Imperial Stout - Rum Barrel-aged
JDub's Brewing Company

this is great stuff, a stout that seems to want rum barrels over bourbon, and i have to say, this might be the most rum character i have seen in a beer, there is just a ton of it, the barrels must have still been wet with rum when they were filled, or it underwent an extended ageing period, i get the gnarly old sun bleached oak in here, the sweet, brown sugary rum itself, and a light spice character that really works with the dark malts. rum raisin, dried fruits like fig and prune, chocolate, old wood, and booze. this is well sweet, the chocolate and caramel notes in the grain really like the rum, they get a little more time up front than is common before the bitter roasted elements come in. even those are tempered a lot by the sweetness of the rum, but i am amazed how much wood comes through here, it makes the beer feel heavy and dense, but it adds a ton of flavor. this seems weird in a beachy florida context, its enormous beer and im not sure the weather down there ever really calls for something like this, but the beer is super well made, catered well to the rum barrels, and seemingly extracting all the possible flavor from them. small doses on this one for sure, but a neat and robust mix of flavors. i have been impressed with the beers ive had from these guys...