H.E.R.O. 2011 - DuClaw Brewing Company

jdense

Oregon

3.4/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Shared with Eastern Oregon Brew Crew 1.11.11.

Pours with minimal medium brown head, quick dissipation with no lacing over dark brown opaque body. Not much going on in the nose, some citrus and floral hop aromas and a faint bit of chocolate. There's some chocolate present in the taste but not a lot, and the power of suggestion led me to believe there was some peanut butter stickiness on the roof of my mouth, but if I didn't see peanut butter on the label I probably wouldn't have thought so. Mouthfeel is medium, not much effervescence, fairly dry finish. Not a 'big' beer by any means, fairly drinkable, an interesting attempt that, IMO, fails to deliver.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 03:06:40 | More by jdense

danwho

California

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

03-25-2013 20:14:17 | More by danwho

Barbie

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +16.6%

12-22-2012 20:47:25 | More by Barbie

Rojada1988

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.6%

12-22-2012 06:09:50 | More by Rojada1988

jagada

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

12-22-2012 04:50:48 | More by jagada

jbaker67

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.6%

09-13-2012 21:19:02 | More by jbaker67

SPRichard

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

06-25-2012 21:47:50 | More by SPRichard

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -21%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A massive thanks goes out to bross242 for bringing this one out during cmrillo’s 40 Beers* @ 40 Birthday Bash! Infected bottle! *sad panda* Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured reddish brown with a three finger tan head that subsided to one slowly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, peanuts, and subtle sour. The flavor was of sweet malt, peanuts, sour, and earth. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was an average brew. I was really disappointed to see the head formation on this one when I poured it. Upon smelling it, I knew something was off. I was actually excited about this one when I saw it come out, but was quickly letdown unfortunately. Make this one again, fix the infection problem, and send me a bottle DuClaw. I will be waiting…

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 12:24:52 | More by thagr81us

marine1975

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -15.8%

04-29-2012 02:36:07 | More by marine1975

richkrull

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +3.6%

04-09-2012 02:45:24 | More by richkrull

cosmicevan

New York

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

thanks to canjeeps for sending this one my way. enjoyed out of a founders snifter.

a - brew poured with explosive head. i had to adjust my pour and let things settle down so i could get more than a fingers worth of actual brew in the glass. the massive head slowly dissolved away leaving creamy chunks. the beer beneath is black as night.

s - peanut butter porter. very nice and different. has the soft char and briskness with peanut butter. not really any chocolate, just peanut butter and char. reminds me of something that i'd find from short's.

t - very soft and light. vanilla at first, then some porter char, then some peanut butter and roasted chocolate malts. nice. very portery.

m - porter to the T, leaves a nice tingle. a bit brisk for a porter and the peanut butter gives it a bit of a twist.

o - overall, a fairly decent porter with some peanut butter in there. peanut butter is interesting, but not necessarily an improvement on the beer...but an interesting twist. the full bomber seems like it might be a bit much for me. reminds me of that reeses cereal (do they still make that?)...like peanut butter squared. don't get me wrong, i love peanut butter, but this kind of quantity seems a bit much.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 00:29:23 | More by cosmicevan

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

22 oz bottle into a couple of tulip glasses.

Pours black, with a ½ finger of creamy mocha head. This retains with a rich ½ finger, leaving back a foamy cascade of lacing that slowly drips back down the sides of the glass. The aroma has a pronounced nuttiness t it, which is layered on top of fruity citrus, roasted coffee character, and some cocoa accents long the back.

The taste is cocoa and toffee sweetness up front, which then blends into bitter green citrus before roast and peanut flavor comes out across the back. Hops linger in the finish the most, with a dry and bitter feel that lingers. The mouthfeel is lighter to medium bodied, with a prickly feel throughout but is overall coming off as way to thin in the mouth.

I wasn’t really a fan of this. The peanut flavor had an almost artificial character to it and the thinness of the body hurt this as well. Hopefully the next H.E.R.O. release will be better.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 16:31:12 | More by Kegatron

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%

03-30-2012 14:58:14 | More by coreyfmcdonald

maximum12

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to AndrewNations for this bottle. Unfortunately, it has a lot to live up to. The previous Chocolate/PB beer I had was close to perfect; even the memory makes me moist. 22 oz. bottle split with my wife.

Second straight bottle that opens like a firecracker going off. Pour is a decade-long ordeal; carbonation billows over 10,000 feet into the atmosphere. Dark porter when it finally settles. Smell is spot-on beautiful, peanut butter & malts. Great.

H.E.R.O. lives up to its paranthetical name (or whatever that word is). Very nice peanut, lovely shot of chocolate. The downside is the aforementioned & unwelcome carbonation, which is about 16 times what's necessary & is terribly distracting. To the point that's it's difficult to pull out the flavors. Burbles & violates the tonuge, too. Limiting both the drinkability, taste, & mouthfeel.

Too bad. I can almost taste a really, really fine beer under the madcap bubbles, but they really bring the whole concoction down. As is, pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 04:06:22 | More by maximum12

GORUM

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -22.3%

03-01-2012 15:58:46 | More by GORUM

duceswild

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

02-28-2012 02:51:12 | More by duceswild

mdaschaf

Washington

3.6/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a deep black with a massive, billowy tan colored head. The foamy head lasts for an extremely long time and leaves behind very thick lacing.

S: A little bit of peanut butter mixed with some roasted malt and a little bit of chocolate. I remember the aroma being a lot stronger the last time I had it.

T: Similar to the aroma, some light peanut butter and a little bit of chocolate, but for the most part it comes off like an average porter.

M: Medium bodied with a really nice level of carbonation.

O: Kind of hard to review, because I remember this beer being much closer to its namesake the first time I had it, but now it is a shell of its former self.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 03:13:28 | More by mdaschaf

DarthKostrizer

California

2.4/5  rDev -37.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Thanks to Mrvonzipper for sharing this beer

Look: Black and opaque with a 1/4 inch tan head and ok retention

Smell: Chocolate and peanut butter. Best thing about this beer but my chocolate peanut butter homebrew smell way better

Taste: Very much the same as the nose but not quite enjoyable

Mouthfeel: Holy fuck is this beer a carbonation mess. So much so that the first sip I took foamed up in my mouth so bad that I had to spit it out. What a train wreck this is

Overall: Because of the mouthfeel this beer to me is undrinkable

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 08:24:21 | More by DarthKostrizer

imperialking

Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.6%

02-10-2012 03:30:30 | More by imperialking

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.28/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2.5

Enjoying with a piece of my girlfriend's peanut butter pie.

Pours a deep brown almost black with a 1/2 finger mocha head leaving decent lacing down the glass.

Wow interesting nose. It really does smell like peanuts. Some roasted malts are also present, but definitely peanut aroma.

Taste follows the nose. Some roasty slightly smoky malt are present. Peanuts are as flavorful as the aroma would suggest, but still present.

And now the downfall of the beer. The flavor may be more pronounced, but the overwhelming prickly carbonation overpowers everything in a big way. Most pilsners aren't this carbonated. It really destroys all promise this beer has.

Flavors are here I think, but the over carbonation really ruins the entire experience.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 00:37:20 | More by jmarsh123

rtaps

California

2.6/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

dark brown in color, but seems overly carbonated. huge off white head that hangs around for quite some time

aroma is chocolate dominated with some peanuts. reminds me of a Reese's just more chocolate to it

taste fallows the nose, chocolate dominated with some peanuts and some roasted malts

mouth feel very highly carbonated, what body you do have it a little smooth

overall, i was looking forward to this one and was let down pretty big. it's quite a carbonated mess

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 23:45:02 | More by rtaps

SpillyBeers

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.6%

02-01-2012 17:57:05 | More by SpillyBeers

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.6%

01-30-2012 05:04:32 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

UCLABrewN84

California

3.03/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Thanks to MrVonzipper for sharing this one at his tasting!

Pours a clear dark brown with a thick khaki head that lasts. Small streaks of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark malt and peanut butter cup candy. Taste is of dark roasted malt and an odd peanut butter cup flavor. This beer has a very high level of carbonation. There is an obvious issue at hand regarding this. Overall, this is an average porter that smells better than it tastes but the carbonation level ruins things for this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 00:00:50 | More by UCLABrewN84

ehammond1

California

2.78/5  rDev -28%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Bottle

Thanks for opening this, Mrvonzipper!

Dark brown in color with incredibly over-active carbonation; the quickly forming light brown head rushes up to the top of the glass and sits there perched for quite some time. The beer also looks a bit thin per the style. Overall, unimpressive appearance.

The aroma on this is actually quite nice and unique. It smells of crushed Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, with a good amount of roasted malt and coffee. Easily, the best aspect of this beer.

The right flavors are here (roasted malt, coffee, sticky peanut butter), but there's also a muddled and metallic flavor floating through it all, especially on the lingering finish. And what good flavors might be here are ruined...

...by the godawful mouthfeel. It's thin, prickly, hugely, effervescently carbonated. Not at all a pleasure to drink. Vigorously agitating the beer improves the feel some as it loses more and more carbonation.

An interesting and unique peanut butter stout with a very nice aroma--though the huge carbonation truly affects an otherwise acceptable stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 17:59:22 | More by ehammond1