DuClaw Brewing Company

Our H.E.R.O. home brewing competition has come to an end. An overwhelming number of entries were received, a winner was chosen (the top three finishers will be announced Monday May 30th) and his/her beer will be produced by our brewery as a limited run of 22oz bottles.  The winner will first be announced here on my blog, then we will send an email out.  So, pay attention folks.

While this project is a great platform for aspiring brewers to earn recognition for their craftsmanship, it’s also an incredible opportunity for us to give back. And that’s why we are donating not a portion, not half, but EVERY SINGLE PENNY from the sale of H.E.R.O. 22oz bombers to charity. Sales are expected to reach $25,000 or higher, and we’re giving it all away.  That is right, every last penny.

But to who? That’s where all of you come in. You get to help choose the beneficiary. We ask that you email us (hero@duclaw.com) the story of an organization or individual that you believe is in need of a hero.  This does not have to be a charitable organization, it can be an individual or a family.  We have some ideas of our own, but we want your suggestions for where we can make the most impact. We brewed this beer so that we could give back by helping where help was needed the most. Now it’s your turn. And all you have to do is point us in the right direction. All the details will be in the post and email on Monday.

“To be a hero is to live your life in a small cell whose bars are the principles and rules that define what you will and won’t accept. The misfortune, suffering, or hopelessness of those you call friends, neighbors, or your community.  If I am privileged enough to live in that cell, to serve in that box with the word HERO written on it…then I say to you, from somewhere deep inside that box, what are you doing out there?”

Our High-gravity, high-alcohol behemoth, aptly named Colossus, was bottled (22oz bombers) and shipped to our distributor last week and should be in stores this week for purchase. Just a warning, this beer is not for the faint of heart, as its alcohol comes in at 21% and has every bit of flavor to match. With that being said, Jim and Bo have done a great job of hiding the vast amount of alcohol. Not to say you won’t taste it, but it will make you think twice.

Before I go any further, let me give you a little background about our newest baby. Colossus was brewed back in 2006, and was aged a year before anyone got a taste of it (except yours truly!). To get that high alcohol content is much more art than science. But after many a nervous night, Jim’s ‘little’ boy came through for us. We released it in 2007 in a limited (about 25 cases) 1 liter bottling. And some have tasted it throughout the years at festivals like the BAM Octoberfest. And this year, some even crowd surfed to the front of the line (Here is a video of the release at this year’s BAM Fest)!

Well now it is out to the public, but just a warning. We only have about 150 cases of this bottled (Devil’s Milk run was about 400), so there is not a lot of it available. I could go on about how awesome it is, but of course I am biased. So, I figured I would let one of the raters from Ratebeer.com do it for me. His name is ‘otakuden’, and we have never gotten a write-up like this (posted on 1/3/10):

“Ever since my first glog, the Rorviv Ol-Glog, I have been on a constant look-out for another glog of equally orgasmic proportions, or a suitable beer to warm and sup as a glog. Well, that special moment descended about a month ago in the form of the DuClaw Colossus, a self-styled American Strong Ale of epic proportions, 21.92%ABV epic proportions, that is. When the time came to sup and savor this beauteous beast, Eric and I both concurred that warming her like a glog would be best, and boy were we ever more right.

Served in Grandma Johnson’s old Dutch tea cup china, soft whites with lavender flowers decorated in tasteful minimalism, a better pairing couldn’t be found anywhere then in those glasses and in that moment. Steam slowly rose from her deep murky brown and burnished mahogany depths. Tiny bubbles scatter shyly around the sides while a gentle swirl traces soft lace along the sides of my tea cup. Beautiful. Wafting upwards atop a bed of soothing steam is a pervading gentle sweetness, the kind one finds cupping a warm brandy in front of the crackling fireplace. Brown sugar coated red apples, cooked long and slow in their own juices along with fresh cinnamon, maple, molasses, and more brown sugar. Apricot, peaches, and orange are added next to the steeping sweet spiced fruit compote. The final flourish? The finest of brandies and oak-aged rums are added for soul-soothing warmth and further depth. Luxurious fits the DuClaw Colossus perfectly. My first sip is warm just enough and all about brown spices and wood. Warm brandy and rum hit fast and long, immediately tracing long slender fingers across my chest and throat, feathery whispers lingering long after their initial touch. Cinnamon sticks, apricots, peaches, red apples and brown sugar are steeped long and tenderly while maple and molasses thinly coat my lips and tongue. Her finish is on the sweet and dry side with spices lingering in each breath. Dead grass and old wood whispers in the background while each divine quaff focuses her attention on the center of my palate. Divinity is moments such as this, when souls soar and time seems to slow to an infinite crawl, all the better to savor the moment with each aching fiber of one’s being. That was my moment with the DuClaw Colossus.

I’m not sure how she would taste cellar temperature, and I’m not really sure if I care to. Should you have a bottle of this awaiting supping and sharing, give her liquid nectar a slow hot-water bath to warm her thoroughly without burning and discover the gates of heavenly ascension as I did. I can’t promise the old Dutch china, but I am sure you will find something equally worthy.”

One thing he mentions in his review (and a long one it is) is heating Colossus up, which Jim brought to my attention. If you heat Colossus in a microwave (be careful it happens quick, and don’t do it in a closed bottle) to 105 degrees, and try it like a mulled wine, you will notice a complete flavor change. Compare to a cooler version at the same time, it will knock your socks off!! Leave comments to let me know how you like it.

Cheers,
Dave

Hello and welcome to the launch of my blog. First I would like to thank you for stopping by and taking a read, I hope it can at least be a pleasant distraction for you. Now, with the pleasantries aside, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. What is the blog for?!

Is it for me to promote our beer and food? Is it for me to asks questions about what you want to see change? Is it for me to post random musing about issues that might not matter much to most people? Well the long and short is YES, and a whole bunch more. There will be a good amount of inside tidbits (prior to emails, talk from staff or loose rumors on the street) of new beers, menu changes and upcoming events. There will be some special promotions known just to the blog readers (and anyone who the blog readers happen to tell…). There will be discussions of not only our beer, but of other brewery’s beer that I (or you) find enjoyable (God, I love my job – drinking beer, then talking about it!). There will be talk about wines on our list and other wines that I (or you) like or just want to discuss (wait…beer and wine?). And as I said before, A WHOLE LOT MORE!

Cheers!

Dave