3.1
AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20ChadPolenz (1744) - Lakeland, Florida, USA - DEC 30, 2016
2015 BJCP Category: 33B Specialty Wood-Aged Beer (base style: 15B Irish Stout)
AROMA: Coconut is most prominent aroma along with some woody/vanilla character. Nose is otherwise mild overall. No barrel character. 8/12
APPEARANCE: Dark brown with ruby highlights; clear. Small tan soapy head evaporates quickly and completely. 2/3
FLAVOR: A mild generic porter flavor upfront; nothing particularly "Irish" to it. A light cola flavor with some baker’s chocolate flavor in the background. Lightly sweet with some minor toffee taste on the finish. Coconut only emerges briefly on the finish. Little wood/barrel character. Alcohol seems a bit distracting and does not complement the base brew well. 12/20
MOUTHFEEL: For an 11% ABV brew, this mouthfeel is surprisingly light and under-carbonated. Body is medium-light as is CO2. Alcohol is quite prominent in the form of heat, but not entirely distracting. Seems like there should be more complexity and a stronger body for a high ABV barrel brew. 3/5
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Very little was gained from aging the base brew in rum barrels. It’s not bad; it’s just more interesting than it is good. 6/10
TOTAL SCORE: 31/50
