I’ll never forget a debate I saw on BeerAdvocate awhile back regarding barrel aging. The general consensus? Rum barrels are extremely difficult to work with and often leave overwhelming flavors. But, in the hands of true masters, they can result in some of the most decadent creations around.

Lucky for all of us, the folks at Woodland Empire Ale Craft are true masters! 

To create today’s ultra complex, boozy-yet-smooth Ada County Stout (2021), they started with a rich Stout base of dark, roasty malts. Then, they layered it with dessert opulence by aging it in maple syrup barrels on additions of raw cocoa and locally roasted cold-brewed coffee. Finally, they finished it off in rum barrels!  

The result is pure decadence! The rum barrels are the real star, wrapping all the mocha-maple goodness in next-level molasses mellowness. The oaky rum notes elevate the brew from chocolate milk to 5-star restaurant chocolate lava cake. 

Incredibly, it clocks in at 13% ABV! While the strength is certainly there, it reveals itself through pleasant rosy-cheeked warmth rather than upfront heat. 

This is the kind of dark sipper that could help settle the barrel aging debate once and for all. But, seeing as we have less than 30 cases today, this might be your only chance to find out just how excellent rum barrel aging can be!

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Tavour strictly supports independent beer. Woodland Empire Ale Craft is certified independent by the Brewers Association