Four Down
Bog Iron Brewing

 

Thanks to JLindros for hooking me up with this bottle.

A - Poured into my Duvel tulip a nice dark dark black hue with a thin half finger dark mocha head that faded to leave a thin halo and light wisps.

S - Aromas of spiced rum, almost a buttery oak aroma. Like 'hot buttered rum'. Little bit of chocolate and faint baking spices. Not much dark fruits, maybe a touch of bourbon, very little vanilla. No discernible alcohol.

T - Taste is similar to the nose. Some decent barrel notes, light oak, some vanilla tannins. Fair amount of dark fruits but I get an underlying soy sauce like flavour. The dark fruits get a bit sweeter, very faint caramel, but as it warms the finish becomes more of a soy sauce like flavour. In the brief moments before that occurs there is some very nice vanilla notes. Nice fluffy marshmallow.

M - Mouthfeel is nicely carbonated, little smooth, alcohol hidden well.

O - Overall this beer has loads of potential. There was pleasant rum and vanilla notes, however, the dark fruits were starting to become overwhelming along with the start of some soy sauce flavours. Very unfortunate.

Serving Type: Bottle

500ml bottle served in a tulip. Pours one shade shy of black with a bubbly, half-inch, mocha-colored head that dissipates into a frothy band around the edges. Nose expresses ethanol (perhaps a hint of the rum barrel), rich chocolate notes and a hint of cinnamon. Taste is a bit muddled - more ethanol upfront, a vinous character and cocoa. Rum barrel comes out towards the back and ethanol makes another appearance at the finish and the residue of spirits linger between quaffs. Mouthfeel is somewhat thin and watery with a carbonation just shy of still. The vinous quality in the flavor profile translates into mild acidity in the mouthfeel. Overall, a bit muddled and I don't think it's going to appreciably improve over time.

 

Bottle purchased at Bog Iron Brewing in Norton, MA.

This one pours a pretty dark mocha brown, nearly black, with a very small head and no lacing.

This smells like sweet spiced rum, chocolate syrup, oak spice, light bourbon, fudge, and brown sugar.

I wish this was a bit thicker in feel and flavor, but the flavors here are very nice, anyway. The rum shows itself stronger than the bourbon, with a nice spiced and boozy feel to it. There's a hint of oak, and lots of burnt brown sugar and molasses. There's a syrupy and fudgy chocolate feel to this, as well. The bourbon character is very light but still noticeable.

This has a somewhat thin body, with a creamy and dwindling feel on the finish. The carbonation level is lower.

I've been saving this to share with rudzud, but no idea when I'll get to do it, so I wanted to review this while it's still fairly fresh. I have other to share later.

Pours a smaller dark mocha bubbly head that fades fairly quickly, not much head more forced from the pour, some smeared lacing but loooooong legs too, pitch black beer.

nose erupts with barrel characters, a ton of fresh oak, toasted oak with a little vanilla, sweet fruity rum, a little sweet candy bourbon in there as well, a nice blend of all, with more chocolate cocoa, plenty of caramel and a hint of roasted coffee, some nice RIS style dark fruits, a touch of baking spices and fluffy nougat, faint alcohol.

Taste brings more barrel out front, rum barrel again wins first, fruity dark sweet sugar rum flavors, with sweet candy bourbon in the background, a little vanilla and toasted oak notes, but much more subdued than the nose, big malts, dark chocolate, baker's choc and a little cocoa powder even, caramel, a touch nutty and fluffy nougat, faint baking spices, some RIS style dark fruit flavors in the background, a little velvety creamy note. Finish is drier, a little sticky, lingering dark chocolate and dark fruits, more rum barrel mostly.

Mouth is fuller bod, a little creamy but lush velvety, lighter on the carb which might be it's only real downfall, and no real booze.

Overall really nice, so much great barrel and good base RIS as well. Glad I got a bunch of these, and I hope they do it again but add some other barrels too like port and maybe more bourbon character.

 

Black with a small mocha colored head, fades quickly. No lacing.

Aroma: bourbon, booze, rum in the back. Molasses. Brown sugar. Bitter dark chocolate. Not bad but a little too boozy.

Taste: slight hop bite at the front, faint coffee notes, the bourbon is subtle and in no way overpowering. It leaves room for the other flavors, and the rum.. which shows itself more than the bourbon. Just a touch of sweetness, many BA beers are practically dessert beers lately and this one keeps that in check. chocolaty finish.

Feel: soft, velvety, silky, lightly carbonated. The beers strong point is the mouthfeel.