Gratitude - Rum Barrel-Aged
East End Brewing Company

Poured from the can into a teku glass. Vintage 2023, canned February 3rd 2023.

Creamy and frothy like forming head, billowing and khaki colored nicely. Tight bubbles and big staying power, with dollop like lacing you could scoop right up it seems. Bright copper red body, with excellent orange light rust clear tinges as well. Great looking brew just like regular gratitude.

Bright but also subtle aroma. Subdued tree sap, but with a real surprising vanilla cream quality. Good mixes of marmalade and dried citrus fruit angles that come out real nicely. Strangely though no rum or barrel character.

Palate is real delicious and dangerous. Light touches of sap and marmalade, but more of that spicy rum heat finally kicks through just ever so slightly. Creamy texture and almost pina colada fruity tasting cocktail qualities in flavor, as just a hint of light molasses kick in. Fruit angle comes off dried, intense and varied, from deep orange rind, dates, prunes, to even tropical pineapple. Finishes light bodied without a heavy boozy kick which is surprising, and more of a vanilla sweetness that makes for easy drinking.

Real nicely accented and at this part nicely aged and controlled. Excellent barleywine with a barrel that really brought out and added some extra character.

 

 

Poured at fridge temp. Pours a nice reddish brown with a thin layer of head.

The nose is bread, slight pepper, caramel, rum, a touch of maple, and a very slight jolly rancher note.

The taste is fantastic. Wow - the rum really comes through here. I love rum, and I love how this all came together. Think toffee soaked in rum. A touch of honey, a floral note, and a woody bitterness at the end. A hint of vanilla emerges as it warms a bit. Lovely beer!

Straight out of the fridge this did not stand up to the regular Gratitude that I so tragically wasted. This is a good deal murkier and much of the nuance was lost, all I got was caramel and brown sugar. As the temperature warmed, so did my feelings towards this one. The bananas foster note came out, the rum became more discernible, and I'm getting a very nice woody coconut note now. Rum barrels aren't my favorite, but this one is working extremely well.