Rum Barrel-Aged D.O.R.I.S.
Hoppin' Frog Brewery

Rum Barrel Aged D.O.R.I.S. from Hoppin’ Frog. 22 oz bottle picked up at the brewery 24/05/23, $ 13.86 (Including tax)/bottle - $ 0.630/fl oz. Reviewed 11/06/23 (Review 3122). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated bottle from 2020, according to the receipt. Stored at 34 degrees at home. Served at 55.7 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 62.2 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.5
First pour – Deep Brown (SRM 30), allows a little light through while pouring.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear lite, still opaque, even at the edges.
Head: Average (Maximum 2.7 cm, aggressive center pour), mahogany lightening to bronze, high density with a rocky top, quickly diminishing to a 0.3 cm crown and a thin partial cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4.25 – Roasted malt. No hops, no yeast. Weak rum, no barrels. No ethanol (10.5 % ABV as marked on the label).
Flavor – 4.25 – Begins slightly sweet and chocolatey with weak rum notes, no hops, no yeast. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Medium gastric warming, almost an afterthought, as is the weak tannin from the barrels.
Palate – 4.25 – Full; creamy; soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4.25 (After deducting 0.25 point for an undated personal container) Excellent iteration of D.O.R.I.S. – the rum has aged to a level of non-assertiveness in which it adds to the flavor rather than dominates it. The weak tannin adds a slightly bitter dryness to the aftertaste. Overall, quite good!

DORIS is an always beautiful stark glossy black, with a slow to build mocha to dark brown head. However, here it’s shorter, thinner and dissipates quickly to a fine soft ring.

Enjoying this better than the port barrel aged version, it's still overall classic DORIS, but seems a bit softer and less assertive this time around.

Its round, full and fluffy body is still there, as well as its nicely roasty, nutty, and chocolatey profile. However there's a little ashy quality, as opposed to the full on smoky presence that the port version had. The exhale is where the differentiator is, which is somewhat contrastingly savory and decadent. It’s like bitter roasted walnut sprinkled over brownie crust with a hint of vanilla. Just before this exhale is the clean, softly crisp semi-dry finish that's capped off by a light sting of heat. As it warms, a touch of salted caramel emerges.

The barrel also seems to bring a light character of black pepper right in the middle, but as per usual when it comes to HoFro, the barrel contributes a very mild, shy presence overall.