Beer of the Week

The beer: The PastryArchy: Super Freak

The brewery: DuClaw Brewing Company, Rosedale, Maryland

Description (from the can): "Give in to the seductive coconut, caramel, & chocolate notes, plus roasted malt and a gentle hop bite. Indulge and ... Get Freaky!"

Would I buy it again? I'm pretty disappointed with this. Basically, all I taste is a slightly hoppy brown ale, with no taste of coconut or caramel, and only suggestions of chocolate. If all those ingredients have really been packed in this beer, they're doing a great job of canceling each other out. Taken at face value, it's not bad, but considering what was promised, it's just not very good.

Beer of the Week

The beer: The PastryArchy Cookies & Cream

The brewery: DuClaw Brewing Company, Rosedale, Maryland

Description (from the website): "Inspired by the iconic combination of chocolatey cookie crumbles dunked in delicious vanilla ice cream, we introduce you to a roasty, full-bodied white stout infused with cookies and cream ice cream, lactose, & cacao for a beautiful golden beer. Made in collaboration with Maryland-based, family-owned creamery, Keyes Creamery in celebration of their tenth anniversary and three generations of a family dream."

Would I buy it again? Apparently white stout as a style is just not something I'm into, because I'm really not a fan of this beer. The initial taste is slightly better than the French Toast stout from a couple weeks ago (it at least tastes slightly like cookies and cream), but it's got the same strong bitter aftertaste, and that absolutely demolishes any and all flavor this beer had at the start. I'm really, really hoping we're not seeing a trend of these white stouts, because I do not enjoy them. The Flying Dog Cookies & Cream stout is so far ahead of this, it's not even funny. Don't drink this. Have one of those instead.

Beer of the Week

The beer: The PastryArchy Root Beer Float

Brewed by: DuClaw Brewing Company, Rosedale, Maryland

Description (from the website): "Emulating aromas & flavors of the classic, all-American root beer-meets-vanilla ice cream concoction, this imperial brown ale with additions of vanilla bean & lactose will take you back to simpler times, bellying up to the soda fountain or mom’s kitchen table. Enjoy straight up, or poured over a scoop of ice cream for a special treat."

Would I buy it again?: I'm not sure this exactly tastes like root beer, but I'm a fan of it nonetheless. The vanilla is definitely noticeable, but not like the Vanilla Cream Ale I had a while ago. I would definitely buy this again, though I feel like it's a definite winter beer, which is a bit contrary to what the description suggests. I know, heading to the local soda shop and drinking root beer with ice cream isn't exclusively a summer activity, but to me, eating ice cream in winter is just weird. In summer, I get it. This also isn't the first imperial brown ale I've enjoyed, apparently it's a style I need to look out for.

Beer of the Week

The beer: 31 Pumpkin Spiced Lager

Brewed by: DuClaw Brewing Company, Rosedale, Maryland

Description (from the website): "First brewed in 2008 as a Halloween one-off release, “31”, took the classic Munich Dunkel and added seasonal spices to create a new fall favorite. Amber in color and medium-bodied, it indulges your senses with its smooth, malty palate, moderate 5.7% ABV, and fall spices for a refreshing finish of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice, and pumpkin that makes “31” all treat and no trick."

Would I buy it again?: I don't know if I would call this my favorite pumpkin beer, since that's a pretty extensive list, but it's really good. Funny that a fairly simple pumpkin lager is so good, but there's something to be said for simplicity. It's a beer, and it tastes like pumpkin. Neither overwhelms the other, they compliment each other perfectly. This is definitely a beer I plan to get in the future.

Beer of the Week

The beer: The PastryArchy Banana Bread Pudding

Brewed by: DuClaw Brewing Company, Rosedale, Maryland

Description (from the website): "Sip this banana-forward banana bread pudding delight & your senses will be enveloped in aromas of banana, chocolate, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & confection. Delivered on a backdrop of a classic spiced Hefeweizen, it’s light-to medium-bodied & slightly sweet. Enjoy in traditional Hefeweizen vase, glassware of your choice, or straight from the can!"

Would I buy it again?: I was really intrigued by the combination of things going on with this beer, and that overcame my hesitation with DuClaw beers, which tend to lack subtlety. I was prepared to not like this, but actually, it's pretty good. The banana bread strikes a good balance with the hefeweizen, and while I wouldn't exactly call it easy to drink, it's not heavy either. I would definitely buy it again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Regular Beer

Brewed by: DuClaw Brewing Company, Rosedale, Maryland

Description (from the website): "This is beer that tastes like regular beer. For the times you want to drink regular beer."

Would I buy it again?: DuClaw is a pretty big deal in Maryland. They're an older brewery, dating back to the 90s, and they make some interesting beer. Well, I say interesting, but what I mean is I don't really like them much. Their most well-known beer is Sweet Baby Jesus, a beer that tastes exactly like a Reeses, and not in an appealing way. Frankly, they were the last people who I thought would make a plain standard lager like this. But they did, and I really like the fact that they did. Of course, by doing so they're competing directly with Yuengling, the titan of affordable lager. And yes, this beer is more expensive. But I will buy this beer again because I like the label and the name, and I appreciate that someone out there realizes that beer has gotten a bit ridiculous. A four pack will cost $18 or something, and you'll get some weird triple IPA brewed with lactose and five kinds of fruit, or maybe you'll get a stout stuffed with peanut butter and cream and who even knows what else. Sure, they're fine on occasion, but sometimes I just want a regular plain old beer. And that's what this is.