Enigma
DuClaw Brewing Co.

The beer poured a dark amber and had no head, very much like a barley wine. The aroma was of dark fruit basking in alcohol. The taste matched it with plenty of dark fruit flavors and a fine alcohol burn. The feel was, as one would expect, heavy and oily. A very enjoyable beer and one I would like to sample again.

A: Cloudy and dark with no almost no head or carbonation.

S: Some smoky malt aroma but lacking any serious hop contribution.

T: Tastes lighter than it looks. Some roasted malt notes balanced by moderate hop bitterness. Little or no hop flavor.

D: Lighter flavor adds to the drinkability but zero carbonation detracts.

Decent attempt at a pseudo- sub style but it could be better with some more pronounced flavors.

A swingtop growler filled on 5/2 at the Bowie restaurant.

A: The bock is a deep red, almost tawny color. As light shines through it, some dark auburn hints emerge. The head was near one finger and has left some intermittent spots of lace.

S: The nose is intensely grainy, thick with green grapes, cereal and sour cherries.

T: Dry grains are the first sensation to register. Raisin and fig flavors emerge from the beer, creating a taste that is remarkably similar to raison d'etre, only much drier. As the beer warms on the tongue, some sweet citrus fruits emerge, some orange zest and anise are detectable.

M: The finish is very malty, stripping the mouth of all liquid and leaving it quite dry.

D: The bigger abv does not rear its head here, staying hidden throughout the glass. The beer is a little too strong, flavor-wise, to enjoy on a warm spring night.

This is one amazing brew. Something new from DuClaw. Until we know for sure, the style is tentative. They don't classify the beer at all (thus the "Enigma"), but the bartender said, when asked, they were telling customers it was "like a Doppelbock." The formula fits. The web page includes:

Hop Variety: German Tettnang
Grains: Munich malt, Melanoidin, Caramunich Malt
Bitterness Units:28
Gravity: 20.5 plato
Alcohol Content: 8% abv

Deep, rich brown color with a huge tan head that lasted and lasted. The smell was all malt--full, rich, lightly toasted, malt. The mouthfeel was thick, but very drinkable. The sample glass had a nice head on it, but the beer itself had little carbonation to speak of. (Incidentally, the growler I brought home didn't maintain any carbonation at all. Unfortunately, this meant the beer turned syrupy.)

The taste was (as expected) all malt with just a touch of hops bitterness for balance, as well as hints of caramel. Just a touch of sweetness on the tongue. And the higher alcohol content is present, but just barely perceptible--until you drain the glass. Very well balanced.

This is easily one of the the richest, most satisfying beers I've sampled. Might not be the perfect session beer (with an 8% ABV), but it's worth sipping and savoring. Best of all, it's a great tasting mystery. Chalk up another incredible winning beer from Jim the Brewer and DuClaw!