Imperial stout aged in Jamaican rum barrels is music to my ears. I generally enjoy the crazy flavors that a rum barrel can impart, and I enjoy that a brewery in my home state loves to experiment with this style. I’ve sorely missed this brew since its first appearance in 750 ml bottles. Let’s dig into Prairie’s 2015 vintage Pirate Noir.

Company: Prairie Artisan Ales

Location: Tulsa, OK. Brewed in Krebs, OK

ABV: 12%

Style/Description: Imperial Stout Aged In Jamaican Rum Barrels

Price: $9 (12oz. bottle)

Appearance: Pours like thick chocolate syrup into a Prairie tulip. Light head and lingering Belgian lace.

Nose: Hot boozy rum, dark chocolate and espresso on the aroma. Vanilla and oak.

Taste: Big roasty malts, black patent or chocolate, espresso and dark chocolate flavors. Plenty of rum in here, oak, vanilla and barrel. Sticky treacle and caramel, vanilla and burnt brown sugar, like peanut brittle. I’m getting some sweet spices in this as well, cinnamon and nutmeg. Some coconut, fudge and raisins. A tad hot on the rummy booziness, could be cured with some age perhaps. Carb is low, with a clinging, sticky mouth

Finish: Sticky and boozy, treacle and dark chocolate linger and coat the palette.

Overall: A tad hot on the rum and booze. I love the weird flavors from the rum barrels though. The cinnamon and nutmeg are rare in a beer and I think that comes in from the barrel. It’s a little hot right now, but still an excellent barrel aged stout.

Rating: 4/5