DuClaw Deception

Formerly brewed at DuClaw Brewing Company
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Abingdon, Maryland USA

Eric (Hopscotch) brought 3 DuClaw beers to the Chi-town summer party, of the two I had, this is easily the best. Some lacing and head on top of an amber colored beer. Apricot and sour apple hint in the aroma, touch of grain and yeast noticeable too. Complex taste, raisin sweet balanced by a fruity tartness, slighty warming. This brew hides the alcohol very well. Should age very well, look forward to finding a bottle in upcoming year. Highly recommended.

1 liter bottle, from my cellar. It’s aged for 4 years now. Sealed with black wax. Poured out a clear amber color,with a minimal head. More a ring of fine bubbles around the rim of the glass than a real head. Aromas are of citrus peel, yeasty bread, clover honey. Flavors are of citrus peel, some fruitiness, and plenty of alcohol. Hops are long gone on this beer. No hop aromas or much in the way of flavors either. More of a mead at this point than a beer. Thick mouthfeel, thinned by excessive alcohol. Burning in the throat, yet smooth on the tongue. This beast still needs some more age on it.

Spicy, hoppy, malty aroma, some tangerine and light melon. Pale, cloudy golden amber color. Flavor is likewise spicy, with notes of banana, peach, some barnyard (unexpected), pepper and fiery alcohol. Honeyish, malty finish. Really quite good.

Deep hazy gold, lasting off white head. Nose on this rocket fuel is all about the sweets with belgian candi sugar, orange blossom honey, and sweet doughy caramel malt. Thank god I have a sweet tooth! :-) Blast of sweet alcohol gets combined with fuzzy fruit and flowers in the flavors. Full bodied, syrupy, soft sweet candi sugar finish. Still needs cellar time, but great stuff none the less!

1 liter swingtop. I think this came from slob. Pours amber with no discernable head to speak of. Touches of white bubbles on the surface, but that’s about it. Smells very citrussy and of dry malt (more of an over the top tripel). Tastes sweet with lots of spicey characteristics and some earthiness on this finish. An interesting take on this style. Alcohol is at the forefront of this beer unfortunately, but the flavors underneath have blended together nicely in this one.

Thick white head. Yeasty aroma. Nice lacing. Flavor is sweet and full. Candy sugar sweetness is just about out of control. Sugar overdose imminent! Alcohol flavor on finish but not overpowering considering the ABV.

Peachy gold. Sweet and spicy nose. Huge fruity blast at first taste, but gets a syrupy character that gets a mite cloying.

RBSG2003 Basically looks like apricot juice... very hazy, deep amber. Small, off-white head. The nose is hoppy and pungent with huge notes of apricot and alcohol. The flavor is very malty, heavy and sweet. Not balanced. Lightly bitter on the backside, but the heavy, sweet malt and candy sugar win the war by a longshot! Full-bodied with a syrupy mouthfeel and soft carbonation. Lengthy, sweet and sour finish. Give this stuff a year in the bottle and it's damn close to a perfect 5.0!