Its a nice evening out, and I’m enjoying the last bits of 80 degree weather we’re having here in central Illinois before it drops into the 40s this week. I bought this beer a few weeks ago before a pirate murder mystery we were hosing and because Founders usually makes good Barrel aged stuff. This one sounded really interesting and the label/theme was perfect for our party. One of the best beers I ever had was a barrel aged IPA, so I was looking forward to trying this one. Says it was bottled on 6/4/18.
Location: Poured into a TEKU pint glass from the bottle at my home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 11.1% ABV, ~400 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It has a light copper color and a good amount of sediment was suspended, giving it a bit of a cloudy appearance. It had a fair amount of carbonation, giving it a thin rocky head. The aroma was a bit alcoholic and rummy, mixed with a dank hoppiness.
Taste & Feel: The body was full, and a bit viscous and the mouthfeel was smooth. Up front it was hugely sweet and rummy with a huge earthy hoppiness mixed in. The sweetness carries through the middle and some of the bitterness starts to come in. The rum starts to open up and gets a little lighter in the finish, leaving the earthy, slightly dank hop flavors backed with some bitterness. The aftertaste is a mix of sweet rum and earthy hop flavors.
Food Pairing: This is a pretty rich-flavored beer, so you’d need something equally big or rich to pair with this beer. I’d probably go with BBQ that’s heavy on the sweet sauce.
Overall Impression: The mix of flavors in this beer didn’t work for me. The rum was a bit overpowering, and while the hop flavors matched it in boldness, the flavors didn’t really seem to compliment or contrast each other. On their own, I think the flavors worked, but as a combination, they didn’t really go together. I applaud and respect the attempt, but this is definitely not a beer I’d buy again.
My Rating: 
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