Big Rock has quietly launched a barrel-aged beer series with currently two releases under its belt. The second and most recent release is a rum-barrel Barley Wine. Their barley wine was aged an impressive 8 months in rum casks from a renowned Barbados distillery and then blended with a dark amber ale. The result was a 10.8% alcohol beer.

The story behind the beer caught my interest so I scooped up a bottle recently and decided to give it a try.

It pours a slightly hazy mahogany brown, offering almost no head to speak of. I note it has a rather quiet carbonation. The aroma gives off dark raisin, molasses, brown sugar, some earthy notes, a bit of rum and a butterscotch oak. Rather inviting all around.

The sip starts rather viscous and sweet. I pick up molasses, burnt caramel, dark fruit, sherry as well as light maple syrup. The middle brings out a light rum character of candy and brown sugar. The back is slightly alcoholic accented by a raisin and a subtle wood character. It finishes slightly sweet and leaves a linger reminding me of rum, brown sugar and a hint of warming.

It is surprisingly light-bodied and gentle for a 10% beer. The barrel character is either well integrated into the beer or is subdued, depending on what kind of barrel hit you are expecting going in. I find the slight candy note interesting and adds something to the beer. I must say the base beer doesn’t seem barley wine enough, too light and silky. I attribute that to the blending with the dark amber, but I am not entirely sure what they were aiming for with that decision. Because it says barley wine on the label, consumer’s expectations lead in a direction of a more traditional barley wine body. On that score it falls short. That said, the impression the beer does give – if you disregard the label – is quite pleasant and appreciated.

The choice of a rum barrel might be perfect for this beer. It accents the dark fruit and caramel sweetness and generally brings out the best features of the beer.

If I were to judge it as a barley wine, I would be disappointed. But if I simply look at it as a rum barrel beer with some alcohol content, it is more satisfying. The rum character adds enough to keep the beer interesting throughout the sip. A good barrel-aging effort. A tweak on what to call it would help.