DuClaw Brewing Company - Misfit Red

This red ale from DuClaw presents a lightly hazy reddish brown color topped by a light beige cap of foam. As a style, red/amber ales are a mixed bag, with most tending towards the maltier side, while others deliver quite a big hop blast. Misfit Red offers us a nice balance between malty and hoppy notes in the aroma; look for plenty of toast and caramel, with wisps of cocoa, as well as brighter notes of citrus zest and spice. That balance continues on the palate, too, where notes of toasted bread and light roast form the malty core in concert with a lightly sweet caramelized character. These core notes form the backbone to support quite a flavorful hop expression. We picked up herbal spice, citrus rind, and some grassy hay-like character, while perceived hop bitterness offers a moderate impact to counterpunch the malty notes. For pairing options, we’d steer toward roasted pork and fowl with a fruit-infused sauce, or a panini with chicken breast, asiago, fresh greens, and a citrus aioli. Cheers!

DuClaw Brewing Company was founded as a brewpub in 1996 by Dave Benfield, an accomplished home brewer. He got his start as a brewer in college, where having the ability to create alcoholic beverages can often pay considerable social dividends. But his interest in brewing continued beyond his college years and developed into a bit of an obsession. He took a position within his family’s business after graduating, but his passion for home brewing continued, eventually leading to his decision to start a brewpub.

When DuClaw opened its doors to the public in Bel Air, MD in 1996, the concept of a restaurant which serves its own microbrews crafted on a small in-house brewing system was, while not unique, still a very fresh and exciting business model. Within a year the local paper highlighted DuClaw as “Bel Air’s hippest establishment.” Over the succeeding years, Dave expanded the business, leading DuClaw to grow from a simple brewpub operation into a full package brewery. After outgrowing their original brewing location as well as a second location, DuClaw moved into a new brewing facility in Rosedale on Baltimore’s outskirts in 2013. Featuring over 60,000 sq. ft. of space, plus a custom-made and imported high-tech German brewing system, the brewery is well-positioned to grow into the future. For more info, call them up at 443-559-9900 or visit www.duclaw.com.