Sweet Baby Jesus - DuClaw Brewing Company

Cardmarauder

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%

12-24-2012 14:55:54 | More by Cardmarauder

ILiveOffHops

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%

06-17-2013 01:10:13 | More by ILiveOffHops

smakawhat

Maryland

3.48/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A rich creamy light tan head, four fingers tall and clumpy fluffy head produced. Good retention and sits on a very dark black walunt and totally opaque body. Really aggressive looking porter.

Nose smells of peanut butter. Salt. Faint chocolate malts, it gives the impression of peanut butter ice cream. A bit one dimensional and coming off like a root beer float soda than a beer but it's inviting.

Palate is a bit of a dissapointment. Salty body mixes with a peanut taste, and a bitter finish. No roasted malts or hint of porter like character. Nicely bodied to style, with some good depth in the palate and even a hint of creamy-ness witch matches the ice cream nose nicely.

Overall it's a real neat novelty beer, but it just doesn't taste that great. It does remind me back in the day of that artificial peanut butter topping I used at an ice cream shop that gets too salty at times. But it is drinkable, needs more of a chocolate angle to balance it out and then you'd have something quite special I think.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 20:23:15 | More by smakawhat

AngusOg

Maryland

4/5  rDev +2.8%

06-15-2013 16:38:41 | More by AngusOg

GuinnessAtRogerWilco

New Jersey

3.94/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle given to me by one of my distributor sales managers. DuClaw isn't available in NJ, but he got it from their sister distributor in Philly. Poured the bottle into 4 sample cups to share with some of my employees to get their opinion as well.

AP: Naturally, I'm not going to get much of a head pouring 3oz into a sample cup. The colour was dark brown, like rich coffee beans or milk chocolate bars.
AR: Chocolate/cocoa, peanut butter roast, brown bread.
T: Chocolate in a cocoa or dark chocolate kind of way, Earthy hops, a hint of PB but not roasted like it smelled. The roasted malts get very prominent towards the end and on the finish. The aftertaste of dark chocolate and PB grows on you, it really lingers.
M: Medium body, thought it was a bit thin for a Porter, smooth on the palate with a dry finish and a touch of bitter hops.
OV: I think my employees liked it more than I did, but this beer grew on me with each sip. It's tasty, though I wish the body were a bit heavier. So DuClaw, why aren't you in NJ yet?

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 05:24:36 | More by GuinnessAtRogerWilco

martinproulx15

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -10%

06-15-2013 02:44:21 | More by martinproulx15

jrohrbacher

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +2.8%

06-13-2013 23:15:06 | More by jrohrbacher

djre4orm

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%

06-13-2013 18:01:09 | More by djre4orm

weaselchew

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%

06-12-2013 23:03:22 | More by weaselchew

Jeffreysan

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 ounce bottle poured into a pint glass

Appearance: Pours a deep dark brown/black color with a 1 ½ to 2 fingers of creamy dark caramel colored head. Great example of what a porter should look like.

Aroma: It’s called a chocolate peanut butter porter, and boy, are they not kidding! The beer has strong aromas of roasted peanuts and chocolate and roasted malt and dark bread and the usual roasted coffee smell that most porters have. Smells absolutely fantastic.

Taste: Again, the name isn’t lying. This is very much peanut butter and chocolate! Roasted peanuts and slightly bitter chocolate are the first tastes I get, followed by strong roasted malt presence and dark bread, followed by a slight saltiness that goes well with the chocolate. What surprises me is that this isn’t a sweet beer, which you would think it would be, no, this is a nice savory beer. The beer certainly has that roasted malt/coffee flavor that porters should have, it just also has an extra dimension, depth really, that the peanut butter and chocolate provides. Great taste!

Mouthfeel: Not as carbonated as the head of the beer led me to believe, but that’s a good thing as I like my porters and stouts to have very little carbonation. However, the beer isn’t overly smooth either, there’s a chewiness present that I really like.

Overall: I really liked this beer. It’s very drinkable on its own, but with food, it’s even better! Deserts are the obvious paring, brownies, etc., and it makes an unbelievable ice cream beer float, but I really liked it with pretzels and other salty snacks.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 22:58:08 | More by Jeffreysan

utopiajane

New York

3.74/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

This poured a dark brown cola color with a ruby hue around the edges. A great head of loose foam that fell fast to a collar and cap with a thin skin that never faded. Soapy wet lace. The nose is peanuts. Dry roasted peanuts, a little salty. Reminds one of a reeses peanut butter cup. Some milk chocolate comes through as it warms and some dark fruits. No alcohol on the nose. There is a little tiny hint of floral way in back. This has a great malt toasty smell too. Taste is peanuts and more peanuts. Follows the nose all the way. The body of this beer is thinner than you would expect from the smell and not very creamy. Malt is deep and has some toast, roast and unsweetened chocolate to go with all those peanuts. Little hint of vanilla. It finishes dry and with some hop bitter on the back palate and in the aftertaste. The dark fruits are lost to the peanuts but they are there in the background as a touch of earth. There is even a little hay on the palate. It’s salty like peanuts and warms slightly as you sip it. This was very enjoyable beer. Unique and very smooth. It’s as though they took your favorite candy bar and made it into a beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 12:16:18 | More by utopiajane

mportnoy

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%

06-09-2013 05:01:02 | More by mportnoy

lobos62

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%

06-08-2013 16:52:37 | More by lobos62

JT23

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

06-07-2013 23:16:21 | More by JT23

Kimbo1318

New York

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%

06-05-2013 13:11:55 | More by Kimbo1318

psugrad98

Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served in bottle. Cold, but I let it warm a few minutes before serving. Poursed a deep dark brown/black with creamy dark caramel colored head. Nose is predominantly of roasted peanuts, with traces of salt, second is of chocolate and followed by roasted malt.

First taste of of roasted peanuts again backed by a strong roasted malt presence. Chocolate is next, but less pronounced and comes off a bit chemical in nature, but every so slightly. Very rich mouthfeel with a slight chewiness that is nice.

Finishes smooth with a soft lingering malty sweetness that is rounded again by.. peanuts. Very good session beer. Not too heavy, but very good.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 16:18:20 | More by psugrad98

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Great label!

Served in a Port City snifter.

A: Poured out a dark, dark brown color, not quite black, and with a nice robust mocha head sitting on top.

S: Peanuts in spades. Jeez Louise! I could almost get the salt and everything. Very potent.

T: Light to medium in body, but quite the Reese's Cup in terms of flavor, Sure, this was gimmicky, but it worked for me on that level.

M: I wish it were thicker, but that is a minor quibble. The carbonation was fine.

O: It is what it is. Don't judge, just drink and enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 02:12:55 | More by Chaney

ENA

Maryland

2.75/5  rDev -29.3%

06-03-2013 01:31:01 | More by ENA

RobertColianni

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

06-01-2013 05:51:25 | More by RobertColianni

riemster

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -10%

06-01-2013 04:35:27 | More by riemster

kevanb

Illinois

3.79/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle poured into a snifter.

The beer pours an opaque dark brown, nearly black in color with about a finger of off white head that has moderate retention but yields no lacing. The aroma is incredibly peanut butter heavy, unlike anything I've ever encountered. Salty peanuts with just a bit of dark bitter chocolate behind it and a touch of dark grain. The flavors fall a bit short of the magnificent nose, bitter dark chocolate, that is a bit weak with some smooth grain and lingering salty peanut flavor, but it doesn't even come close to matching the nose. The body is a bit thin and highly carbonated, but coats the mouth well and has a nice creamy finish with just a bit of carbonated zip.

Verdict: Quite an interesting beer and certainly the best use of peanut butter or peanuts I've ever come across. The nose is really amazing but the rest of the beer falls a bit flat in comparison. Still, a solid choice for a dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2013 02:39:18 | More by kevanb

beerme626

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%

05-30-2013 18:08:08 | More by beerme626

cmr5056

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

05-30-2013 12:36:48 | More by cmr5056

tectactoe

Michigan

3.79/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to the few people who have thrown this in as an extra in trades... I haven't had many "peanut butter" beers, but I always love trying new and off-the-wall things, so I was very happy to have a few bottles of this stuff. It pours a dark brown that appears nearly black once it's sitting in the glass. The tan head fades quick but leaves a few small patches of spotty lacing in its path. Translucent only at the beer's extremities.

Mushy, dense, and creamy peanut butter clouds the aroma, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The helping hands of the deeply roasted chocolate malts meshes with the peanut butter to remind us of the combination that has become so popular today. A slight bit of char and roast on the tail end keeps that "stout-y" smell alive, while still being decadently sweet from the soft peanut butter addition.

The first sip tells me that the peanut butter is a bit heavier on the aroma that it will be on the palate, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The taste has a bit more cocoa to it; kind of sweet, soft, and creamy with a bit of roast on the back end. Peanut butter is still an important piece to this puzzle, however - even peanut butter in small amounts can be a powerful statement.

At times, Sweet Baby Jesus can be a bit astringent, with a darting, slightly acidic bitterness that most likely manifests from the roast. It's got that "burning cola" feel. Nothing to be too alarmed about, although it does take the drinkability down just a notch. The finish contains a touch of nutty peanut butter and a light dusting of sweet cocoa. The body on this is a bit thinner than I would have liked, especially for the flavors involved; sharp carbonation, kind of brash and dry in the finish.

I'm trying to think of any other peanut butter porters/stouts that I've had and the only other one that immediately jumps into my head is Odd Side's Peanut Butter Cup Stout. I like that one a little better; the feel the peanut butter is integrated a bit more successfully, giving off a more authentic "peanut butter cup" feel, not to mention the astringency is a non-issue. Either way, this is still a nice peanut butter beer and I'd definitely get it again if it were available to me.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2013 11:24:35 | More by tectactoe

neverenoughhops

California

3.3/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 2.75

i was very excited to try a beer that is well-received and combines two of my favorite food products.

smelling this was like putting my face into peanut butter and nutella jars. it had an amazing aroma that left me really excited for what was to come. there was faint baking chocolate there, too.

the taste followed, with less hazelnut and more chocolate, but i immediately got unbearable chemical/artificial notes.

i understand that extract probably is required to achieve a beer like this, but i could do without its being so obvious. it was as if i were treated to all these amazing flavors and am thinking THIS IS AWESOME! and then a fairy comes by and shoots hair spray into my mouth.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2013 07:22:32 | More by neverenoughhops