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Cosmos Aged In Rum Barrels
Pisgah Brewing Co.
Beer Geek Stats
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- From:
- Pisgah Brewing Co.
- North Carolina, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Dark Strong Ale
- ABV:
- 9.5%
- Score:
- 88
- Avg:
- 3.95 | pDev: 9.62%
- Reviews:
- 4
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jun 12, 2015
- Added:
- Jun 05, 2013
- Wants:
- 3
- Gots:
- 0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Georgiabeer:
Reviewed by Georgiabeer from Georgia
4.09/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Hmm- I'll assume this is the right beer since it says right on the bottle"aged in rum barrels for 87 days" but I believe this may just be the newest iteration of Cosmos, and not an alt beer- but I could be wrong. This one is labelled as bottled May 2013, bottle #266 of 467. I've had Cosmos before and I've enjoyed it, but I think the twist of the rum barrel both elevates and diminishes this beer in different ways. The carbonation has gone a little flat, but not killed altogether- I'd guess that's from the barrel aging. On the other hand, the rum adds some nice tropical fruit flavors of pineapple and coconut on the finish that goes well with the sweet winter fruit of the Baltic Porter. A hint of roastiness and licorice helps things from being just a sugar bomb, as do some bitter chocolate flavors. I could use some more carbonation and head, but the rum certainly adds something here without a lot of woodiness. You even get a touch of the fire from the spirit itself in the aftertaste which keeps you going back. More for dessert than with a meal, but delicious.
Aug 24, 2013More User Ratings:
Reviewed by humuloner22 from North Carolina
3.49/5 rDev -11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.49/5 rDev -11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
To avoid confusion. The bottle (bomber) says that it is a Baltic Porter that they used Belgian yeast and aged in Caribbean rum barrels for 87 days. Alright, now that we got the formalities out of the way. It pours relatively flat, I will say that I have had this one in the cellar for about three months. I generally love everything I have had from Pisgah, which I need to review, but this is the one I have. Anyway, the pour was dark black, like you would expect of a Baltic/Russian Porter/Stout.
The smell was sweet almost like chocolate and raisins. The bottle says to serve it at 40ish-50ish degrees. I probably served this a little colder at first, but it warmed up over the hour or so it took to get it down.
Taste: Molasses, sulfur, raisins, burned chocolate and some malt component. I detect very little in the aspect of its Belgian nature. The Baltic Porter is pretty solid. I love a good rum, I have had some of the best rums in the world and I do not detect very much of the rum influence at all, unless you want to give the molasses taste to that component. To me most porters have that flavor anyway. It is a solid porter.
Afterthought: I too got this one at Peabodys in Boone a few months back and to me, its a solid porter, but for a barrel finished beer I would probably go back to the Peoples Porter, you get much more of the bourbon from the cask than you get from a rum barrel. I have found most rum barrel finished beers fall short and I find this one suffering from the same problem. I would like to have a stronger Belgian yeast and/or rum barrel impact to this beer. As it is, the porter is solid but there are much better porters for a third or half the price of this one.
One Caveat: I think beer advocate needs to change the description of this beer. They have it incorrectly described. This beer is a Porter not a Belgian Ale, in the least.
Nov 23, 2013The smell was sweet almost like chocolate and raisins. The bottle says to serve it at 40ish-50ish degrees. I probably served this a little colder at first, but it warmed up over the hour or so it took to get it down.
Taste: Molasses, sulfur, raisins, burned chocolate and some malt component. I detect very little in the aspect of its Belgian nature. The Baltic Porter is pretty solid. I love a good rum, I have had some of the best rums in the world and I do not detect very much of the rum influence at all, unless you want to give the molasses taste to that component. To me most porters have that flavor anyway. It is a solid porter.
Afterthought: I too got this one at Peabodys in Boone a few months back and to me, its a solid porter, but for a barrel finished beer I would probably go back to the Peoples Porter, you get much more of the bourbon from the cask than you get from a rum barrel. I have found most rum barrel finished beers fall short and I find this one suffering from the same problem. I would like to have a stronger Belgian yeast and/or rum barrel impact to this beer. As it is, the porter is solid but there are much better porters for a third or half the price of this one.
One Caveat: I think beer advocate needs to change the description of this beer. They have it incorrectly described. This beer is a Porter not a Belgian Ale, in the least.
Reviewed by twowheelssoar from North Carolina
3.97/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
3.97/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
22oz bottle purchased at Peabody's in Boone, NC.
Pours black, but not completely opaque. Little head, and what is there completely dissipates quickly, no lacing. Smells of roast, dark fruits, Belgian-y esters, vanilla oak. The taste is complex and challenging. The roastiness is well-integrated and adds a lot of depth. The rum flavors are present, and I was surprised how well they complimented the Belgian yeast flavors. The mouthfeel is a bit thin, with a bit too much carbonation for my liking.
Overall, this beer has a lot going for it, but falls short of amazing. The concept is excellent and the flavors integrate well, creating lots of complexity and depth. I am looking forward to the next batch to see if the execution can be further improved.
Aug 24, 2013Pours black, but not completely opaque. Little head, and what is there completely dissipates quickly, no lacing. Smells of roast, dark fruits, Belgian-y esters, vanilla oak. The taste is complex and challenging. The roastiness is well-integrated and adds a lot of depth. The rum flavors are present, and I was surprised how well they complimented the Belgian yeast flavors. The mouthfeel is a bit thin, with a bit too much carbonation for my liking.
Overall, this beer has a lot going for it, but falls short of amazing. The concept is excellent and the flavors integrate well, creating lots of complexity and depth. I am looking forward to the next batch to see if the execution can be further improved.
Reviewed by BirdsandHops from Oregon
3.48/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
3.48/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A: pours black with a finger of brown head that recedes into a thin ring with little lacing.
S: a lot of bubblegum and candy sugar here with notes of Belgian spices, sweet breads, roasted malts, and vanilla. Perhaps some of the sweetness comes from the rum barrel, but I can't pick up any more rum notes.
T: rroasted malts here wither bitter chocolate and a bit of char. There are also Belgian spice and candy sugar flavors mixed in. Caramel, oak, and booziness come through on the finish, which is both sticky sweet and a little bitter.
M: medium-thick body with lowish carbonation, this beer is fairly thick and sticky sweet.
O: a solid beer overall, though unfortunately the barrel seems to contribute little to the base beer. I'd like more rum characteristics and a bit lighter of a body.
Jun 05, 2013S: a lot of bubblegum and candy sugar here with notes of Belgian spices, sweet breads, roasted malts, and vanilla. Perhaps some of the sweetness comes from the rum barrel, but I can't pick up any more rum notes.
T: rroasted malts here wither bitter chocolate and a bit of char. There are also Belgian spice and candy sugar flavors mixed in. Caramel, oak, and booziness come through on the finish, which is both sticky sweet and a little bitter.
M: medium-thick body with lowish carbonation, this beer is fairly thick and sticky sweet.
O: a solid beer overall, though unfortunately the barrel seems to contribute little to the base beer. I'd like more rum characteristics and a bit lighter of a body.
Cosmos Aged In Rum Barrels from Pisgah Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
88 out of
100 with
17 ratings
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