BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
Note: I initially visited Du Claws’ former Fells Point site, which was closed in 2008 due to a dispute between owner and landlord. However, four great Du Claw pubs remain. The original Bel Air pub was visited January 2010 (see seperate review). Other worthwhile Maryland locations are in Bowie, Hanover, and BWI airport.
Formerly on a quaint cobblestone road in the Fells Point area, DU CLAW was located inside the bottom floor of a five-story harbor building, visited on February ’05 Baltimore area jaunt. Its oak frontage and large glass windows framed a modern Industrial designed interior countering an Old World neighborhood. A small patio section to the left side existed. Spacious high-ceiling interior features oval central bar with four widescreen TV’s, metal stools at wood tables, and four green-seated booths.
Du Claw’s well-detailed brews showed tremendous diversity. Lightweights will adore citric-sweet cereal-grained Bare Ass Blonde Ale, caramelized barley-roasted apple-persimmon-spiced Misfit Red, tangy soft-fruited Ravenwood Kolsch Ale, and blanched Australian-hopped stone-fruited golden lightweight Kangaroo Love Lager.
More sophisticated tastes will lean towards expressive coffee-toned Naked Fish Chocolate Raspberry Stout (sporting a raspberry seed-ripened mocha-sweet hazelnut-walnut confluence), as well as tangy quince-peach-pear-melon-ripened lemon-hopped Venom Pale Ale. Robust dessert treat, Bad Moon Porter, weaves roasted coffee and toasted hops around addictive Godiva dark chocolate sweetness. These are only some of the more than dozen selections available at any given time. Though this Bond Street Wharf site opened July ’04, Du Claw’s original brewpub remains in nearby Belair.