Cisco Island Reserve Rumple Drumkin

Brewed by Cisco Brewers
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Nantucket, Massachusetts USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tumbler

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Draft at Stag’s Head. Pours cloudy amber with a tan head. Aroma of spice (cinnamon and nutmeg) and pumpkin. I really dug the smell fo this beer. Alas, the taste... I was not a huge fan of this beer, the smoke hits you square in the face with lots of accompanying vegetal notes, without being discenably pumpkin. Some spice notes in the taste, but I could not taste the rum at all. Everything I’ve had from Cisco has been good so I ordered this and was a bit let down.

Holy smoke, Batman! Clear-ish dark amber pour with a big tan head. First sniff is a big turn-off (but I also am not a big fan of smoked beers). From the description I thought the spices and rum would balance this out. They do not. A little pumpkin in there, a little spice and I can’t find the rum at all. Big meh.

My explanation: It had caught my eye, otherwise I wouldn’t even have bothered. Needless to say, Cisco as so-so in my book. 750 mL bottle purchased from Leary’s for $11. Steep? Yes. Worth it? Um, I mean... Instantly on the nose I received a lethal dose of campfire smoke, marshmallows, cured ham; smoked salmon, birch and hickory woods, and grape tomatoes. Tastes... WTF! This is the most smokiness in a beer I’ve experienced since BrewDog/FFF’s "Bitch, Please". There are undercurrents of spice, fruit, and yeast, but the smoke is overwhelming. Too much herbal and hoppy and not sweet enough. Where are all the nice caramel notes that suits nicely with pumpkin? Sorry, but this is bullshit. I’ll finish it, though.

Draft at Capone’s. Pours medium copper with off-white head. Nose was caramel malt, intense rauchiness. Had a huge caramel malt, bill, and an intense smoked element that also had some campfirey and sausagey hints. This one impressed me.

On tap at Capone's. Poured a hazy amber color with an averaged sized off white head. Spices, pumpkin, and smoke. Did not get much rum at all and the smoke was on the softer side.

Aroma of smokey rubber, strong pine hop, and slight clove. Pours deep but bright orange with a small lingering head. Taste is very conflicted. Smoked peat, pumpkin peel, shoe rubber, and a big hoppy pine. First taste is like WE-40. This is not good.

Draft at Capones. Pours a fairly clean amber with tan head and lacing. Not what I was expecting. Quite smokey up front. Pretty lasting smoked meat taste which overwhelms light notes if cinnamon, nutmeg and rum.

Bottle that I took to jtclockwork’s place for a tasting. Pours a hazed brown with a thin to medium sized off white head. Smoke and spicy rum on the nose, nice wood. Medium bodied, spicy smoke and wood. Nice little spicy background. Toffee and spice, roast and cocoa. Soft smoke, warm wood and spices, a touch of rum.

Bottle shared by Jay at tasting at my house. Pours cloudy orange with off white head. Nose and taste of smoke, rum barrel, oak, vanilla, smoked pumpkin, orange and some cinnamon/nutmeg. Lots of smoke. Medium body. Much better than the other version.