Pugachev Rum Raisin | Hangar 24 Brewing

4.31/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4.39/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pouring purplish-burgundy-black but filling to an opaque dark brown, a uniform tan head fizzles out to a thin ring.

Smell is all thick and deep vanilla bean oatmeal raisin muffin with a savory moistness, waxy walnut and a mild sting of rum. And I say mild while comparing this to the fusile af Royale.

On the palate is rum raisin--success! This is no joke, and it isn't a boozy, confectionery novelty either. Cocoa dusted fig comes in with a mild warming sensation and a complex, moderate char that melds into roasted peanut and walnut and a hint maple-coconut oak. Some mocha comes out as it warms, while the decadent use of vanilla becomes even more rich and mature, yet simultaneously bringing to mind tiramisu.

Pugachev Rum Raisin is extremely sophisticated and delectable, with a nice spice and perfectly tingly carbonation through the medium body that leads into a semi-dry finish.

This is the best Hangar 24 beer I have had, casting a fat ass shadow over Royale. The name and ingredients of this beer are going to be a turnoff due to the number of beers that unintentionally become raisin bombs, but it works so well here, in a way that all the absurd measures taken for Royale do not.

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3.77/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to rudzud
long legs, no real head, pitch black beer

Nose lots of dark roasty malts, a bit of char, earthy roast and coffee syrup, faint barrel with vanilla and coconut notes, faint fruity note but hard to pick up rum and raisin, booze malt, cocoa dust

Taste brings super rich thick malts, roasty almost burnt, sweet cocoa and milk chocolate notes, a hint of rum and fruity flavors, tingly warm alcohol, fudgey notes, little charred roasted malts and black malts, syrupy heavy malts, thick cocoa syrup, so much roast and heavy syrup, very hard to drink

Mouth is thick roasty char syrupy mess, boozy, light carb

Overall a big mess and very hard to drink, little rum or raisin.

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4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

3.84/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Shared with JLindros.

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a nice dark black hue with a thin white head that fades to leave light wisps incredible legs.

S - Aromas of light rum with really faint dark fruits, good soft raisins, light chocolate.

T - Taste is similar to the nose with enormous roast notes, light coffee, decent dark fruits, the chocolate is nice and dark.

M -Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated, bit thin and syrupy.

O - Overall this was a rather underwhelming syrupy mess. Not much in the way of rum or raisins. Really sub par.

Serving Type: bottle

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4.19/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25