Misery - DuClaw Brewing Company

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 22 oz. bottle. Has a cloudy caramel color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell has lots of tropical fruits. Taste is mild compared to the smell. There are tropical fruits, some sweetness, alcohol is present, a touch of hops. Easy drinking for this abv. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 03:10:38 | More by tone77

DIM

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

There was no date on the bottle, but this was on the clearance rack, so this has at least a little age on it.

a: There was a slight haze to the golden peach color. It poured with a medium sized head that faded to sheets of lace.

s: Very appealing musty honey with hints of tropical fruit. Some boozy toffee as well.

t: Lots of honey sweetness with a toffee finish. Hints of tropical fruit throughout.

m: Big and chewy wirh velvety carbonation.

o: One of the best wheatwines I've had. Should have bought more dammit.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 18:12:51 | More by DIM

philbe311

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A finger's worth of perfectly level smooth, lush and creamy light khaki colored head... Modest retention gives way to an even richer full lacing... A good bit of rapid paced carbonation streaks throughout with an equal amount of bubbles clings to the glass... Looks fairly thick... The color is a deep dark slightly murky honey... Loads of bubbles cling to the glass...

S - Honey... Golden raisins... Bread dough... Lots of over ripened fruit tones... A bit musky as well...

T - Honey... Golden raisins... Over ripened bananas... Over ripened green grapes... Apricot... Pineapple... Light brown sugar... White bread... The finish has a very light boozy heat that is rather quite enjoyable... Good complexity that revels subtle nuance with each sip...

M - On the fuller side of medium bodied... Sturdy and sleek... A bit sticky... Minimal carbonation... Lush... Delicate...

D - This was yet another enjoyable offering from DuClaw... A bit rough around the edges and perhaps a bit cloying, but those are rather minor critiques in the grand scheme of things... Overall this one of quite enjoyable with good depth and character...

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 02:42:54 | More by philbe311

nickfl

Florida

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A a small head of white foam on a clear, dark golden body. Good retention and lace.

S spicy yeast notes with some bright fruit.

T thick, sweet malt up front with a distinct orange character in then middle. Finishes sweet and spicy with notes of clove and pepper.

M medium thick body, moderately high carbination, and a sweet finish.

D a better than average wheat wine, which isnt necessarily saying much. In this case I actually kind of like this one, it has a pleasant fruity character that balances any if the harshness that RNA other examples of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2012 02:33:47 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

3.43/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thin head on a clear deep golden with copper hues body. Excellent lacing. Very sweet aroma with candied citrus, caramel malts and grape notes. Flavor follows well but is even sweeter, too sweet and medicinal up front with thick caramel malts, candied citrus and finishing a touch bitter And sour with earthy and Chardonnay notes. Creamy body and lighter side of moderate carbonation. Not an expert on this style, I just know I don't like it very much. Can't honestly say if this is a good version or not but overall too sweet for me.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2012 02:26:09 | More by kylehay2004

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

4.18/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a dark golden-copper color with almost no clarity. The head is a one finger eggshell color that fades in almost no time, even as the carbonation trails try (in vain) to leave a collar around the glass (though they do produce a nice show trying to form said head!) Luckily, swirling the beer around in a glass will cause the head to reform nicely.

S: The nose is tropical, in a pleasantly hoppy manner. There's a strong orange scent combined with the wheat malt, bubblegum esters, and a distinct honey note. Unlike anything I've ever encountered in a beer, and by gawd, it works!

T/M: Much like the aroma, initial notes of tropical fruits (orange, pink grapefruit, maybe some clementine) mingle with a light honey sweetness, before giving way to a finish loaded with caramel, brown sugar and even a little milk chocolate - which is nicely integrated with the candy-coated hop flavor. It's hoppy without being remotely bitter. Light herbal and wheat malt tones exist as subtle notes throughout the flavor progression. A little more complexity would REALLY send this over the top, but it's still excellent as is.

Without a doubt, it's fairly boozy, but it's not at all distracting, either. Basically, I can feel the alcohol on the back of the tongue, down the esophagus, and in the stomach, but it's excellently integrated with the other flavor, to the point where I hardly think about it. While it would be hellishly drinkable if the texture was a little lighter and the carbonation a little more easygoing, it's still a dangerous drink that hides its alcohol well enough (note those key words 'well enough', once you accept the fact that you WILL taste some booze in this, you might really like this!)

O: One of the most unique beers I've ever come across, wheatwine or no. Any time I can easily finish a bomber of a 10% beer, it's usually a great thing. Can't say drinking this gives me the feeling of misery - maybe when it's all gone, I'll feel this misery DuClaw preaches, but right now, all I feel sipping this is glee.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 22:35:44 | More by ThisWangsChung

aerozeppl

New York

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Quite light in color for the style. Quite a bit of billowy white head for the style. The lacing was quite impressive as well.

S: Quite a bit of wheat in the nose. Just a hint of alcohol. A nice sweetness was there as well. The nose was a little bit weak on this one. Not offensive at all though.

T: I thought this was a nice cross between ABV and flavor. The wheat was there and so was the ABV to a degree. I like my wheatwines a little hot. The flavor just really not was enough for the style though still an enjoyable beer.

M: A little thick and syrupy. Carbonation was spot on. They nailed this.

D: Very good beer but I just want a little more flavor out of the style. We split this bottle and it was too drinkable. For better of worse. Barrel age this then...

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 23:42:30 | More by aerozeppl

zaphodchak

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A finger of sudsy offwhite head on an applejuice-colored body. No lace.

Nose has some sour, almost funky, but not Brett or lacto sour or anything. Plenty of wheat, and a bit of bubblegum sweetness.

Taste follows the nose-- tons of toffee and some sticky candy orange. A subtle, elegant trace of honeyed, slightly citrusy hops at the end which I would ordinarily object to in theory, but in practice works quite nicely.

Thick and decent, but almost syrupy and a bit sticky in the aftertaste.

A totally solid wheatwine, not miserable at all! And at a good price point as well.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 23:32:09 | More by zaphodchak

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer poured a hazy orange, and produced a one finger high, bubbly head, which dissipated fast and left little lacing.
Smell is orange, honey and yeast.
Tasting the beer, the front is all orange.A strong wheat character is noticeable in the middle, followed by yeast flavors and sweet malts. A honey orange linger remains on the tongue.
Overall I think the beer fits the style and seems to be a good representative of it. My personal experience in this style is limited, but I certainly enjoyed the ride!

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 04:43:08 | More by Hopfenpeter

maximum12

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to beandip for this bottle, furthering my quest to try every wheatwine I can get my yeast-stained hands on. Excited to try Town Hall's version next week, but that's a completely separate subject.

Pour is a virtually solid orange, heady for a big wheaty beer. Smell is also orange, & I begin to feel that the Orange Lobby is crying at the number of oranges harmed in the making of this brew. Little sweet malt, touch of yeast, restrained.

Misery loves wheatiness. Wheat is written all over this beer, held up by a framework of sweet, tawdry malts. Strong cereal component, Honey-Nut Cheerios, tangerine, more oranges. Booze slices through the tastes like Narsil on a cloudy night. Almost rum-like. More lively than many a wheatwine, & certainly drinkable, this is like wit after a lifetime hitting the gym.

Very good beer. The combo of flavors is interesting in a wheatwine no, scratch that, unique. Odd, but nice.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 02:11:17 | More by maximum12

billab914

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into my Dogfish snifter. It poured a murky amber, burnt orange color. It had a thin but bubble white head clinging mostly to the edges of the glass.

The aroma not surprisingly has a big wheat presence to it. I get a sweeter, bready, grainy quality to it mixing with a little bit of a zesty, citrusy flavor. Nothing amazing for the style, but pretty solid and appealing overall.

The taste starts out with more of a malty, bready, wheaty quality. I get some sweeter, caramel notes to it throughout the flavor. Towards the finish I get some zesty, citrus rind flavors coming out. Some bitterness in the finish goes a long way to help balance out the sweeter, wheat malts that came out up front.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side and a little syrupy overall. Carbonation is moderate for the style. Overall it was a solid beer of the style. It wasn't amazing in any of the categories, but very enjoyable overall.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 23:54:35 | More by billab914

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz. bottle review from notes:

A: a slightly hazed orange. reasonable head retention leaving some lacing on the way down.

S: mild fruit, pear. a light toasted grain, wheat toast. a little bit of tart fruitiness as well, lemon/lime aromas.

T: alcohol is very noteworthy. vanilla, caramel combo reminds me of cowntails (the candy treat if you are familiar). a slight bitterness tries its best to balance a massive sweetness. even a little bit of chewyness from the wheat.

M: a fine carbonation let's the full body do work.

D: a lot of potential in this glass, just needs some time to mellow. alcohol gets in the way of citrus/fruit nuances. otherwise a great bottle to put away in the cellar and share with some friends.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 12:31:55 | More by Jimmys

Cpherg

District of Columbia

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Orangey hazyness, not completely opaque, slight wispy head focused around the ring.

S: Apple and Kiwi sweetness.

T: Nice bitternes quite like strawberry liqourice with a strong burnt carmel flavor and booze on top of booze.

M: Medium heavy with large bubbles on the tongue.

O: Nice wheaty, boozy, sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 01:23:37 | More by Cpherg

mgbickel

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Purchased while in VA beach.

22ox bottle poured into a Piraat tulip. Man, 10% huh...this should be fun!

A semi-aggressive pour yeilded a tiny, bone colored hear. The body is dark gold and crystal clear. The foam receded quickly, leaving behind zero lace.

Is boozy a smell? Well, this smells boozy! Honey, grains, lemon zest are all present behind the alcohol curtain.

Sweet sugary malts lead off the flavor. The honey and lemon kick in toward the center and a big alcohol kick finishes things off. A grassy/grainy backbone is present throughout.

Thick bodied, syrup-esque with very little carbonation.

This is complex, chewy and overall enjoyable. Sweet, boozy and thick, this is not for the faint of heart!

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 01:35:55 | More by mgbickel

clayrock81

Virginia

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an auburn type body w/ minimal head and lace. A very fruity aroma, I'm picking up cherry for some reason, as well as hints of citric but nothing too sour. Also a touch of peppery spice and some caramel malt. Strong bite from the alcohol and spice but not overpowering, definitely a thick sipper. I actually taste a sharp caramel and sugary sweetness balancing w/ a yeast/wheat twang (which makes the beer go down easier) and fruit flavors. I'm picking up things like black cherries and some herbal citric bitterness as well as a touch of tropical and tart fruits. A strong beer w/ a strong finish, this is a great after dinner sipper.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 12:22:05 | More by clayrock81

ckollias

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this 22oz bomber out of a large snifter glass.

A: Golden hazy ale with a thin ½-finger white head that quickly dissipates into a thin wispy lace.

S: Strong sweet wheat malty aroma.

T: Has a very sweet wine-like flavor. Heavy on the wheat malts and hints of yeast in the background.

M: Very strong and boozy. heavy body and carbonation

O: This beer sort of blew me away. I felt like I was drinking a barleywine only a little sweeter. This was my first wheatwine experience and I wasn’t disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 00:51:38 | More by ckollias

jayhawk73

Maryland

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a medium auburn color w/ a one finger off white head. Ok carbonation, and decent lacing. You can see through this beer, and it looks lighter than I was expecting. Lots of bubbles in the head.

S- Lemon, wheat, malt, citrus. Nice smelling beer. Very balanced, and not too strong. Wheat is in the forefront here, but it's not bad.

T- Same as the nose, with a nice alcohol burn as well. This is very enjoyable brew, and the first Wheatwine I've had. Nice aftertaste, which lingers a while too.

M- Very smooth, silky and goes down easily. Nice feel. Can't believe this is a 10%ABV beer- it doesn't feel like it, and that's excellent.

O- Nice brew from DuClaw... Not quite world class, but a totally solid brew that you should pick up and check out if you see it. Enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 00:38:15 | More by jayhawk73

homebrew311

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: pours a light yellow with a thin head, some clarity

S: big wheat malts up front with notes of coriander, orange, and candied fruits. The aromas that are coming up seem overwhelming and they don't meld well.

T: flavor start out mellow and quickly presents with a spice character. Big caramel/molasses malts. Overall it is sweet, okay balance.

MF: medium carbonation, syrupy mouthfeel

O: this one is a little too far on the sweet side of things for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 21:47:08 | More by homebrew311

Florida9

Illinois

2.73/5  rDev -28%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Darker golden amber. Forms a thin surface coating and some bigger bubbles cling to the edge of the glass. Some very light lacing.

S: Tangerine, ruby grapefruit, cotton candy and lots of orange juice.

T: Odd cloying sweetness with the overwhelming flavor of concentrated orange juice, the cheap frozen kind that comes in a tube. Moderate orange pith bitterness and a light, out of place spiciness. I swear this beer tastes like some sort of odd fermented orange juice beverage. Not overly appetizing.

M: On the thicker side and with the cloying sweetness and lower carbonation levels, this one feels a bit syrupy.

O: I couldn't bear the misery induced by this beer and ending up drain pouring half of it. Odd, cloying, sweet alcoholic orange juice.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 19:00:48 | More by Florida9

bum732

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

S: Wheaty, almost rye grain flavor, some faint citrus, slight spiciness, some melanoindens and rich breadiness.

L: Crystal clear burnt orange with white head that dissipates to a dusting. Ok lacing.

T: Big wheat spiciness with some rich breadiness. Spicy medium bitterness leading to some herbal hoppiness and additional maltiness. Finishes semi-dry with some residual spice.

M: Medium bodied, spicy, maybe from the alcohol, medium low carbonation.

Very solid, almost like a light barleywine, but in a good way. Definitely the best beer I've had from Duclaw, a must try.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 02:04:07 | More by bum732

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Thanks to mdfb79 for this bottle!

Reviewed blind as part of Blind BIF Round 5. It pours a murky amber-orange topped by a mild wisp of soapy bubbles. The nose comprises orange rind, mandarin orange flesh, light black pepper, light rubbing alcohol, white bread, lemon rind, and a hint of honey. The taste holds more/sharper orange, more lemon zest, lighter booze and bread, light bubblegum, honey, and a bit of that ol' clove/banana combo that we all enjoy so much. The body is a stolid medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta light syrupy feel. Overall, a pretty nice wheatwine, though ever-so-slightly boozy for my liking. Nice to see the style continues to spread.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 02:27:08 | More by TMoney2591

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.38/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer is getting all kinds of accolades in my local area and it is now competing nationally. Dammit, I want to know what all the fuss is about!

I poured this into an undersized snifter.

A: Damn near shy of being bright orange, with a few white bubble posing as a head. Dangerous...

S: Not the booze bomb I was expecting. Actually, the fruit juice quality on this thing was astounding! Mild puff of apple juice and a tinge of candy sugar.

T: This was not the Wheatwine that I've grown to hate.... this was something different. Sweet, but not too, fruity, but not too, mildly hoppy, but not too. I've noticed that this style is a very acquired taste and DuClaw played it down the middle. Good move! Fruity, not hoppy, sweet, but still with some yeast in there to counteract.

M: The carbonation was low which was appropriate for this style and the sweet elements were kept in check.

O: To date, the best Wheatwine I've tasted.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 23:15:22 | More by Chaney

tlazaroff

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a hazy dark golden color with a soap-like crisp white head made mostly of big bubbles. You can see some carbonation rising from the glass to the foam cap.

S: Defiantly smells of wheat with slight hints of mango, orange, and pineapple; very very VERY slight smell of cereal (cheerios).

T: WOW! That was the first thing that came to mind. All the scents in the aroma are present and stronger in taste plus nice bready notes instead of cereal. The alcohol doesn't hide well though, you can tell it's a strong beer by the taste.

M: Nice carbonation (moderate) and full bodied. Big presence of alcohol.

D: Only due to the high ABV and the fact you can taste and feel it right away, I had to give this a lower drinkability score.. I'd only have 1 serving, but savor it.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2011 18:36:37 | More by tlazaroff

flexabull

California

4.18/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Blind bomber courtesy of neorunner, thanks again!

Very nice pour, bright and light copper color with a nice fluffy off white head.

Aromas are spicy, yeast like, some wheat, cream, hard candies and booze.

Taste is big and bold. Boozy, with some citrus, creamy sweetness, and soft wheat flavors. Finish is warm, boozy, and slightly spicy. While the flavor is bold, the beer is nicely balanced.

Mouthfeel is great, really full, smooth, and with good thick body.

Overall, this is a very nice beer. I'm impressed with this one, really big yet balanced flavors, and a great mouthfeel. Yum.

I'm pretty sure this is a wheatwine, and maybe one I have had before, so let's see... DuClaw Brewing Misery Wheat Wine! Sweet! This is tasty, and while I got the style right, I have never had this, yet alone heard of it. Thanks again Nate!

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 03:00:32 | More by flexabull

smokeypeat

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Recently saw this available in a bomber and thought I'd give it a try. Pours a deep golden color with a slight off white head. Smells of honey, golden currants, tart apples, and late summer goodness. Thick in mouthfeel that makes this a certain sipper. Alcohol heat is there from the beginning but as you work through it you get some blood orange, mixed with honey, peaches, and general breadiness. I enjoyed this overall but I would sit my next bottle in the cellar for awhile in hopes that the alcohol heat would ease somewhat so the other good flavors would be more prominent from the get go. As it stands now a good beer to try and share with a friend.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 22:20:42 | More by smokeypeat