Review Date 8/25/2018
Try?
Re-buy?
Special Beer Release! I got an alert on my phone from Taco Mac on August 20th about a special beer release:
SPECIAL BEER RELEASE! All day on today we will be featuring a fresh batch of Founders Barrel Runner! Sweet and hoppy, rich and bright this rum barrel-aged imperial IPA brewed with Mosaic hops will make you believe you're in the tropics! *excludes NC, TN,Stockbridge and East Roswell
Sucks to be you, NC, TN,Stockbridge and East Roswell! Anyway, I don’t live in any of those places, I live in Canton, and my local Taco Mac here got a keg of Founders Barrel Runner Mosaic Hopped Ale Aged in Rum Barrels. This is a July-August release from Founders, which explains how Taco Mac got it in August, though to me it seems more a beer to be enjoyed in the dark depths of winter rather than the dog days of summer.
Anyway, I wasn’t going to make it to Taco Mac until Thursday the 23rd, and was hoping that the beer would still be on tap when I got there. It was. This was especially important because my buddy Frank Scuffy had asked in Honest Craft Beer Reviews.if anybody had tried it. Frank, this one’s for you!
Founders Barrel Runner Mosaic Hopped Ale Aged in Rum Barrels has an alcohol content of 11.1% by volume with 55 IBUs. They certainly do not give this one away, as I paid $9.75 for an 11-ounce glass and it runs $15.99 a 4-pack in bottles t Total Wine.
Founder’s says:
Inspiration for our barrel-aged beers can come from the most unexpected places and our latest release is proof of that. Sweet and hoppy, rich and bright – this rum barrel-aged imperial IPA brewed with Mosaic hops will make you believe you’re in the tropics.
My
glass of Founders Barrel Runner Mosaic Hopped Ale Aged in Rum Barrels
arrived a hazy orange amber color with a light head of foam and tropical fruit
and rum raisin ice cream in the nose. Taking a sip the beer offers up soft malt
laced with wood, passion fruit, more rum raisin notes, and a dry bitter grassy
hop finish all topped off with a jet fuel alcohol burn.
I love the rummy woody notes here, but the Mosaic hops are not adding much to my taste. Today’s beer geeks prize their modern-hop laden IPAs ridiculously fresh, and that’s because these hops (Mosaics are among them) offer delicate, tropical fruit notes. Here, I think those are occluded by the strong woody rummy notes.
On its own merits, I would give this beer 4 stars, with a half star demerit for the too high price. Would I buy it again? I would, especially because I would like to grab a bottle to age a while.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
