The PastryArchy Edition #18: Root Beer Float
DuClaw Brewing Co.

Had to dump it. Was terrible.

 

A: The beer is very dark brown in color. It poured with a quarter finger high beige colored head that left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and a wide collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of root beer are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell but has additional notes of chocolate malts and a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels just about medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer definitely smells and tastes like root beer, although I didn't really get much in the way of the float (ice cream) in the aromas or flavors.

Serving type: can

 

11/20/21 Marilyn's on Main in Morgantown. On tap.
The smell is amazing, huge vanilla notes, chocolate and coffee coming through slightly,and definitely has the root beer buzz aroma!
The flavor is bursting at the seams! Such rich vanilla and just a hint of that root beer buzz to know that it's there.
The mouthfeel is extremely velvety smooth.
We're pleasantly surprised by this one, DuClaw, well done! Don't be surprised at the sweetness, though!

Well, this is quite an interesting beer to start off this weekend’s brown ale tasting with. I didn’t think I had any brown ales ready for the weekend, but right before I was about to step out to the store to get some, I found this one. Root beet float huh? Should be interesting how those flavors play over a brown ale base. Let’s find out

Pours a dark reddish brown with 2 fingers of creamy beige head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves decent lacing

They took an astringent approach to getting the root beer vibe, at least in the aroma, though it kinda works. I'm picking up on aromas of chocolate malt, dark toast, creamy vanilla, light ginger, raisin, and peppery hops

There's a bit more sweetness in taste, though the spices tend to dominate still. On the front end of the sip I'm tasting creamy vanilla, roasty chocolate, raisin, dark bready malt, and light pepper. The swallow brings notes of creamy vanilla, ginger, cardamom, chocolate malt, light earthy hops, and dark toast. Pretty much evokes a root beer float

A medium light body pairs with gentle airy carbonation, resulting in a light and somewhat fluffy beer. Finishes off dry with an increasing sweetness. Drinks much lighter than 8.7%

Damn, color me impressed with this one. I wasn't expecting much, but it's a fun take on the style that never becomes too overbearingly sweet or astringent. This one is setting the mood for the tasting weekend

 

Wow what a miss of a beer! Way too hoppy and bitter to be even close to a root beer float and just comes off as a brown ale with root added and not enough vanilla to carry it.

Quite possibly the worst I ever had of the series not recommended!

 

 

Pours mahogany with a 1.5" cream colored head, which lasts. Moderate lacing.

Aroma is vanilla, coffee, roast malt.

Taste is vanilla, coffee, caramel, roast malt.

Thin body, lively carbonation. Astringent, semisweet finish.

A bit thin and a mite too sweet.

Pours clear, dark brown in color with one half inch head. Taste is diet root beer, cocoa, and vanilla. Medium body, moderate carbonation, sweet. I would have preferred a regular root beer float but the diet version is fine. DuClaw makes better but this hits all the right notes, never cloying.

Appearance - Pours a cola brown with two fingers of frothy tan head.

Smell - earthy, leafy hops, vanilla, root beer pop, lactose, milk and dark chocolate, caramel. roasted malts, nutty aromas, and earthy yeast.

Taste - earthy and leafy hops upfront then quickly goes into the vanilla and root beer pop, milk and dark chocolate alongside the lactose. The caramel, roasted malts, nutty aromas, and earthy yeast round out the brew.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Finishes sticky from the hops and root beer pop elements.

Overall - A unique brown ale that delivers on the "root beer float" aspect. The root beer and vanilla are real and not artificial which I appreciate. This truly is worth seeking out if your curious or would like some nostalgia.

16oz can poured into a tulip

A- pours brown in color with a ruby hue, one-finger foamy light khaki head that reduces to a film on top

S- upon opening, I couldn't really smell any root beer note, but after sitting, it does have a bit of a sassafras note. Undertones of brown malts, creamy milk sugars, toffee, vanilla, slightly nutty

T- nutty brown malts and chocolate up front, followed by notes of vanilla cream and milky lactose. Mid-palate gives a spicy note that could be interpreted as root beer, but not obvious. The finish gives more nutty malt and chocolate

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a creamy mouthfeel that continues into the finish

O- the flavor came across as more chocolate than root beer, nonetheless a full flavored and enjoyable brown ale

 

Appearance - Poured from the can, the beer was a brownish black in color with a white head.

Nose - The beer did legitimately smell like root beer.

Taste - If you can imagine what pouring whole milk into root beer would smell like, you are there. This was just not right. Lactose made it slightly sour. It was far from sweet. It just did not taste like a root beer float.

Mouthfeel - The beer was fairly smooth, with low carbonation.

Overall - I would not put this on my résumé if I were Duclaw.

Canned on 6/18/21. 16oz can poured into a tulip. Pours a dark brown; creamy and fluffy khaki head that falls leaving great thick retention and sticky lacing. The aromas have a decent root beer vibe going on. There's a nice amount of chocolate and vanilla as well. Malts are there. The flavors follow the nose. Subtle spices coming through. More chocolate and vanilla coming through as well. Mild hints of orange in the mix. Subtle spiciness. Moderate bitterness. Low sweetness. Solid malt backbone. Alcohol basically goes unnoticed for the most part. Mouthfeel is nice. It's full-bodied with moderate to active carbonation. It's sharp, fluffy, creamy and smooth.

This is a pretty unique brew, and I mean that in a good way. It definitely has a "root beer float" vibe going on, but it's executed in an impressive way. It drinks like a beer and ultimately comes off as an "Imperial Brown Ale". I like it.

A brown ale it is indeed. It's as dark as many porters and stouts. There's not much of a head, nor glass lacing. After exiting a pint can and ending up in a clear Imperial pint glass, this has more of a roasted malt aroma than a root beer soda. Some vanilla is detected by the nose, as well. Initially, it's as sweet as a soft drink, but it's also overpowered by a bitterness from, probably a combination of roasted malts, hops and alcohol. Except for some cloying sweetness, which actually is welcomed because of the overall astringent bitterness, this tastes nothing close to its intended flavor. There's nothing reminiscent of the creaminess of a float, not by taste nor mouthfeel. The overall attempt at root beer flavor also falls way short. As a desert beer attempting to mimick a root beer float, this sinks.
P.S. The first review must have been from an off can, because a second had a very nice head, a better aroma, more of a root beer character and wasn't nearly as harsh. The new numbers are results of a better second tasting.

 

Pours just like a classic Root Beer, dark brown with a strong light brown head. Smell is not exactly root beer, more chocolate and vanilla. The float after the ice cream is added. Same with the taste: it is more float than plain root beer. But that what it says! Smooth and tasty on the tongue: you would not suspect that it was 8.7%. Overall, this is an exceptional brew.