Black Gold Porter - Rum Barrel Aged
Country Boy Brewing

5 Oz pour on tap into a snifter

A: Deep obsidian blackness with no light escaping such a full pour not much head but it leaves a mocha film.

S: getting light hints of rum and coconut

T: very light flavors of rum and not a lot else fairly bland. Maybe some roast character.

M: medium to a touch thinner.

O: Very average beer that lacks any type of depth and what little flavor it does have is bad. Like watered down average rum.

 

750ml bottle poured into a tulip
Bottled January 2015

A- pours deep black in color with a creamy off-white head that retains nicely, before leaving a thin film floating on top

S- straight rum barrel aroma up front, with notes of burnt brown sugar, dark fruits, green apple skin, caramel, wet oak, black cherry & cocoa powder

T- sweet rum up front with lots of wet oak mixes with a distinct green apple tartness, followed by notes of raisin, dark cherry, caramel & cocoa powder. Finishes with more fruity notes and a linger of rum

M- medium-light body with low carbonation leads to a slightly foamy mouthfeel and a slightly thin finish

O- nice barrel notes that compliment the dark fruity notes, could use more of a mouthfeel though

 

 

Country Boy Brewing - Rum Barrel Aged Black Gold Porter. 11% ABV. 750ml bottle split between two snifters. Bottled 01/15.

Look: Pitch black, with almost no trace of caramel highlights. Two finger sized head of khaki colored foam lapses into lacing after a little while.

Smell: Sweet rum, oak barrel, green apple, caramel, dark chocolate, and raisins.

Feel: Very light body, oddly enough. Very smooth with a little carbonation.

Taste: Sweet rum, oak barrel, sour green apples, caramel, brown sugar, chocolate, and dark malts. Tangy rum aftertaste, with a little booziness, and a little alcohol burn.

Overall: Another great beer from Country Boy Brewing. Great flavors from sweet rum to tangy fruit, without being too boozy. Can't wait to get this again, hopefully soon.

 

 

 

On tap from a Firkin cask at Firkinfest 2015. Growler into a pint glass.

Settles as a very dark brown in the glass; black body with brown highlights around the edges. No head at all. Sweet chocolate, roasted malt, and coffee on the nose - very pleasant. Slight notes of rum on the aroma, but not as strong as I expected. Medium-light weight, with a slightly carbonated mouthfeel. Despite the muted aroma of rum, there's a very strong presence on the taste. Boozy rum sweetness up front, with chocolate and coffee notes lingering underneath. Seems to balance itself out middleways, to an extent. Finishes light and watery, and leaves a sweet medicinal rum taste on the tastebuds. There's a subtle roastiness that stays behind as well.

Overall, this is a good beer - a little better from the bottle, in my opinion. Plenty of flavor, especially for rum fans. I only wish it was a little heavier-bodied.

Revisited 1/24/2015. Bottle into a snifter. Beer was a year old at this point. Solid black body, and a dense lacing of vanilla foam present. Sweet rum, black licorice, roasted malt, and sugar syrup on the nose. Taste follows, only intensified. So freakin' sweet it makes my face hurt. Vanilla rum, candied suagr, burnt caramel, black licorice, unsweetened chcocolate, and butterscotch on the taste. Still surprisingly carbonated. Slightly thin on the mouthfeel. Easy drinking, though, as most of CB's BA beers; you get the taste of the barrel without the booziness. Better than I remember. Numbers adjusted accordingly.

 

Review taken exactly a week ago.

Big and beautiful 1 pint, 9.4oz brown bottle. Massive and a very lovely shape with a fat bottom thay gradually gets skinny toward the top. More of something you'd see a fine Belgian ale in and I love this look. White label with the Country Boy logo and all the info you need on the beer. This is a very unique yet rare look from Country Boy. I love it! Poured into a stemmed tulip snifter.

A - extremely dark brown bordering black yet still keeps true to that traditional porter color. Head isn't large, but it really sets off the body color and quickly fades into a thin coating of lacing leaving some light stick at the top of the glass. Just a beautiful porter.

S - rum booziness up front with raisin, rich cocoa, hint of coffee, and big bursts of sweet vanilla and caramel. Even a note of cherry as this warms. The rum barrels add a uniqueness we don't often see in barrel aging. This is extraordinary on the nose. It provides the sweetness, bitter cocoa and coffee and a lovely oaked barrel character with some roasted porter style malts.

T - cocoa and coffee hints, vanilla and caramel sweetness, raisin and a touch of dark fruit/cherry with the rum barrel really shining through. The roasted dark malt only add to its complex oaked rum profile with a boozy rum spirit finish

M - a little bit thin from what I'd expect from something this size, but it does take on the traditional porter character and is highly drinkable with its booziness only adding to the experience of a rum barrel. This would be off the charts if it's texture were thicker but it's still packed full of flavor.

O - I absolutely love Country Boy! They're one of my favorite up and coming breweries and also happen to be well within daily driving distance. I'm so excited they're bottling stuff like this and this is something I would buy again no questions asked. Just a fantastic take on a big American porter and even more so in using rum barrels to age this. This is a great ale made in the bluegrass state. If you are addicted to barrel aged brews like I am then this is a must try if you can find it. I look forward to more barrel aging bottles from Country Boy soon!

Bottle to tulip. Bottled January 2015.

A. Aggressive pour yields a fine bubble, amber, frothy head. Very dark brown color. Little thick texture.

S. The barrel is very apparent on the nose - very pleasing. Notes of rum, coconut, dark malts, raisins and a tad bit of coco.

T. As with the nose, a moderate-but very pleasing barrel presence comes through . I really dig this beer. The malts are there. Mild notes of raisins, butter-cream sauce, sugar cane, and a tad bit of coco. This gets boozy as it opens - not a deal breaker but its there.

M. The booziness impacts the feel. Full body, moderate to high carbonation, kind of thin.

O. The Country Boys barrel program is on point. I hope they keep it up. This is a great beer with a few flaws. It's a little hot which impacts the taste and feel. Lots of great barrel characteristics. This is way better than the non-barreled version, although I prefer the orange rum to this. I'm a fan and will buy more, whether on draft or a bottle. It's very cool how they have been doing more bottles.

 

 

 

 

 

The rum is very apparent in aroma and in flavor as it delivers a bit of liquor like brashness. It needs a bit of warmth but that harsh rum subsides. Coconut, vanilla, chocolate and cola nut than takes over. At times it reminded me of a Cuba Libre, rum and Coke with a lime, minus the lime. So it tastes like a rum and Coke, with a bit of chocolate. ;-)

My, oh my what a barrel can do for beer. The otherwise relaxed taste and texture of their Black Gold Porter offers a soft chocolate, nutty and coffee character. But the Country Boys sees promise as the beer takes a big long slumber in barrels that previously housed rum spirits.

And as this version pours, it is coffee-black and swirls with a dainty espresso-like creme. Absolute decadence ensues as the first whiff expels chocolaty fudge, over-cooked caramel, oaken vanilla and cashew, and that medium taste of burnt toast that resembles the original porter.

Its elegant sweetness latches onto the tastebuds with unabashed apologies. The barrel has rounded out the toasted abrasion of char and roast and supplanted them with savory sherry, spice, and sweet liqueur. Caramel, light toffee and honey link with that spongy chocolate middle for a beer that drinks like dessert.

With coconut, vanilla and cashew resisting the fade that the caramel and honey experience, the savory earthiness of weathered oak, leather and tobacco to resemble English olde ale, especially when the sherry and port oxidation rises with trailing rummy warmth.