Peg's G.O.O.D. RareR D.O.S. - Peg's Cantina & Brewpub / Cycle Brewing

jegross2

Illinois

4.69/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Reviewing the highly coveted Peg's G.O.O.D. RareR D.O.S. from Peg's Cantina & Brewpub out of Gulfport, Florida. This beer is their Doug’s Original Stout (the "D.O.S." part of the name) aged in Rum barrels (presumably the capital R part of the "RareR").

Score: 97

2012 vintage 500 ml growler from the 12/21/2012 release. Served in a Tyranena snifter glass and enjoyed on 01/17/13.

Appearance: Ink black in color. Pours a thin layer of mocha-colored head that settles to a ring around the glass. Poor, splotchy lacing that is primarily oily, but average retention. What little lacing and oil clings slowly oozes down the side, back into the glass. 4/5

Smell: Vanilla, fudge and milk chocolate. Behind that is a sweet rum backbone that gets a little more prominent towards the tail end of a whiff. Oak too. Some roastiness and a little dark fruit. Hint of cherry. 4.75/5

Taste: The sweet rum is a lot more "forward" on the palate than in the nose, but it is deliciously incorporated. The first flavor to hit you is the rum, followed shortly thereafter by a wave of vanilla and fudge. This is then followed by a wave of dark fruit, brown sugar and faint milk chocolate. Finishes with lingering vanilla and fudge. There is some bold "boozy flavor," but no "booziness." Slightly sweet overall. 4.75/5

Mouthfeel: Not quite full-bodied, low carbonation. Rich and creamy on the palate. Finishes dry, but not quite "chalky." 4.5/5

Overall: This is a baby Churchill's Finest Hour 2012 with sweet rum and cherry characteristics. Holy wow! I love how rich and complex this brew is.

Recommendation: Seek a bottle of this out!

Pairings: French vanilla ice cream.

Cost: $20 for a 500 ml growler.

Serving type: growler

01-18-2013 02:34:07 | More by jegross2

Gfunk720

Connecticut

4.63/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Thanks to Dan for this. 500ml swing top out of my CBS snifter.

A- Pours a very deep black, and has a fairly thick appearance. A healthy mocha color head appears, and reduces to a light ring of foam around the ring of the glass. A little swirl leaves a nice spotty lacing around the glass.

S- A ton of roasted malt and dark fruits. A bit of boozy oakiness, but somewhat hard to distinguish the exact alcohol type from the nose alone.

T- Very smooth and creamy, transitions to lots of dark fruity notes and rum. It is rich and a bit sweet, but almost has a tartness about it(perhaps from the rum). The flavors work together extremely well though, and the base beer is big enough to stand up to the strength of the barrel.

M- Very nice. Thick and heavy, without being overboard. The carbonation was spot on too, especially from a swing top that is a few weeks old now.

O- I was very excited to try this beer, and I have to say it met my expectations. I'd be curious to try the bourbon, as I think it would be more up my alley. The rum comes of a bit harsh at times, but is still very delicious. This beer has depth, and I'd gladly drink more of these. Could only imagine it is even better on tap.

Serving type: growler

01-18-2013 01:43:54 | More by Gfunk720

iadler

Minnesota

4.74/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

16 oz growler from the 12/21/12 release. Big thanks to Alex for sending this my way. A big want of mine for a long time.

A- Pours a opaque black with a thin mocha head that stays around, though leaving no lacing behind. A really nice looking beer regardless.

S- Freshly baked fudge brownies, sweetened and fresh coconut, vanilla beans, toffee, rum, peppery spice, and dark fruit with black cherries and plum.

T- Waves of chocolate throughout with fudge, brownie batter, and dark chocolate. Coconut, toffee, roasted malt, vanilla, rum soaked fruit and spice cake are also present.

M- Light carbonation with a rich, syrupy body. One of the best mouth-feels I've had with a stout. Perfect.

O- A rich and dense beer with incredible complexity and flavor. Plenty of chocolate sweetness, but never cloying. Simply put, not only one of the best stouts I've had, but one of the best beers I've had period.

Serving type: growler

01-13-2013 17:05:06 | More by iadler

4thelvofbeer

Virginia

4.6/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Hunter for the trade on this! Popped open a 500ml growler dated 12-21-12 on 01/11/13.

A: Growler was filled up to the very top of the swing-top. Had a small hiss when I opened it...nice. Pours a deep black with very light and quickly fading carbonation. Thick, I was super exicted when I poured this beer...

S: Smell was slightly better than the taste, but as soon as I opened the bottle and even moreso when I poured the beer, strong notes of sweet rum, choc, syrup...all those great dark notes...smelled really complex and nice....even more exicted!

T: First taste...wow!, really smooth, surprisingly no taste of any alcohol, only nice flavors with a mild sweetness....rum, molasses, maybe some figs (i don't want to get to crazy here...It was really good,,,lets just say that!) . I did not rate this a 5 because the flavors did not linger and faded a bit more quickly than I expected. Don't get me wrong, it is awesome!

M: Nice, not overpowering and super-syrupy...very very drinkable!

O: Really, really good. Lots of flavors and tastes!

Serving type: growler

01-12-2013 13:51:13 | More by 4thelvofbeer

kevanb

Illinois

4.54/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500ml poured into an Eagle Rock snifter.

Peg's Cantina (Cycle Brewing) G.O.O.D RareR D.O.S

The beer pours black as night, motor oil consistency out of the growler, hues of dark brown around the rim of the glass when struck by the light, a thin fizzy caramel colored head appears for a brief moment but recedes into nothingness almost immediately. A touch of film does remain on top of the beer, but there is no apparent lacing as it goes down. The aroma is nice, dark chocolate, charred wood, roasted coffee jump out with a nice smooth lingering rum presence with a touch of sharp fusel alcohol, the nose isn't overly complex but very balanced and inviting. The flavors, however, are truly wonderful. Nice dark chocolate cake flavor with a smooth coffee touch greats the tongue right off the bat with a great wood character, a nice layer of cherry and raisin that leads to a fantastically smooth rum finish with just the faintest vanilla notes lingering behind. The flavors are so perfectly balanced, wonderfully integrated and brilliantly complex, each sip brings out some great nuances that really take this beer to a new level. The body is wonderful, impressively smooth, rich, full bodied and leaves a nice warming sensation as it goes down.

Verdict: A truly inspired beer, the complexity is superb and the smooth body is absolutely fantastic. For anyone who loves a great stout or barrel aged beer, this is a must have.

Serving type: growler

01-12-2013 04:10:22 | More by kevanb

Etan

Illinois

4.34/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

500ml growler from the second batch, into a snifter.

A: Pours a blackish-brown coffee color with a small tan head. Glugs out of the growler viscously.

S: Richly sweet caramel and molasses, woody, a bit of herbal rum character, marshmallow. Alcohol notes mix with the sweetness.

T: Not quite as sweet as the nose, with some dry roasted malt and tannins, cocoa, light vanilla and toffee. The rum lends some green nuttiness to the beer which doesn't show up in whiskey barrel-aged beers.

M: Thick-bodied with very light carbonation.

O: Very good, and certainly a lot better than other rum barrel-aged beers I've had.

Serving type: growler

01-11-2013 18:39:12 | More by Etan

joel66

New York

4.43/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

Thanks for sharing Thomas Poured thick like motor oil, with a smell and taste that was reminiscent of Apple brandy huna. Subtle vanilla and booz with great barrel aging characteristics. I didn’t pick up the rum, but def caught the booze. I felt like I needed to keep wiping my teeth when in discussion to avoid looking like a sunk them into liquid brownies

Serving type: growler

01-11-2013 14:33:25 | More by joel66

brystmar

Texas

4.65/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Gloops out of the growler with a syrup-like consistency. Caramely roast in the nose, could be a tad more pungent.

Body is extremely viscous; coats the mouth more fully than almost any beer I've ever had. Wow... Been a long time since I was this enamored by a beer's mouthfeel.

Roasted malts, caramel, barrels, and booze all combine to create an incredible BA stout profile. Complex, yet smooth and damn near sessionable. Superbly refined; demonstrates an utter mastery of the brewing process. Bravo.

Serving type: growler

01-09-2013 05:43:30 | More by brystmar

MrVonzipper

California

4.58/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pitch black, pretty oily and viscous with a 1cm tan head with pretty short retention and spotty lace.

Very deep dark rich nose. Very bold but I wouldn't say incredibly complex. Muted dark chocolate, a touch of soy sauce, dark fruit and molasses.

Flavor on the other hand is incredibly complex. A huge range of flavor and a little different from many stouts if its kinds. Notes of graham, chocolate, mocha. It changes quite a bit from beginning to end resembling a range of desserts like tiramisu.

Mouth is full bodied and sticky with a low and creamy carbonation.

Overall this is a phenomenal beer. The only downfall is the nose which is pretty much one note, but the flavor makes up for everything. No booziness or alcohol present. This will not get better than it is now. Drink fresh as recommended.

Serving type: growler

01-08-2013 04:46:11 | More by MrVonzipper

Beerontwowheels

Maryland

4.65/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

500ml growler into a cigar city sniffer. Thanks, Charley!

A: Pours black with a thin beige head. Head quickly reduces to barely nothing.

S: Smells sweet with dark fruits in the forefront. Oak follows the dark fruits, with chocolate notes close behind.

T: Tastes very good. Nice chocolate notes followed by dark fruits and a fair amount of rum barrel notes.

M: Moderately thick. Very nice mouthfeel.

O: This was a real treat. My first offering from Peg's and one I'll not soon forget. If I could compare this to a beer, I'd liken it to Evil Twin's 'Lil B, though that beer isn't barrel aged. If 'Lil B was barrel aged, I'd love to see the comparison.

Serving type: growler

01-08-2013 02:54:09 | More by Beerontwowheels

macrosmatic

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes. Had on-tap at Peg's. Served in a Peg's snifter glass.

A: Very dark, looks black except around the rim where it appears as very dark brown. Minimal visible carbonation, and forms a ring of brown foam. Essentially opaque.

S: Big roasted malt, chocolate, a bit of coffee, raisins, oaky, boozy (rum). Really an amazingly deep, rich aroma.

T: Follows the nose. Chocolate, oak, booze/rum, dark fruit, raisins (prunes maybe?). The drying tannins mesh so well with the sweet malt. Great flavor. I did not appreciate any coconut flavor that many others have noticed.

M: Smooth creamy mouthfeel, heavy-bodied, and only moderate alcohol for the style - the barrel-aging doesn't seem overdone. Low carbonation.

O: Hype aside, this is really, really good. Very well done.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2013 23:03:22 | More by macrosmatic

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

500ml swing-top growler poured into HF stemmed glass. Thanks John (johnnyb) for this rarity! Split two ways.

A- Pours an opaque jet black with hardly any head but decent carbonation and some alcohol legs that form along the sides of the glass when sloshed around a bit.

S- Nice balance of rum, malts, chocolate, fairly aromatic but nothing ridiculously so. Very nice rum balance.

T- Rum, a hint of oak, light bitter chocolate, nice smooth rum finish. Nicely balanced with an excellent integration of rum barrel aging that doesn't dominate too much but adds a nice flavor to the beer.

M- Smooth, very drinkable, absolutely no alcohol burn, light carbonation. I don't know what the abv is but it is extremely drinkable but you can definitely feel it.

O- This was an excellent barrel-aged stout however I think it is a little bit over-hyped. There was an excellent use of barrel-aging with a very nice amount of rum and a smooth quality to the beer however I would have liked the base beer to be slightly more robust and present itself with a bit more flavor. Overall I enjoyed this beer a lot and it is one of my favorite barrel-aged stouts, but probably not my favorite. I highly recommend trying it, but maybe not going all out in trying to obtain it.

Serving type: growler

01-06-2013 04:15:59 | More by jaasen64

KevSal

California

4.2/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Happy new years!

Huge thanks to jefe for this one. Got this one today and opened immediately since its a growler. I've heard these guys hold up but why wait right? Part of my new years resolution was drink better beer haha.

500ml growler into 2 eclipse snifters

A- looked exactly how I expected, huge and dark with a very small head. Deep dark brown. Light brown ring around the glass.

S- smell is huge, the rum comes out all over and suites the stout perfectly. Chocolate covered raisin! Some fudge. As it warms the rum becomes huge!

T- huge chocolate upfront, rum raisins. Stout works together perfectly with the rum. Rum becomes huge as it warms. This is one of the best run treatments I've had to date. If your a fan of rum you'll be a big fan of this one.

M- mouthfeel is a lot thinner than I was expecting, but still a bit of heft. Nowhere near like the other Florida brewer.

O- this is a very good beer, it's done very well. I do feel this ones reputations precedes itself, but of you get the chance take it. Maybe its making it more concrete that I'm a whiskey bourbon fellow rather than a rum guy. I can see the bourbon beong off the scale! I never thought I'd get to try it, thanks again Jeff for the hook up!

Serving type: growler

01-04-2013 03:52:32 | More by KevSal

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

My buddy Chris gets a big thumbs up here for sending me a couple of the mini growlers.

When poured into my Smuttynose snifter a bronze colored head appears for a short visit and quickly settles to a very think ring of foam. The beer is a very glossy, almost metallic deep brown color. No lace so speak of. Just looks slick.

Very interesting aroma. Lightly sweet with some spice and some dark chocolate. A bit later I was getting some coconut which really added a nice dimension.

Chocolate is center stage here with coconut playing in the background. While I don’t think I could have spotted Rum without knowing, there is definitely a bit of the spice that comes from a Rum. So the notes are definitely there. A touch of brown sugar here along with a touch of black pepper.

Mouthfeel is really interesting here. Very smooth and while bold in body, it’s so soft. My favorite Imp Stouts all have a thicker body and this is no exception, but it has such rounded soft edges it’s great.

Really a wonderful beer. As it warms it opens into something very special.

Serving type: growler

01-03-2013 00:00:13 | More by Reagan1984

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

First had: baby growler shared at the Mack House, Davie, FL. Thanks to Josh (toofdoc) for the generous share!

Dark black pour, thick and opaque, with a small cap of chocolate head that sank to a ringlet, leaving oily lacing on the glass. Still looks nice for being a week old. Aroma of dark malts, more sweet than roasty, chocolate, rum and vanilla, dark brown sugar. All of this translated into the taste, dark chocolate, smooth malt richness, vanilla, rum-soaked oak, caramel and a hint of butterscotch. Contrary to other reviews, I didn't really get any coconut out of this. Rich and full in body, smooth and velvety, lower carbonation, ABV seemed pretty high, I'm guessing 10+%, but as with Peg's stouts in general, there was basically no alcohol heat whatsoever. Amazing beer overall.

Honestly I don't get too much of a different effect from whiskey barrel aging and rum barrel aging in beers, especially big beers like this one, but I like both, so it's good either way. I'd like to have been able to try the Rare DOS as well, but it just wasn't to be. Maybe some other time. Hopefully.

Serving type: growler

12-30-2012 19:12:45 | More by Rifugium

MarcatGSB

Michigan

4.63/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from 16.9 oz. growler into Cycle Brewing snifter. Purchased from the release on 12-21-2012. Transported in my rooftop carrier from Gulfport FL to sandy shores of Lake Superior, Eagle Harbor MI to be exact.

A: Pours a jet black with a thin brown head, that stays very persistent for quite some time along the edge of the glass. It kept it's carb very well over the last 8 days in the growler. I half expected it to be flat. As we drink, we notice a fantastic lacing that remains on the sides of the glass. Just beautiful.

N: The nose really shines with this beer. Absolutely amazing. Notes of chocolate, sweet milk, toffee, and a very understated vanilla notes. The sweet sugar cane rum aroma rises as this liquid gold warms.

T: Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. The palate has more roast notes than the nose would indicate. Very well melded flavors of chocolate, brown sugar/rum, some mild vanilla, dark roast notes. Excellent and very unique toasted coconut and beautiful rum profile.

M: The mouthfeel is what really brings this stout to the next level. It's so silky, I'm super impressed. It's got a very thick feeling, but the carbonation is surprising, and supports that thick feeling well.

Drink and Overall: This beer really lives up to the hype. It's an amazing stout, and after having Rare DOS on tap as well, I believe the two are pretty close to one another in terms of quality. Awesome beer.

Serving type: growler

12-29-2012 19:47:39 | More by MarcatGSB

Maximus_Prime

Florida

4.95/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Opened a 16oz growler received from this years release
A- dark black with brown lacing and nice head

S- chocolate lactose smooth hint of rum. The lactose hides the booziness quite well.

T- smooth chocolate with hints of coffee and a heavenly rum finish

M- thick stout well balanced with a nice head of lactose. The consistency was not as thick as MZ but very easy to drink.

O- This is by far the best stout ive had yet. Had the PEGS rare on tap the same day and i liked the rum barrel aged better than the bourbon barrel aged. I could drink this stuff all day!

Serving type: growler

12-25-2012 18:02:25 | More by Maximus_Prime

fields336

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A:midnight black, light tan head very little head on it, little carbonation, little lacing
S:rich dark bakers chocolate, light coffee, toffee, caramel, light brown sugar, vanilla, toasted coconut
T: bitter dark chocolate, roasted coffee, toasted coconut, toffee, caramel, vanilla, wood, slight rum background, slight alcohol heat

M: thick, chewy, viscous, syrupy like consistency

O: a really great barrel aged offering, could use a little more rum in the taste but a melange of delicious flavor are in here

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2012 18:14:48 | More by fields336

Gushue3

Massachusetts

4.8/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

300th review of a beer I never expected to drink. Thanks a bunch to Mposha for the 16oz swingtop Growler. 19 written on the check mark next to RareR D.O.S

A Flat black pour that's pretty much opaque except for thinner areas. Pretty much no head at all which leads to no lacing.

S Big time barrel. Sweet dark fruits, vanilla, sweet not hot alcohol (Bourbon? Rum?) Smells amazing

T Sweetness from front to back but not cloying. Vanilla, burnt sugars, chocolate, integrated bourbon, coconut and a bit of heat. Each sip is great and specific flavors can be found when looking for them. Top notch stout that lives up to the hype.

M Heavy feel like a Zhukov with very little carbonation. Big chewy and viscous, im curious what the final gravity was.

O Unbelievable beer that without a doubt lives up to the hype. Without a doubt top 5 beer I've ever had regardless of scores.

Serving type: growler

12-04-2012 18:47:44 | More by Gushue3

HopHead84

California

4.58/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

10/27/2012

Thanks to Rich for opening this. Bottle into a snifter.

Near black with some auburn highlights. Big light brown head. The aroma brings to mind cocoa and toffee with a great blend of cinnamon and vanilla. Lots of dark chocolate and fudge and a little rum character. Light alcohol. In the flavor I find brown sugar with a subtle rum presence. There's an interesting cinnamon chili pepper note in there with ample fudge. Smooth rum fudge oak finish. Well hidden alcohol. The mouthfeel is chewy, sticky, and silky with a full body and a medium level of carbonation. Overall, this is very good. We tried this next to the batch of Rare Dos that was released at the same time, whenever that was, and it was quite a bit better. Though, the Rare Dos we tried was noticeably inferior to other batch I tried and reviewed in the middle of 2011. Highly Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 17:33:56 | More by HopHead84

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Review from notes taken on the 5th of July at Pegs. This was another surprise handed to me by Doug. Just a nonchalant here give this a try as he slides a snifter infront of me and then proceeds to treat everyone else sitting at the bar with a sample. I had no idea what I was drinking until all but the last sip remained.

The brew appeared black in color with a thin, tight tan cap sitting across the top. As it faded, it produced spotty lacing on the glass. When held to the light, a thin ruby brown clarity can be seen around the edges.

The smell was rich of coconut, raison sweetness blending into a soft touch of alcohol. The roast of the grain imparts a smell of dark chocolate, licorice and almost a hint of spicy menthol coolness. It was obvious this was barrel aged but the light spice inclusion had me scratching my head.

The flavor of this brew strikes with caramel and toasty coconut and toffee with vanilla all from the barrel againg. Before your palate has an opportunity to register "sweet" in your brain, a flavor of roast like espresso and bitter chocolate come out and are well pronounced mid-palate. A bit more vanilla and spice almost like raw oak but not quite increase in perception as the brew warms up.

This was a heavier bodied brew, almost chewy with a light level of carbonation. Super smooth and easy drinking as even the guy beside me stated outloud "jesus this is smooth for a dark beer." A fantastic sipper to say the least. What a joy and unexpected surprise to get to try this beer. Doug mentioned that perhaps this was held on to for too long and it was starting to fall off a bit. Are you serious? I can only imagine what this brew was like when it was fresh.

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2012 15:29:01 | More by stakem

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.13/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Peg's. Poured to a snifter on March 9, 2012. Reviewed from notes.

Appearance - Quite black with a nice dark khaki/mocha head. Sticky without much retention.

Smell - Barrel notes. vanilla and oak. Rum is secondary, which is good because I don't love the rum aroma. Good chocolate behind everything. Really smells quite wonderful.

Taste - Rum is definitely more prominent in the taste. Sweet rum flavor with less barrel. Some vanilla and oak, but mostly rum. Chocolate and some bitterness. Good finish from the stout, but the rum lingers for a bit too long making it seem hot.

Mouthfeel - Tingly alcohol without being too boozy. Low carbonation. The lingering rum flavor is a bit unpleasant, though.

Overall - I don't think this is anywhere near as good as Rare DOS, but I'm in the minority. I find that the rum detracts more than it adds.

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2012 20:13:33 | More by Alieniloquium

largadeer

Kentucky

3.05/5  rDev -33%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks, David.

Opaque dark brown pour. A finger of brown crust forms and slowly recedes to a collar.

Smells like there's a low level infection. Chocolate brownies, coconut, butter, coffee, lactic sourness. Sweet rum barrel notes pop out as it warms. It's not bad despite the slight sourness and diacetyl.

Palate is sweet and chocolatey, slightly tart, buttery. Big coconut character and a touch of rum. Mouthfeel is silky and full. Not much actual oak flavor. Finish is slick and buttery without much roast.

Shame about the infection, I can tell this would be great stuff otherwise.

Serving type: growler

07-01-2012 04:58:21 | More by largadeer

spdyfire83

Ireland

4.93/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

228th Review
Growler to CBC taster
Enjoyed on 11 May 2012

Thanks for this RareR tasty brew Johndoe8!

A: The abyss of black. Thin layer of soft mocha bubbles for a head. Thick motor oil consistency.

S: Smells of rum, sweet caramel, dark chocolate, and vanilla. Beautiful nose and quite inviting!

T: Complex and deep. Follows nose closely, but the rum is a bit more muted. Not too sweet - the vanilla balances the dark chocolate and caramel nicely. Notes of coconut and oak add to the enjoyable complexity of this beer and everything is intertwined to perfection.

M: Full bodied with gentle carbonation. Thick and coating, but very smooth.

O: Simply put...this beer is amazing! I'll leave it at that.

Serving type: growler

06-30-2012 09:34:03 | More by spdyfire83

DmanGTR

New York

4.98/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Review from notes.

Thanks to Aaron and co. for dragging me out of my study den and making me have an awesome time. You guys rock. This beer poured pitch black. It's a black hole. A deep abyss that sports a milk chocolate brown head that dares you to disturb it. So I did. And holy shit, this beer is SMOOTH. That's the first thing that came to my head. All the flavors are wonderfully melded together. Toffee, toasted marshmallows, caramel, figs/raisins, coffee, dark chocolate, it's all there. Follow that with a nice boozy rum presence and oak. This is where it's at guys. Big body, excellent carbonation. Word.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2012 16:37:06 | More by DmanGTR