HellRazer - DuClaw Brewing Company

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

-death defying levels of New Zealand Motueka hops.

A: Ferric oxide with a translucent nature, a weak milky colored thin head with a light moderatly paced effervecse. Light speckled lacing.

S: The death defying levels sure weren't utilized during the late aromatic stage addition. Faint tropical fruit skin, pineapple-orange with a really faint ,not even respectable let alone hellrazing, level of aromatic appeal that was more faux pale then anything else. A different, refreshing twist with a unique hop profile really missed the mark by skimpping on the late aromatic hop additions and really hard to appreciate. A bit of butterscotch.

T: Flavor is a bit malty, creamy, with some tropical grassiness, dried tropical fruit skin, butterscotch sweetness and a dry spicy leave. Small hints of fresh lemon and toasted grains.

M: Medium maltiness, light carbonation, spicy floral hops off the tongue are the highlight.

O: Somewhat respectable level of hop bitterness, but hardly justifiable of thier warning label. Moderate levels, sweet, smooth malt profile has an unique hop profile from the New Zealand motueka hops. Very easy to consume, a suitable summer ipa, where the malt sweetness and the tropical fruitiness from the moteuka will be at home poolside in multiple quantities. Maybe my only beef against this is the misapporpiate name and a underperforming nose that failed to capitalize on its unique, fresh and fruity quality to entice and bring in the drinker with mooted appeal.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 00:02:35 | More by beerthulhu

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a nice brownish orange color - slightly unfiltered with a good finger at least of head initially. Head disappates to a nice film on top and a solid ring around the glass. Smell is hoppy but difficult to place in a particular category - good but not over the top. Taste is slightly malty with a good balance with the hops.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 00:45:58 | More by Oakenator

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Ba Review #263
Served On: 3/29/2013
Glassware: Duvel Glass
Labeled ABV: 7.5%
Date/ Code: -

This was from a sixer baught at Evergreen Liquors in Frederick ($7.99).

Look: Poured a dark orange color. Head was a think coating of beige suds. Lacing was thin and minimal. Carbonation was also low.

Smell: Sweet English malts behind a sharp hop edge. Also some honey and fusel alcohol.

Taste: Very easy on the palate. First was a sweet English malt that resembled the honey character from the nose. The middle was a smooth and refreshing grassy quality. The finish started off with some light bitterness and ended with a fairly clean aftertaste.

This was a solid IPA which could border on a session ale. It was very light on the palate for the 7.5% ABV, but still was very drinkable and would be great on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 16:16:57 | More by CraftBeerTastic

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.44/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

In a pint glass:

A: golden body yields a two finger white head that concaves into the body leaving some nice foamy lacing in its wake

S: New Zealand hops up front, light malts coming through as the beer warms

T: sweet and bitter at different times, slightly peppery, can I say zesty - maybe...??

M: light to medium, sessionable, sticky aftertaste, dry bitter finish

O: I say this is good for its style and good for me

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 18:44:50 | More by kangarooAdam59

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Pours a moderately hazy burnished copper color. The head is a two finger offwhite shade. It features a nice creaminess and okay retention.

S: This seems to be very malty - crystal malt, to be precise - with a lot of caramel, marzipan, and toffee. Sadly, the Motueka hops aren't very present, but they do impart a combination of grassy noble characteristics and grapefruit qualities. Typical of many DuClaw offerings, there's almost a peppery tone to the yeast used.

T: In a way, it drinks like a typical IPA, but the finish has a peppery zest to it. Before that, an initial wave of malt sweetness and a midtaste of grapefruit and orange help tie things together. It's really not very bitter at all, just spicy. Subtle expressions of herbs pop up as well. Aside from being just a hair sweet at times, I like the balance of this one, if not the boldness.

M: I find many IPAs that prodigiously use crystal malt have a coarse sharpness to them - and sadly this is no exception. Luckily, it's clean enough where it doesn't really linger too harshly. Carbonation and texture thickness are about par for a typical IPA.

O: If you're not going to make a great IPA, at least make a unique one. It doesn't quite fit into the former category, but this does enough to be considered the latter. Even if it's not necessarily worth investing a case of, it's certainly good enough to try once. Just don't expect bold grapefruit and pine hoppiness.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 20:04:48 | More by ThisWangsChung

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Du Claw HellRazer
12 oz. bottle, no apparent freshness dating
$2.95 @ The Beer Shoppe in Ardmore, PA

I've never heard of New Zealand Motueka hops, but I guess I'll find out what they're like as this apparently utilizes "death defying levels" of them.

It pours a hazy orange-colored body beneath a short head of yellowed-white foam. The head retention and lacing are better than average.

The aroma expresses a combination of sweet, caramel-like malt and delicate, spicy and leafy hops with a hint of citrus. It's certainly not as hoppy as I'd expected given the name; nor are the hops as robust as I thought they might be.

The flavor is as the aroma suggests, and it's a really pleasant combination of malt and hops. The malt is gently sweet, and the golden caramel flavor goes just far enough without going overboard. A little too much dark crystal malt and the hops wouldn't come through as they do. As to the hops, I'm really pleasantly surprised. They're a bit spicy, slightly grassy, and just mildly citrusy/fruity (not citrus-rind raspy or tangy like grapefruit, but sweet/tropical like pineapple juice). They could almost pass as noble hops. And I'm not sure if it's the choice of hops, or the balance the brewer has put together (is it still Jim Wagner?), but it seems to work really well. Additionally, the bitterness is kept in check. It's solid, but it's not overdone. Just 5 more IBU's could leave it sticking at the back of your throat, whereas now it fades away relatively easily, and then lingers gently. Some alcohol does sneak through, but given that it's an American IPA I'd expect at least a little. Without it I might feel that something was missing.

If there's a downfall to this beer it's that the head retention could be a little bit better. And I guess it could be clearer if that's your thing. The alcohol? Well, I guess that's an argument too, but I feel it works. The hops do give it a unique quality, and I'm eager for more. Nicely done!

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 15:06:03 | More by NeroFiddled

Theheroguy

Maryland

4.18/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Rich amber color with an off white head. Smells spicy like saaz hops with citrus notes. Taste of lemon lime citrus hops with pine hops in the back ground. The brewery itself describes the aforementioned flavor profile as “tropical fruits”. Surprisingly crisp for an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 21:39:00 | More by Theheroguy

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.69/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - No more than a finger's worth of rich frothy lush egg shell colored head... Minimal retention gives way to a mostly full veil of lacing and slight collar... The color is a slightly hazed bronzed amber that has an ever so slightly murky quality about it... A bit of sluggish carbonation rises sporadically within...

S - The hops are a bit subdued and take on a sweet citrusy character.... There is just the slightest hint of pine... A rich sweet malt base lies beneath the surface... Caramel... Toffee... Perhaps even a light hint of candied sugar... Bread dough...

T - The flavor profile is a exactly as the nose would lead one to expect, but is much less assertive and much more subdued... Sweet with limited bitterness... Sweet tropical fruit, primarily in the form of pineapple and mango are new to the party...

M - Medium bodied... Limited carbonation... Sturdy and smooth... Perhaps a bit thin... Rather uneventful...

D - An interesting American IPA... Not bad by any stretch, but far from memorable as well... I'm not familiar with the New Zealand Motueka Hop variety, but after this offering I'm intrigued... A few minor tweaks (richer mouthfeel, a bit more carbonation, a dialing up the bitterness a notch or two) would go a very long way to making this brew much more formidable... If asked, I would steer people towards Du Claw's Serum Double IPA with is a superior and very underrated DIPA...

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 01:43:52 | More by philbe311

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I picked this up at Giant in the mix a six cooler enjoyed chilled from a tulip.

The color is deep amber with thick cream cap and tight bead with goodly amount of lace left on the glass. The smell has deep fruity citrus scent like dried apricot and mild herbal odor with slight alcohol ester. The feel is semi-bitter with dry entry and medium full carbonation with mild sweetness and malt body with semi dry finish.

I like the hop flavor that comes forward on the first sip with tropical fruitiness and mild pine accents with subtle malt sweetness that augments the slight hoppy bitterness in the middle with light yeast flavor and fruity tinges in the finish with slight peppery taste. A very impressive IPA with added juice from the NZ hops - I never had Motueka before - a high quality IPA no matter how you slice it

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 17:23:32 | More by Slatetank

JPlo

Maryland

4.54/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Orange copper or light honey color. Hazy clarity. Head is creamy with above average lacing and lasting.

Smell/Taste: Aroma is nicely aromatic. can smell the hop. Taste orange or grapefruit peel... or some other exotic fruit. hops are very complex and interesting (a very good interesting). bottle says it uses New Zealand hops. Malt is present and balances the hop rather well.

Feel: smotth, light carbination, medium bodied, avg-long lasting with a wetish finish.

Overall: Very good, I really enjoyed the interesting exotic flavors. Will def be buying again.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 16:12:12 | More by JPlo

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.08/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

a murky orange in color with a finger of head which quickly dissipated. smells of barley, caramel and a hint of grassy hops. a corn-like flavor overall. sweet malt with a slight earthy bitterness. seems like another one that sat on the shelves too long. medium body with slight carbonation.

not impressed by this one but then again it doesn't seem fresh. there's barely any hop character

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 02:30:20 | More by facundoCNB

GiantMidget

Pennsylvania

4.11/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought in a variety pack at Bryn Mawr beverage.

Poured into a nonic.
Minimal head with slight lacing.

The citrus essence and leafy grassy tones come forth.

The hops are very solid and linger to the back of the tongue. Grapefruit and other citrus pininess come out throughout each sip. This is a really good American IPA that I thoroughly enjoy.
In fact out of the variety pack I drank these pretty quickly.
Good dry nature and medium mouthfeel with just the right amount of carbonation.

Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 02:50:21 | More by GiantMidget

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aroma is nutty biscuits and faint tropical fruits in the hop bouquet.
The appearance is slightly cloudy with an amber color. The pour produced a rather lite head and gentle carbonation.
Taste is light and refreshing. Sutle hops withsome tropical fruit flair. Basic caramel malts similar to a stale or gong stale IPA.
I can percieve a veryslight bourbon barrel taste.
Drinks smooth and semi bitter.
Easy drinking, but nothing really stands out with this beer just a good solid offering.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 13:23:55 | More by micromaniac129

claspada

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours on the darker side of amber with a medium sized egg shell head that recedes rather rapidly.

Aromas begin with hops of grapefruit, tropical fruits and earthy grassiness underneath the sweeter hops. As it warms the caramel maltiness begins to show itself, almost a light toffee.

The tastes follow the nose with citrus zesty hops balanced by the caramel and bready malt base. Then comes the slightly spicy and pineapple hop flavors. There is some more candied/honeyed malt sweetness as it warms.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Finish is pleasantly balanced between the bitter hops and ample maltiness.

Overall this is one of the most drinkable IPAs I have had recently. The bitterness is restrained and balanced by an above average malt backbone for an American style IPA. Definitely more of an East Coast style which I enjoy from time to time. I wish the advertised New Zealand hops popped a bit more as that was the reason I purchased this but it was tasty none-the-less.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 16:22:42 | More by claspada

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

2.18/5  rDev -40.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

12 oz bottle into chalice. no bottled on date.

A: significant amount of haze. body is dark for an IPA. head is an almost reddish white. tight bubbled. retention and lacing are

S: a lot of malt. significantly oxidized. some sort of fruitiness? dark fruit. plums.

T: similar to the nose, plenty of cardboard/oxidized flavor, not much else. bitterness is there, but the hop flavor has seemed to disappear. shame.

M: carbonation is fine and appears to be mostly derived from bottle conditioning. medium body.

D: wish there was a bottled on/best before date so i could have NOT bought this bottle. hate when i get oxidized hoppy beers. sucks for me and sucks for DuClaw cause they lost a potential future customer. easy solution, date your beers!

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 02:27:19 | More by Jimmys

alpinebryant

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a grapefruit orange color with a half inch white head and dusting on the top.

S: Aroma of grapefruit and mildly juicy citrus. Passionfruit scent with wet grass and a tiny bit of pine.

T: Flavors of freshly hopped American IPA, plenty of bitterness mixing with some gentle fruit esters and a grapefruit presence that is rather strong. For the most part this is a very refreshing hop profile. It is not too bitter or too fruity. Relatively earthy hops along with a decent malt bill of biscuit and crackers.

M: Medium to heavy body for an American IPA. I can really enjoy the thickness of this as well as the fact that it is not overly dry.

O: I enjoyed this a lot . Definitely happy to have some Motueka hops in the fridge waiting to be brewed in a future batch of mine. Where the aroma could be better, there is nothing lacking in flavor. This is well rounded and the flavors are not tired like some of the more hopped up American IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 01:49:14 | More by alpinebryant

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into tulip

Pours a lightly hazed soft golden color with some orange hues. A thicker crop of white head rests on top, fading into a light wisp of film with some scattered spots of lacing on the glass.

Soft citrusy hoppiness with orange and pear. Hints of fruit sweetness with grainy, bready malt backbone. Touches of caramel and light warmth.

Milder hoppiness up front with touches of orange and grapefruit peel. Hints of pith and pulp with some other assorted fruit sweetness. Medium malt backbone with toasted bread, grain and caramel. Finishes with some lingering grapefruit and sweetness.

Fuller medium body, decent carbonation, sticky and lingering on the tongue. This has a decent citrus profile, but it still easily falls into the "average" column.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 03:04:33 | More by xnicknj

WesWes

New York

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a dark golden/amber color with a thick frothy off-white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a solid pale, carapils, and crystal malt scent; sweet and malty with hints of alcohol. It has a piney/citrusy hop nose that compliments a balanced malt base. The taste is good as well. Again, it's well balanced with plenty of citrus hop flavor as well as pale and crystal malt notes. It goes down at a moderate pace with a touch of alcohol warmth in the finish. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a good drinking IPA. It's full flavored and loaded up with hop character; a fantastic beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 23:34:49 | More by WesWes

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - A bit darker than expected with a decent level of carbonation. Head is sticky though with a nice hazy amber body.

S - Not very "in your face" hop profile but smells balanced with residual sugars and biscuit malts.

T - Tame at first with some bit mid palate hop bitterness. I believe it might be too malt forward but satisfying leading the hops into the finish. Not a bad IPA.

M - Medium body and hoppy. could use more balance.

Overall this is the third offering from DuClaw and it delivers as promised but I question session ability...

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 02:30:14 | More by DrDemento456

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On tap served in a nonic. The brew appears a hazed copper color with a sudsy white topping across the top that holds with decent retention.

The smell is fresh and juicy with hops. Lots of tropical aromatic quality of hops is very inviting. More investigation reveals hebal elements with pulp and rindy flesh accents. Overall not bad.

The taste is fruity with hops. Quite tropical over a toasty grain inclusion. The alcohol makes itself known with an accenting fruity ester. Some mild resins and lingering candy sweetness to rindy pulp flavor lasts inside the mouth.

This is a medium bodied offering with a light level of carbonation. I found this to have a bit too much residual sugar for me to be able to drink more than one of but overall it is decent. The residual sugar really masks the alcohol content.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2012 12:57:15 | More by stakem

ckollias

Maryland

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this on tap at Duclaw Brewery in Bowie, MD out of a pint glass..

A: Pours a clear copper-amber hue with a thick 2-finger white head that slowly dissipates in to a wispy lace.

S: Nice hoppy aroma with a sweet background.

T: Similar to the smell a great hoppy base with enough malt to balance it out well.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Very tasty IPA – great flavors and aromas here.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2012 19:16:09 | More by ckollias

marlinsfan4

Maryland

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this on tap a few times, local beer store down the street just started carrying 6 packs of it so decided to pick one up. Pours a copper color, not much head to it. Slightly hoppy aroma. Taste is a bit.. odd. A stronger IPA than most, has more of a sweetness than a bitterness to it that you'd usually expect. Pretty good mouthfeel and finish, but the over-sweetness kind of kills the drinkability. Above average IPA, but if I want a hop bomb I'm going to choose a few other ones over this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 22:54:05 | More by marlinsfan4

Billolick

New York

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle w/o freshness/bottleing date info.

Pours is clear almond amber, moderate lite tan head, goes to a meager film, thin collar and moderate lace left on the glass.

Bold nose of malts, vanilla, and maple with pine hops in the rear.

First, this beer is quite thick and full on the body/mouthfeel scale...more vanilla and bready malts, over a relatively minor hop presence. Has the feel and attitude of a barley wine, w/o the ABV.

Ehh, decent brew, but not really lovin it on a warm summers day. I like my AIPA's with more of a citric bite and a more zesty feel. Again, this feels more like a nice option for a cold winters day...

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 18:10:01 | More by Billolick

kylehay2004

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Single finger head with tons of lacing on a hazy golden with copper hues body. Very grassy and citrus aroma. Flavors are like candies orange and tons of tangerine with Malts and candy bitterness like souring fruit in the finish. Medium body and moderate to light carbonation.. Very oily. Interesting IPA. Not all that drinkable but again a unique beer from this excellent brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2012 01:51:41 | More by kylehay2004

nickfl

Florida

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A poured with a nice head of sticky white foam on a slightly hazy, dark copper colored body. Good retention and great lace.

S big, fruity hop aroma with lots of grapefruit and mongo as well as a sweet background of toffee malt.

T sweet caramel malt up front with some pine hops. Pungent grapefruit and pineapple notes in the middle with some interesting spicy, almost tea like character coming out in the end and a strong balancing bitterness.

M medium body, moderate carbination and a dry finish.

D a big, malty and pungent ipa. Well balanced despite significant sweetness but I still find the heavy malt a bit excessive and distracting.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2012 01:46:24 | More by nickfl