Old Mad Joy - Jamaican Rum Barrel-Aged
Great Raft Brewing

A: Poured into a snifter to a black beer topped by a dense and slightly rocky two fingers of light tan head which fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing.
S: Smells of lots of rum barrels with some spicy wood, roasted malts, and some chocolate.
T: Taste is spicy wood, molasses, some roasted malts, hints of oxidation, bitter dark chocolate, and a little coffee. On the swallow there's more rum, molasses, roasted malts, chocolate, and hints of coffee with some lingering sweetness from the rum barrels on the finish along with a little more molasses.
M: This beer has a body which is on the moderate side of things but it does feel a little light at times. Carbonation is adequate and more than a little effervescent while the beer has a slightly drying finish.
O: Overall this is an interesting beer. The rum barrels are a nice addition to the base beer and the extra time in the bottle has helped to tame the barrel presence. This beer was very barrel forward when fresh. I'd like to see them try to duplicate this.

 

 

 

Light brown creamy head. Pitch black beer. Strong sweet molasses like rum note and a strong alcohol on the nose. Not complicated but good with a slight chocolate.Taste is more complex. Molasses rum note is still fairly strong but gives way to chocolate and very faint vanilla. Thin feel but still heavy bodied with biting carbonation. A fantastic beer and does rum perfectly.

This was a great version of the Old Mad Joy series. Pours a pitch black with very little off white head. Smells of rum, malt, chocolate, booze. The four month barrel aging of this beer still allows the base beer to come through with the rum backing everything up. Such a great beer. I hope they make this again!