Brewologist | DuClaw's barleywine a fine brew for fall

• Barleywine, a big and bold beer style, is one of the best things about the fall and winter seasons
• Devil's Milk is a very smooth take on the style from DuClaw Brewing Co.
• The brew weighs in at 10 percent alcohol by volume and about 66 International Bitterness Units
• The creamy texture is what separates this barleywine from others

It's fall, so pumpkin beers and brown ales will garner most of the attention now. But barleywines show up in autumn, too, and if you haven't explored this style you are missing out.

Barleywine, sometimes denoted as barley wine, is a big, malty, boozy beer, usually topping 8 percent alcohol by volume and sometimes going a good deal higher. Despite the name, these are definitely beer, not wine. Because they tend to be rich and full-bodied, they can be particularly bracing once the evenings become a bit chilly. Add to that a flavor profile that prefers to be served closer to cellar temperature than to ice-box cold, and you've got the perfect beer for fall and winter.

I tried my first Devil's Milk, a wonderful barleywine from DuClaw Brewing Co. in Baltimore, on the rear deck after a nice long walk with my wife and our little dog. It was early night, a wee bit chilly, with stars just starting to brighten and the crickets and peepers making a racket in the woods nearby. It was a perfect moment for barleywine, and DuClaw's take on the style did not disappoint.

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The beer poured a lovely dark copper color, with a nice pile of foam despite the 10 percent alcohol by volume. These attributes, of course, became of little importance once I got out on the dark deck, but I appreciated them nonetheless while still in the house.

Darkness did not suffocate all this beer's charms, of course. The aroma was a heady blend of rich malts — CaraWheat, CaraMunich, Pale and Melanoidin — balanced with a spiciness from the Mosaic and Cascade hops. Interestingly, DuClaw alters the hops bill on this brew each year to make each batch unique. Given the high ABV, it would be interesting to set aside a couple of bottles from this year to compare to next year's batch; I suspect the brew would cellar well. I might just give that a go. If anyone else out there has kept Devil's Milk in a nice cool spot for several months or a year, I'd love to hear about the results.

Devil's Milk reminds me somewhat of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.'s venerable Bigfoot Barleywine. The DuClaw brew is less hops intensive, at 66 International Bitterness Units compared to Bigfoot's 90, but the flavor profile of this year's batch of Devil's Milk is in the same ballpark as the Sierra Nevada version. Devil's Milk is less boozy than another favorite of mine, Barrel-Aged Naked Evil from Akron's fantastic Hoppin' Frog Brewery. The Akron brew offers 11.3 percent ABV and more malty sweetness than the DuClaw brew, and seems to derive more of its flavor from the alcohol warmth.

The most notable characteristic of Devil's Milk, aside from the oh-so-perfect-for-Halloween name, is its silk smoothness. This beer has a full body, but it is almost creamy smooth. They almost had to include the word "milk" in the name to do it justice.

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If you have never tried barleywine before, this would be an excellent choice to start your exploration. It is best served on a cool evening deck under a canopy of stars with someone you love, but it would be outstanding with the best steak you can afford, too. Roast pork would be another good option. Stay away from hot wings or pizza or curry or onions or hot peppers; clashing flavors don't help anyone.

Beer Talk

If you'd like to suggest a beer for me to review, tell me I'm just plain wrong about your favorite brew or ask a beer question, feel free to tweet me; I'm @Brewologist. You can find Brewologist on Facebook and Pinterest, too.

Steve Goble is a producer for Media Network of Central Ohio. Email him at sgoble@gannett.com.