Widmer Brothers Kill Devil Brown Ale

Every now and then, i try a new beer that lets me know from the get go, that it will knock me on my ass if i'm not careful.  And so we have the 9.5% ABV Kill Devil Brown Ale, the 6th limited edition beer in the Widmer Brothers Brewery's Reserve series.  It's got that dark roasted flavor and aroma that you get from aging beer in a barrel, and almost feels like you're drinking a sweet, light, carbonated Scotch.  This is a good thing.  It's a tasty beer.  Now, normally, i try to shy away from the direct description given by the brewer, but this time around, reading that was what made me try this beer...

"Kill Devil Brown Ale's flavor come from the use of ingredients traditionally used by Caribbean distillers. Sweet Barbados and Blackstrap Molasses provide touches of toasted sugar, black licorice and blackened toffee while the palm sugars invite notes of subtle sweetness. As the beer conditions in Puerto Rican rum barrels, the vanilla and subtle oak flavors and aromas develop and integrate with the Calypso hops' soft tropical and stone fruit aromas."

I could never have said it better myself.  As far as food pairings go, i wouldn't do it.  This is a sipping beer that's meant to be enjoyed all on its own.  Apparently they know what they're doing in Oregon.

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