Tap at Draught 55 to ensure I don’t get home too sober. Cloudy Amber pour nose isnsweet brown sugar and medicinal. Tastes of some herbs, brown sugar, oranges, resin and I saw posted burlap sack full disclosure and now that all I taste haha. Anyways little boozy and not much else.

$2.45 Bottle from Wine Warehouse. I’ve gone against my better judgement and purchased a couple of DuClaw bottles that I hadn’t tasted before. Full disclosure: I am not a fan of this brewery overall and I typically steer clear of their beers lately. That being said, let’s go ahead and sample this. Pours clear deep amber with a gigantic beige head. I’d say I only poured a quarter of the bottle and I can’t get any more in. Aroma is quite pleasant: plums, nuts, pine, citrus. I’m starting to think this might end up being my highest rates DuClaw brew based on the aroma. Let’s see how it tastes.... Very nutty... lots of cashews, walnuts, hell even coconut. Then add some raisin, pine, vanilla, and alcohol. By far, my favorite from this brewery. Note: my bottle says 11.5% abv rather than 10.5%.

Tap, on release day so you know its fresh and highlighting the hops. Pours clear orange, small beige head, dissipates leaving decent lacing. Aroma is surprisingly light, hints of pine, perfume, floral notes, hints of cardboard, honestly. Flavor is light plus sweet, fully bitter, floral, perfume and pine. Medium body. Odd and not really appealing. Whats the draw here? At least the ABV is well hidden.

Tap, duclaw@bwi. hazy Amber, no head. Tropical hops on a somewhat boozy base. Medium body, slick mouthfeel. Meh

Bottle thanks to a trade! Pours a orange with an amber hue and a near white head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has a good amount of raisins and some light sweet fruit with a bit of sweet grains and caramel backing. Flavor has caramel and grains with a bit of raisins and a touch of bitterness through the finish.

Really comes together well. Not a sugar bomb or syrupy mess at all. Powerful, with good balance. Clear amber with good head and lacing. Sweetness and bitterness in finish. Perfect mix of booze, hops and sweet malt. On tap at DC Summerfest.

Bottle: Poured a murky brown color ale with a small foamy head with minimal retention and not much lacing. Aroma consists of deep caramelized malt with quite a bit of green hoppy notes. Taste is also a mix between some overly sweet caramelized malt with some stalled green hops that don’t really mix that well with the malt backbone. Body is about average with medium-to-low carbonation and light apparent alcohol. There is something off balanced in this beer that I didn’t particularly enjoyed.

Bottle at Christine and Daves, big thanks to DLJ, 29/11/13. Lightly hazed dark amber/chestnut brown with a moderate off white covering. Nose is earthy, dark toffee, dark fruits, sugars, hop presence, bitter tropical notes. Taste comprises caramelised sugars, piney tang, tropical fruit medley, bitter orange, red gragpefruit, sugars, light booze. Full bodied, fine carbonation, sweet closure with lightly warming booze. Respectable Barley Wine - alcohol well integrated.