Misery - DuClaw Brewing Company

Pencible

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: This poured a clear dark gold with moderate off-white head.
S: It smelled like faint copper and fresh wheat bread, with a little wild honey and creamy yeast.
T: It tasted like sweet honey and fresh wheat bread, with creamy yeast and a little copper and caramel and alcohol. It had a clean bittersweet aftertaste, with some alcohol heat.
M: It was somewhat thick with moderate carbonation. Nice body.
D: This had very nice honey wheat character that was really clean and tasty. It grew on my more and more as I drank it, too. Smooth body also, but the alcohol was quite noticeable, so drinkability was slightly hindered. Age may help mellow that out, but it was still definitely an enjoyable beer fresh. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 16:43:27 | More by Pencible

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.7/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at a beer tasting event in MD. A clear copper pour with a smallish off-white head. A sweet aroma that features some Golden Delicious apples, golden raisins, vanilla extract, and a little oak. Some juicy oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and some floral qualities become apparent after it sits some. Medium to full-bodied and just a touch syrupy on the way down. Caramel, candied sugar, and vanilla upfront in the taste. Peach and apricot follow. Some sweet oranges at the end along with a touch of bittering grapefruits. Quite sweet all the way through. A tad cloying by the end. Not nearly as warming as I would've expected based on the 10% ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2011 15:01:53 | More by CuriousMonk

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is a snifter from a 2004 cask of Misery served at DuClaw's annual X-mas in July at the Bowie location. The only drawback is that the ale is served chilled.

Appearance: The ale has a color that is best described as auburn with a decent ring of lacing around the snifter.

Smell: The beer has a very malty, very chewy aroma. The alcohol is quite evident here.

Taste: Up front there is a wheaty lightness. That soon gives way to malty strength and a lot of alcohol. There is a fruity sweetness here from the high malt content. Having had this beer when originally tapped two years ago, the malt edge was settled down a bit but this is still a malt bomb.

Mouthfeel: The wheat and alcohol go well together, with a slight hint of warming by said alcohol.

Drinkability: The beer is limited by the 10% abv. It has aged surprisingly well though and I'd love to try it in a year or so.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2006 11:38:40 | More by akorsak

cubedbee

Maryland

4.45/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this in a snifter at Xmas in July in Arundel Mills. This is an unfiltered beer that pours a hazy dark bronze with hues of red and a finger of off-white head which fades to a nice lasting ring. Very aromatic beer---wheat, plums, dark cherries, raisins pepper, floral hops. Taste is very sweet upfront--sweet malt, brown sugar, dark fruits, cherry, with a strong hop finish mixed with a lingering alchohol. The beer is full-bodied and not overly carbonated making for a nice sipping beer. This is a highly drinkable beer for the ABV, one of the best that Duclaw has made.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2005 06:09:43 | More by cubedbee

sideshowrob

Maryland

4.6/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Was lucky enough to have this one a few times during it's brief fall 2004 release. DuClaw officially calls Misery a Wheat Wine, which is not among the categories in BA. Dark Wheat Ale is about as close as any...

Brew is golden opaque in color, and unfiltered. Looks delicious at first glance. Lightly carbonated. Bouquet is complex and unfamiliar - how many beers are crafted with lots of wheat malt, ale yeast and a ton 'o hops? Lots of fruity notes on the nose - I picked up Apricot, another taster swore to rasperry. Lots of sweet and that dry-hop bitterness floating around.

Taste was great, and really unusual. DFH 120 IPA would probably be the closest for those of you who weren't in Maryland during the brief release. Again the palate is assaulted by unfamiliar, but really good tastes. Much of the nose notes come through again - fruity, sweet and a well-balanced hop note. The overwhelming taste is a sweet, malty one, and I saw this deceive a few fellow drinkers.

Mouthfeel and drinkability are both really high for a beer this powerful. The 11% ABV is cloaked well, and the combination of taste, just right carbonation and aroma can lead one to drink this far to fast - but this is one to savor and sip.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2004 11:14:30 | More by sideshowrob

Hefe

Maryland

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

Tasted from tap at the Maryland Brewer's Octoberfest on 10/17/04.

DuClaw is calling this a Wheat Wine, I chose to file it under American Dark Wheat, though it does defy categorization.

Appearance: Dark amber, with a hint of a reddish hue in the right light. The head is off white, rocky, and lasting.

Smell: Ridiculously aromatic, spicy/floral hops, as well a very fruity malt profile ( Plums, berries, peaches).

Taste: The initial impression is a one-two punch of deep rich malt balanced with an instant hop bitterness. The maltiness builds and fills the mouth until the finish where a not so bitter, but very strong hop presence combines with a pleasing dryness.

Mouthfeel: This a full bodied sipping beer. Rich, round and maybe just a touch sharp.

Drinkability: Sippers only need apply, this ain't no chuggin beer here.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2004 17:58:13 | More by Hefe