instantly get the alcohol aroma. Almost overwhelming in fact. however, another sniff and you get roasted malt. Both breweries states it’s brewed with maple and birch syrup, however in the smell I don’t get any. What I do get is other flavors, such as some spice, fig and dates.

To taste this one, is divine. Although the alcohol I originally smelled is still at the forefront, the more subtle flavors now creep in. The fig and dates definitely come out. A few more sips, I seem to taste the maple syrup described. Either that’s because it’s actually there, or I want it to be.  What I definitely get, is a nice hop undertone that seems to balance the alcohol in this one out.

The mouthfeel is what I’d expect from an American Strong Ale. Although this is almost a ‘catch all’ category for stronger American beers, it seems to do what it should. A crisp, yet slightly sticky feel to i, it is creamy and definitely a full beer.

Overall, I really like this one. I admit, that I had it straight out of the bottle the day after purchase, but it was divine. I still feel that the alcohol is a bit overpowering initially and on the back end, but I’ll have more of this one. It weighs in at 10.2% ABV, so take your time with it. Not a session beer, but one to enjoy when the time is right. I enjoyed life and Limb with a modest portion of Buttered Pecan ice cream.

The Great Divide Brewing Company hails all the way from my home state of Colorado and my home town of Denver. Started in 1994 founder ” Brian Dunn recognized Denver’s potential to be a great beer city,. Combining his business background with his passion for beer, which was developed through his international travels and his experience as a homebrewer, he decided to start a brewery. He set up shop in an abandoned dairy-processing plant at the edge of downtown Denver and began brewing the beers that would eventually carry Great Divide Brewing Company to its status as one of America’s most decorated microbreweries and would help transform Denver into an international destination for beer lovers. Brian Dunn’s goal was to create adventurous beers that reflect the Colorado lifestyle. He wanted to capture Denver’s urban energy and Colorado’s awe-inspiring mountains. From great session beers like DPA to massively hoppy, big beers like Hercules, Great Divide has become synonymous with progressive, balanced, assertive hand-crafted ales. ‘The excellence of our beer is the result of our unwavering commitment to both experimentation and quality. A beer like Old Ruffian would never be imagined without the former, nor would it be drinkable without the latter. We are also firmly dedicated to our community, whose support has been essential to our success, and the environment, which we depend upon for ingredients and which we have a duty to protect. In short, we’d like to think of Great Divide as an example of everything that makes Denver, and Colorado, so great.’”

Appearance is fairly typical for a porter: dark brown, cloudy and hard to see through. Hold this one up to the light, and it lets the suns rays whine through ever so gently accents what is an almost golden brown in color. Poured slowly into a pint glass, the bubbles came trickling to the top as I straightened out the glass. A decent amount of foam produced by the pesky little bubbles.

Place this one near your nose and you’re in for a treat. A deep, rich smokiness comes out. Caramel and rye malt seem to be prominent as well, highlights of chocolate and spice. A hint of hops on the nose of this one as well.

Goes down very smooth with the chocolate and spice hitting me first. The chocolate is a little sweet, giving the taste some bitterness I didn’t expect to get. Could have been the hops, but tastes more like a bittersweet chocolate. Another sip brings out the spice, subtle but it was there. Like liquid pleasure, just makes you feel good while going down, anxious for another sip.

Mouthfeel is very nice. The bubbles are perfect and leave a smooth, crisp feeling in your mouth.

Overall this is a very solid porter. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and even went out to buy more of it at the local store. Porters can be tricky in my opinion and can come out week. Not so in this case. A great beer from Great Divide and weighing in at around 5.9% ABV, this is a good session porter. This paired very well with plate of mozzarella, sourdough bread and salami I was snacking on.