3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
The best beer by far from this tiny brewery. Deep red colour with minimal carbonation and a small foam. Rich malt, oak and xmass cake aroma. Nice soft mouthfeel with some unusual candy notes against the bitterness. Not perfect perhaps in a technical sense, but very tasty in my opinion
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Sample at Eagle Heights Brewery. Rating from a few months ago. Pours ruby with no head to speak of. Straight up it has that boozy aroma and the rum/whisky notes are dominate. Underlying oak, spice and fruit, there’s a lot going on here. Very low carbonation. I really need to try this again, it could have potential, although it may just lack some malt to really balance the beer. I’m interested how this one goes when it’s released.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
Managed to luck into a bottle of this, no idea how much was made or anything. Initial aroma is just like whisky (though at the time I didn’t realise it was a rum barrel), but it evolves quite considerably to slippery lichen and lime esters bordering on shampoo, then egg nog and light varnish and finishes really perfumey. It’s all esters and no malt or hop, but strangely fascinating. Despite the hotness in the aroma it tastes surprisingly soft. Sleek malt and a light body, not hot but with a hint of Grand Marnier/Cointreau, maybe swimming pool, and a tiny bit of spiritous bitterness on the back end. No hop presence but not really missing it. Silky yet light mouthfeel like Yering Station Shiraz Viognier has. Intruiging beer. Not the most endearing, but the use of the barrel to produce something unique (yet not grotesque) is really impressive.
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