Pirate Stout
Bear Republic Brewing Co.

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From:
Bear Republic Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
American Stout
ABV:
11.8%
Score:
78
Avg:
2.96 | pDev: 29.73%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
11
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 05, 2018
Added:
Jul 28, 2015
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
The 2015 release of our Pirate Stout is a tart and rich version of our molasses-heavy black ale aged in Brandy and Rum barrels with a melange of spices including cinnamon, mace, allspice, cardamom, and topped with Black Limes. Rich aromas reminiscent of graham crackers, cinnamon, with a tropical lime tart finish.
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Photo of the_beerist
Reviewed by the_beerist from Massachusetts

1.72/5  rDev -41.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5
Clearly an infected beer that they tried to coverup with limes and spice instead of dumping the batch. Sometime this actually works, this time it didn't. Instead of releasing, they should have dumped the whole batch. Not drinkable and embarrassing that they released this beer.
Aug 05, 2018
Photo of DoubleSimcoe
Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +36.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
This is one of the strangest brews ever. Not your average rum-barrel stout, Pirate goes tart and funky, a tad sour from those limes they throw in and astringent/medicinal like a shot of Fernet Branca. But if you are willing to be surprised, give this a go. It is weird and delicious.
May 22, 2016
Photo of rolltide8425
Reviewed by rolltide8425 from Pennsylvania

2.83/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
I get a lot of key lime pie out of this beer. There's definitely that buttery diacetyl flavor in there too. Not sure what it's trying to be, but it's not working.
Feb 26, 2016
Photo of kvgomps
Rated by kvgomps from New Jersey

2.25/5  rDev -24%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25
Don't disregard the median rating if you dislike the smell of butter and the taste of Brett in your stout.
Dec 11, 2015
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

4.11/5  rDev +38.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Good tartness and then the spices. Like a good (spiced) rum. On tap at Capone’s. Rich brown. Genius, disregard the median rating on the site if you like spiced stouts.
Dec 10, 2015
 
Rated: 2.68 by SHerninko from Pennsylvania

Dec 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.94 by curlybird from Pennsylvania

Nov 27, 2015
Photo of JratBones
Reviewed by JratBones from Massachusetts

2.22/5  rDev -25%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.75
I don't know what Bear Republic was thinking on this beer. Of course the bar that I was at had no idea what it was. I thought it was just a big Imperial stout that would have complemented the desert my girlfriend and I were having. Nothing in this beer makes sense. I've had plenty of "SOUR" stouts that worked great together. This just straight up tasted terrible. I tried letting it warm up a little,still nothing. I couldn't even finish it. I haven't had a beer this bad in a long time.
Nov 16, 2015
Photo of epyon396
Reviewed by epyon396 from Pennsylvania

2.14/5  rDev -27.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2
A not quite jet black with a thin light-khaki head. No lacing.

The nose is complicated. The official description is pretty damn accurate; graham cracker and lime. Some chocolate hidden deep in the back. There's a pungent vinegar-like acidity.

The taste is like vinegar and graham cracker. Lime is present. The rum is sharp and cuts right through you. Every bit of the 11.8% is present.

Exceedly dry. The review below me wasn't lying when he said "prickly". I get that, too. Extremely thin for such a big stout.

Just over 1300 beers, and for the first time ever, I actually spit out a beer. It was an involuntary primal reaction. I got another 4 oz pour and gave it an honest shot, but I could never go through with a full pour. BEAR REPUBLIC, WHY?
Nov 08, 2015
Photo of dar482
Reviewed by dar482 from New York

4.12/5  rDev +39.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The beer comes in a black color.

The aroma is perplexing and surprising. Hints of tart dark grapes, red wine, spicy spicy brandy and rum, touches of roasted malt, but predominated by strange wine and liqueur.

The flavor follows with that tart black lime up front, then onto a sweet milk chocolate and familiar barrel stout character of vanilla. The beer offers big spicy liqueur flavors as it continues of Unicum, Jaegermeister, and Fernet Branca.

A perplexing and strange beer, yet the ambition somehow works.
Sep 17, 2015
Photo of beernuts
Reviewed by beernuts from Virginia

2.46/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
One of the weirdest beers I've ever had. It smells like wood, with something else that I couldn't quite put my finger on, almost coconut but not really. After reading the description, it may have been cinnamon.

Taste is sout limes and salt. Its like a black margarita. I was not expecting sour, as the only description was "rum barrel aged imperial stout". Even without the shock of unexpected sour, I don't think it works. Its interesting, but not tasty. It also has a prickly mouthfeel which I did not like. It does somehow all come together to have a "pirate vibe", but not the way I would have liked.
Aug 04, 2015
Pirate Stout from Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 78 out of 100 with 11 ratings