Colossus
DuClaw Brewing Company

ColossusColossus
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From:
DuClaw Brewing Company
 
Maryland, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
Ranked #135
ABV:
20%
Score:
83
Ranked #23,366
Avg:
3.69 | pDev: 18.7%
Reviews:
70
Ratings:
223
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 12, 2022
Added:
Apr 01, 2009
Wants:
  77
Gots:
  58
Brewed to push the limits of our own skills and imagination, Colossus is dark amber in color and full-bodied with a perceptively sweet flavor profile accented by notes of apple, and a surprisingly tame alcohol presence. This astounding alcohol content is achieved through fermentation alone; no alcohol is introduced at packaging nor it distilled. Multiple grains are used in conjunction with three different yeast strains to produce a beer that simply defies classification… and most laws of nature. One sip of this behemoth brew and you’ll agree: Sometimes size does matter!

2006 Batch - 20.0% ABV
2011 Batch - 21.92% ABV
2014 Batch - 17.3% ABV
2015 Batch - 21.0% ABV
2018 Batch - 20.0% ABV
2020 Batch - 20.0% ABV
2021 Batch - 20.0% ABV
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Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by haknort:
Photo of haknort
Rated by haknort from Illinois

5/5  rDev +35.5%

Jun 09, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.1 by Mikexw from New York

May 12, 2022
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

4.72/5  rDev +27.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
16 oz. Can
Wraparound Imitation Wood-looking Container, Shoelace Tied (Pretty Cool)
Limited 2021 Release
ABV: 20%

Poured into a Westy 12 glass a pretty nice murky brownish color, with some pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice fizzy/quick one-finger light tan head, which also leaves a pretty nice quick medium size island, and some nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is very nice, malty, hoppy, yeasty, with a pretty nice dark fruit complex (grapes, figs, dates, raisins, cherries, plums), with a very nice touch of apple, tangerine, pretty nice bourbon/oak note, vanilla, with some licorice, slight honey, coriander/cinnamon. The taste is awesome, malty, hoppy, yeasty, with a very nice dark fruit complex (grapes, figs, dates, raisins, cherries, plums), with a very nice touch of apple, tangerine, very nice bourbon/oak, very nice vanilla/honey sweetness, licorice, very nice coriander/cinnamon notes. Full Body, ABV is hidden very nicely, a very tasty complex brew, a very nice big sipper. Overall, this is one pretty awesome brew. Definitely nice to see this one around, this year. Highly Recommended!
Feb 27, 2022
Photo of beergoot
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

3.71/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Dirty, semi-murky, reddish brown body; decent carbonation; no head per se, just a few, wispy pools of bubbles dancing on top of the pour, some delay produces a slight bit of foam sheeting inside the glass. Dry, wood-like aroma; musty. Big, sugary sweetness; honey and caramelized sugars; well-hidden cereal grain notes lurk in the background; cinnamon as the beer warms. Heavy body; syrupy and hot; tons of alcohol heat and dryness.

Liquid granola infused with whiskey, that sums up this beer. Personally, I'd rather have a shot of bourbon than this beer. It's rough and cutthroat on the palate, yet I believe that's the intent of this beer.

Poured at 45 °F; canning data: limited edition 2021
Jan 27, 2022
 
Rated: 3.87 by NYR-Zuuuuc from Connecticut

Nov 29, 2021
Photo of JayQue
Reviewed by JayQue from Virginia

3.3/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A big beer. I probably have kept this for 3 or 4 years, so it may have been a bit more tame and some of the aroma and flavors more muted. I poured half of the 12 ounce bottle into my Chimay goblet and saved the rest with a cheap stopper on the bottle. Pours a beautiful copper color with golden highlights. Fairly clear beer with a very minimal flash of a fizzy white head and hardly any lacing on the glass. I expected as much based on the potency (my bottle said 17.3% abv). I gave points for the beautiful color. Hardly any aroma!!!!! Shocked to find this with such a strong beer!!!!! Flavor was fairly muted but it contained apple and pear, a little yeastiness and a lot of sweetness. Mouthfeel is rich and sweet with a surprising amount of alcohol "bite" after being aged for so long!!!! Overall, I have had better strong beers. I found it too strong for such minimal aroma and flavor. If I am going to drink a potent malt bomb, I expect to have strong flavor and aroma.
Mar 07, 2021
Photo of DIM
Reviewed by DIM from Pennsylvania

3.52/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
This frankly doesn't sound that good to me and I have no idea why I bought it around 1.5 years ago. 2018 vintage, 20% ABV.

Pours pretty well dead flat. Surprisingly mild but fairly appealing aroma. I'm getting the orange peel for sure, and maybe the coriander, but not the cinnamon. Pleasant heat and a little toffee.

Up front this is a pleasant surprise, juicy orange, a little sweet toffee, and gentle heat up front. The finish brings more heat plus the cinnamon and coriander which I found less pleasant.

Not bad overall, oddly bland actually. I'm glad the wife is having half.
Mar 10, 2020
Photo of ScruffySouthpaw
Reviewed by ScruffySouthpaw from New York

3.89/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Served in a tulip glass from a 12oz from a vintage 2018 bottle.

Appearance: Pours a semi-hazy but still transparent amber color with medium bubbles at best on the body with a white head maybe 6mm off the body. Settles quick before first sip leaving no stickiness to the glass.

Smell: Smells of pure alcohol, nice but think of a white wine with a ridiculously strong scent.

Taste: Very complex taste with an extreme level of alcohol feel, Rum notes with deep grapes and heavy wood and doses of honey on the body. Has a herbal feel, makes you think of chamomile and lemon zest. Sweet and boozy.

Mouth: Best property of the beer with heavy stickiness.
Feb 08, 2020
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

3.74/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From the growler via our friends at Party Town in NKY in a snifter.
This barn burner pours a clear golden with an amber tinge and
a head of white dissipating foam that settles fast to a thin ring.
Nose of apple, pear, white grape, and strong booze. Flavors
slightly surpass the nose by presentation with rich honey
sweet malts, apple, pear, subtle peach, and subtle pineapple
with herbal hops and a numbing booze presence. Nice mouth
feel for such a beast, medium light body, low carbonation,
very warming and astringent, smooth, and finishing dry from
the excessive booze.

Overall, a unique experience.

Cheers
Oct 25, 2019
 
Rated: 3.8 by BeerForMuscle from New Jersey

Aug 04, 2019
 
Rated: 3.79 by philbe311 from Pennsylvania

Feb 17, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

Aug 29, 2018
Photo of Herbabee
Reviewed by Herbabee from Pennsylvania

3.06/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Well now, i'm confounded as to how to even rate this thing within the usual BA parameters... it seems that the sole mission of this concoction, by design, is just an expeditious spike to the bloodstream (2018 vintage @ 20% ABV??). Sure, the coriander, orange peel and cinnamon may try to exude some flavor and savor going in and down... but I might prefer to go for a Courvoisier, or something flammable for this sort of effect. The distrib near my work has quite a few cases of it in stock at present... Unfathomable to quaff - err i mean, ever so slowly sip - with any regularity. I'll keep the 2nd bottle i purchased handy in the cellar... in the event of a bad toothache and it's after hours for the dentist.

Mind you, it's not that this was an all-out drainpour - DuClaw was very inventive in devising this concoction. Definitely, definitely a "dare" bottle. If you dare. But be thee 'ware. That is all.
Aug 02, 2018
Photo of justintcoons
Reviewed by justintcoons from Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2018 Vintage.
12 oz bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance
Amber. Clear. No head.

Nose
Golden apple, cherry, pear, toffee, caramel, and cinnamon.

Taste
Golden apple, pear, and cherry. Toffee, caramel, and slight molasses. Touch of cinnamon and orange zest. Brandy-like warming finish.

Mouthfeel
Light bodied, smooth, and warming.

Overall
Hiding the abv is the name of the game and this was done extremely well.
Jun 27, 2018
 
Rated: 3.78 by smithj4 from New York

Jun 08, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by bigred89 from Maryland

Jun 02, 2018
Photo of CHickman
Reviewed by CHickman from New York

4.2/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
2018 bottle release, it pours clear amber color with a 1 finger foamy tan head that faded slowly and left very nice spotty lacing, much better than expected. The bottle lists the ABV at 20% ABV, which seems unusual based on the staying power of the head so that is impressive.

Smells like brandy, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, light booze, sweet malt, dark fruit that’s starting to rot, red wine and orange peel. For a malt bomb, this was complex and very well balanced.

Tastes surprisingly smooth with the booze and malty sweetness dominating, with brandy, apple brandy, dark fruit, caramel, toffee, Belgian candied sugar, brown sugar, orange peel, syrup, mild spices and rum soaked grains. It’s impressive how drinkable this is considering how strong and boozy it is...one of the finest strong ales I’ve ever had.
May 27, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by petewheeler from Maryland

May 24, 2018
 
Rated: 3.85 by madelf66 from Pennsylvania

Jul 06, 2017
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
As I continue to winnow through the Bottle Backlog here at Chez Woody, I am finding beers that I do not even remember purchasing! In fact, I have so many DuClaw beers hanging around that I am embarking on a horizontal tasting for the next few days. This should be interesting.

From the bottle: "Three malts, two strains of yeast, and a variety of spices combine to create a behemoth brew of unmatched proportions, disguised by notes of apple, peach, cinnamon, and honey. One sip and you'll agree ... Size Matters!"; "Respect_the_Fluid".

Yeah, I'm hitting their biggest beer for the grand finale of this horizontal. This review is for the 2014 vintage. I was saving it for last & it may be the only thing that I drink today. I will be taking it slow, including the pour since its bottling date is 08/27/14, making it over two years old. It all begins with a Pop! of the cap, followed by a gentle pour. This elicited nothing but wisps, so I performed an in-glass swirl to produce a brief finger of foamy, tawny head that quickly returned to its original wispy state. Color was an oh-so-slightly-hazy Amber to Deep Amber/Light Copper (SRM = > 9, < 13). Nose smelled of freshly baked apple pie sprinkled with cinnamon and/or nutmeg as well as having a vanilla scent. My my! Apple pie ala mode (vanilla). My maternal grandmother made the only apple pies that I ever liked and this smell was evocative of her culinary creations. Mouthfeel had a very light carbonation so it sat on my tongue like a big dollop, continuing the ice cream analogy. Thick, viscous and slightly hot, plus I was afraid to actually swallow it. The taste matched the nose - fresh, hot apple pie with vanilla ice cream and sprinkled with cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg. OMFG! This is far too easy to drink to be safe. I only poured half of the bottle's contents, so I am going to put the cap back on & take a little break. Finish was semi-dry, not hot at all and lingering with the spices, but off set by the inherent sweetness of the honey & whatever else they put into this behemoth, I mean, Colossus. Phew.

Slight addendum(s): warming, the haze dissipated and good clarity resulted; I lived through the experience; the spices became much more pronounced as it warmed.
Jan 10, 2017
Colossus from DuClaw Brewing Company
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 223 ratings