We report on a quantum dots-in-a-well infrared photodetector (DWELL QDIP) grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. The DWELL QDIP consisted of ten stacked InAs/In_0.5Ga_0.85As/GaAs QD layers embedded between n-doped contact layers. The density of the QDs was about 9 × 10 ¹⁰ cm^-2 per QD layer. The energy level structure of the DWELL was revealed by optical measurements of interband transitions, and from a comparison with this energy level scheme the origin of the photocurrent peaks could be identified. The main intersubband transition contributing to the photocurrent was associated with the quantum dot ground state to the quantum well excited state transition. The performance of the DWELL QDIPs was evaluated regarding responsivity and dark current for temperatures between 15 K and 77 K. The photocurrent spectrum was dominated by a LWIR peak, with a peak wavelength at 8.4 μm and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 1.1 μm. At an operating temperature of 65 K, the peak responsivity was 30 mA/W at an applied bias of 4 V and the dark current was 1.2×10^-5 A/cm². Wavelength tuning from 8.4 μm to 9.5 μm was demonstrated, by reversing the bias of the detector.