Rating

4.4 out of 5

Aroma

4.2 out of 5

Appearance

3.9 out of 5

Taste

4.3 out of 5

Palate

Total

4.2

4.2 out of 5

Overview

• Brewery: Steel & Oak Brewing Co.
• Beer Style: Barrel Aged, Wild Ale
• Pros:

  A balanced and flavourful rum barrel aged sour ale

• Cons:

  The front sour tones are a touch sharp

• Conclusion:

  A nice use of rum barrels to add balance and complexity to a delicious sour (wild) ale.

Steel & Oak Brewing Co. – Tortuga Rum Barrel Aged Wild Ale Review

From Steel & Oak Brewing comes a beer that takes time to perfect. Slow and steady winds the race when brewing the Steel & Oak Tortuga Barrel Aged Wild Ale. Aged in Caribbean Rum barrels this southerly twisted beer pours from the bomber bottle as a hazy chestnut brown colour topped with two fingers of heavily lacing head. An aroma of sour, barnyard funk is joined with a cherry-rum-oak tone from the barrel aging process. The aroma forecasts an intense, puckering and uniquely oaked sour ale flavour. Tasting the beer a fairly strong sour tone comes through up front with a sour cherry like flavour and an almost balsamic like acidity. As the initial hit settles a rich oaked fruitcake like tone emerges. The oak gives a nice body and earthiness while a sweet and sour, dried fruit tone builds in the background for an off-dry finish. The Tortuga is a touch sharp up front but settles in to be a smooth, balanced and uniquely delicious, slightly sour beer.

Alcohol – 7.3%
Size – 650ml
steelandoak.ca

p.s. If you didn’t figure it out, tortuga means tortoise… because after all slow and steady wins the race.