The newest batch of Pirate things came out this week (Noir and Bomb!), which means many rummy beers will be consumed in my near future. Not a bad problem to have.

I thought I had Pirate Noir from a previous batch hanging around in the cellar, but apparently I drank it/them in a moment of weakness so let’s just hope this one is awesome.

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 a deep, liquid chocolate brown with a somewhat fluffy, slowly fading brown head.

Nose: Chocolatey and rummy with a little barrel heat. Brown sugar and those little cube caramel candies.

Taste: Sweet and silky (Kate just used the term “cookie butter”) with brown sugar and sweet chocolate. The barrel is a bit hot with boozy rum jumping out along with nice nutty and toffee flavors. The carb is low, chipping in on that texture, and apart from the boozy heat the balance is pretty nice.

Finish: Rum heat, dark chocolate, and caramel take it home as this thing rides into the sunset. Ultimately some heat lingers which will fade with some age.

Overall: I have to admit, I drank this not long after the Coffee Noir and at this point I probably give the not to the Coffee. Don’t get me wrong, this thing is nice and complex with some great barrel presence but its just a little hot right now which throws it out of balance a bit. Some time will serve it well, and I’m going to try real hard this year not to drink them all out of my cellar before the next batch hits.

Rating: 3.5/5