3 Scoops
DuClaw Brewing Co.

Pours an opaque black into a tulip glass. Leaves a thick tan head which slowly recedes, leaving behind solid retention and excellent lacing. Aromas of roasted malts, lactose, strawberries, vanilla, burnt sugar, and some hints of chocolate. Taste follows the nose: roasted malts, strawberry, heavy on the roasted malts. Chocolate and maybe a hint of coffee at the end. Transitions to a bitter finish at the end. Medium body. The flavor is a nice dessert treat, and while the beer is certainly worth a purchase now and then, the truth is this beer is a hit only in select situations due to the slightly cloying nature.

 

 

DuClaw Brewing Co. "3 Scoops"
12 fl. oz. can, "CANNED ON 11/04/21" and sampled on 03/24/22.
$2.79 @ Total WIne & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: It's poured a very dark brown that appears black in the full glass but if you hold it up to the light you'll find ruby, orange, and mahogany bron highlights. The head started as a two finger can of light tan or khaki colored foam but it's dropped in half by now. The aroma expresses dark cocoa powder and strawberry. The taste follows with the cocoa powder first and the strawberry second. I'm not finding vanilla here but everyone is different and I'm sure they've added it. Let's see, what does the label say? "Brewed with strawberry purée / vanilla powder / lactose / cacao nibs". What the hell is vanilla powder? It doesn't matter, you get the idea. Unfortunately for me I'm very sensitive to the lactose and I can sense it - I don't like it. It kind of sticks in my mouth. To be honest I'm not even sure why brewers use it because it has very little sweetness to it, and it takes a lot to add to the mouthfeel. Just using a higher mash temperature should give you both of those things without added cost. It'd have a lower alcohol content, but by how much really? Not a lot. OK, back to the taste. It's balanced by a median bitterness and chocolate and strawberry linger in the finish for a short time. In the mouth it's medium bodied and gently crisp-then-smooth with a moderate, fine-bubbled carbonation. All in all this is a pretty decent dessert beer. Often times I'll suggest that it could be enjoy just as a regular beer, and I think you could do one of these, but not two in a row - just my 2¢.
Review #7,842

 

 

 

 

Appearance:
Dark brown under a voluminous canopy of superfine, marzipan froth. The head stands an impressive, two fingers deep, has lengthy retention, and laces in a thick, sudsy curtain.

Bouquet:
Surprisingly bereft of sugary scents. Instead, it’s all roasted barley and soft black bread given a slim smear of strawberry jam. To the especially inquisitive, fleeting wisps of deeply charred chocolate and vanilla Ovaltine can be found, as well as a few hidden baubles of buttery lactose.

Feel:
A hearty medium, and by that I mean: if full-bodied is like donning a thick winter parka, then this is like slipping into a cozy, well-worn hoodie, wrought with little fabric tufts in the form of carbonation.

Taste:
Inarguably dark and roasty, interspersed with elusive undertones of ripe strawberry and bitter, black chocolate. Ephemeral puffs of vanilla vapor drift by in the aftertaste.

Overall:
It’s as though the tongue is sent spelunking through a vast, underground chasm in search of sweets, only discovering long-since faded footprints of Neapolitan parfait. Being more stout than dessert, its apt to please both purveyors of traditional beers and adventurous drinkers alike.

Canned on 11/4/21. 12oz can poured into a tulip.

Pours a dark brown; fluffy and creamy khaki head that falls slowly leaving great thick retention and sticky frothy lacing.

The aromas have a nice subtle blend of strawberries and vanilla. Malts are there.

The flavors follow the nose. More strawberry and vanilla. Some chocolate and cocoa in the mix. Moderate bitterness. Subtle sweetness. Malts do their thing. Alcohol basically goes unnoticed.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with moderate to active carbonation. It's sharp, silky, fluffy, smooth and slightly creamy.

This is a solid stout. It definitely has a "Neapolitan ice cream" vibe going on. It also comes off as more natural than artificial which is nice. Not bad at all. The execution is on point.