Why we picked it: Duclaw is a Maryland Brewery and this is one of there seasonals.
About Duclaw's Devils Milk: Each year since it was first brewed in 1998, Devil’s Milk, the Brewer’s Association of Maryland Governor’s Cup gold medal winner in 2006, 2007 and 2008, has used a different blend of hops to flavor and bitter the beer, making each batch of Devil’s Milk a unique experience. The 2014 vintage of Devil’s Milk epitomizes the American Barleywine. A medium bodied, amber ale with a thin, persistent, off-white head and a complex flavor profile with an assertive hop bill. Mesmerizing citrus flavors and aromas of the palate dominating hop finish and warming alcohol presence (11.5% alcohol by volume). Devil’s Milk is best served in a snifter, both to accommodate its alcohol content and allow the complex flavors inherent in the beer to emerge as it warms in the glass.
Beer Advocate Score: 85
Style: American Barley Wine
Color: Copper
Hop Variety: Centennial, Citra, Galena
Grains: Pale Malt, Wheat Malt, Aromatic Malt, Crystal Malt, Special Malt
ABV: 11.5%Color: Copper
Hop Variety: Centennial, Citra, Galena
Grains: Pale Malt, Wheat Malt, Aromatic Malt, Crystal Malt, Special Malt
IBU: 66
Plato: 23
Case Cost: $46 ($13 a six pack)
*website: http://duclaw.com/beer/devils-milk/
"Refills all around"
ReplyDeleteHoppy sweet up front, smooth throughout, tasty. No special flavored, just nice and tasty. Strength is evident but to me, not a lot of boozy or alcohol flavored.
Turned off at first...tinny, can-like taste initially. after 1/3 of the glass it began to subside; was it due to my taste buds being paralyzed, or maybe the beer just needed to breathe a bit....we'll never know.
ReplyDeleteAll-in-all, it ended up 2 millennium falcons out of 5, the after taste is bad enough to ruin the rest of the beer
The name needs some work here, I thought this was going to be a stout but far from it. This beer is pretty good but agree on the funny aftertaste. It is getting better as I'm drinking it but I think that's because of the ABV.
ReplyDeleteOff to see episode 7 in an hour. Thought it would be an excellent time to crack open this barleywine. Whoa...this is no joke! Halfway thru it and I'm already feelin it. Rich and malty and they tried to balance it with the hops but couldn't quite get there. Boozy as hell, but the flavor seems to really develop as it warms a little.
ReplyDeleteI would take a pint or bottle of this to the head anytime I see it. I got lucky on the timing this year but apparently this beer can be difficult to find.
The holiday approaches and I truly do appreciate this little monster to keep me sane
11.5% Hmmm... I have work to do tonight. This may have to wait until later.
ReplyDeleteAll I could think of was a scene from Big Bang Theory where a drugged Sheldon said "I drank milk that tasted funny."
DeleteThis one took it's time getting me on board, but overall I like it. The initial impact was not good - metallic; bitter. I wondered how I could get it down. But I am now about a third of the way through and it has smoothed out considerably. (Or maybe I have.) Hopefully my opinion won't change before I get to the bottom, but for the time being it has become enjoyable. Good choice.
So after last night's embarrassing forgetting to post my review incident, I decided I needed to get on this right away. And yes, that means having an 11.5% barleywine before dinner.
ReplyDeleteSo like Joe, I cracked this open expecting it to be a milk stout based on the name. Started pouring it and sure didn’t look like a stout so I checked and saw that it said barleywine style ale. Oh boy. Barleywine and I have a checkered history which I’m pretty sure has been related here before but let’s just say I’ve had more than my fair share of drunken Bigfoot incidents and it was after splitting a pitcher of Brooklyn Monster Ale four ways that we lost a seasoned drinker after a Frank Black Iota show when he took the orange line the wrong way, passed out, ended up in Cheverly, vomited on a murder scene at the local 7-11, and got home at 5 am due to the generosity of a bakery truck driver and two stoned cab drivers. I should note that it was a Thursday. Anyway, I sucked it up and dug in.
First sip was pretty remarkable. None of that Bigfoot booze which I know and accept in barleywines. Just a smooth, great tasting beer. I didn’t notice any metallic aftertaste or excessive booziness. Just awesomeness. Ro had a sip and noted how un-barleywine stereotype it was. Unfortunately, the result of this is that I drank the rest of it in about 5 minutes and it’s now 6:40, dinner is nowhere near ready, and it is only the writing of this blog post that has kept me from cracking open the fridge and engaging in a spontaneous Tuesday night bender. Not that there is anything wrong with spontaneous Tuesday night benders. Sure never would have guessed that this is 11.5% but after drinking it in 5 minutes, I think I can vouch for accurate ABV labeling. All hail the 24 days of beer! Now off to the fridge….
"...lost a seasoned drinker after a Frank Black Iota show when he took the orange line the wrong way, passed out, ended up in Cheverly, vomited on a murder scene at the local 7-11, and got home at 5 am due to the generosity of a bakery truck driver and two stoned cab drivers. I should note that it was a Thursday. Anyway, I sucked it up and dug in."
DeleteI've been waiting for this sort of McNary post since we started 24DOB. Every year, it's truly a Christmas miracle. God bless us everyone!
This ain't my first rodeo with Devils milk. In fact it's my 6th according to Untappd (clearly I have a problem or a taste for barleywine). It is still the best barleywine I have come across so far though. You don't taste a crazy amount of booziness, you feel the amount of booziness with this guy.
ReplyDeleteAlso this might not have been the best way to quench my thirst post run today. May or may not being getting hit double from booziness and mild dehydration. Oops. There's got to be someone out there proud of me for this stupidity.
Who's got two thumbs and is proud of you? This guy.
DeleteSidebar: The impromptu Tuesday night bender is progressing splendidly....
Whew this mothasucka's got some bite. I let it sit out for a bit, maybe too long and then took a swig. Had to put it down to regroup. Finished it off with no problems and now I'm feeling pretty damn nice! The booze stood out a bit but at 11.5% it's hard to disguise it. I haven't had many but I'm used to slighty sweeter barleywines, this one really put the barley back in barley wine. I kind of want another. A-
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of bitter beer and this was somewhat biter. Plus had a funky aftertaste. Not a fan at all
ReplyDeleteI went into this one blind without reading the description or anything. It threw me for a loop when it came out looking like a lager when I assumed it was a stout with the name milk in it. Then I tasted it and got the full citrus flavor. It was good and I would like to have another but at 11.5% I should keep it at 2 or 3 max. B
ReplyDeleteUnholy, sensual, mighty, demonic? With an angel on the label trying to get the room to stop spinning? Yikes. I don't go out of my way to try barleywines because their strength is not usually pleasant to me, but I enjoy checking them out when I get the chance (thanks 24DoB). I get a lot of alcohol taste for sure - too much for my liking, but not undrinkable if I switch to "this is a sipper" mode. I get the fruit in the aroma and right up front on the taste. Not surprised by the thick mouthfeel. I get a hint of the amber-ish malt, but it's just overpowered by everything else. The hops are coming off as harsh to me. Good choice for the lineup, but not my thing.
ReplyDeleteSo - appropriately due to the beer name - it's an ungodly, late night working session as I have budget outlines due in the morning. So I turn on some Nathaniel Rateliff and pour myself the beer of the day. I'll admit I was leery. I don't like milk stouts and I have never really enjoyed a DuClaw (even though I drive by it regularly). But then I pour it. This is no stout! This is barleywine. It smells wonderful and tastes even better. An excellent balance of hops and fruit with the right amount of booziness. Very pleasantly surprised. Of course, the alcohol is catching up to my and 11.5 ABV does not mix well with excel spreadsheets ... but here we are, and in the words of Mr Rateliff: "Son of a bitch, give me one more drink. One more night escaping me." Score: 4.5 out of 5.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, heavy! This beer drank easier than I thought given the ABV. My first venture in Barleywine Syle and it was a good one.
ReplyDeleteB-
Milky? Nope! Devilish? You bet! Holy tar this was strong but in an awesome kind of strong, like I could keep going and was 23 again. Great booziness!
ReplyDeleteActually pretty easygoing for the style. Tangy sweetness on the finish with a certain viscosity throughout. The hop-bite makes itself useful overall.
ReplyDeleteFinally getting to this beer. I was hoping I would really like it. Good color and good smell. I've drank half of it and I'm just not a fan. It's not terribly bad, but I would not say its good either. Boozy...get more of the malts instead of the hops. Grade 7 of 10, C.
ReplyDelete