Special Release: Barreled Black Gold Porter: Orange Rum Truffle, Country Boy Brewing (Lexington)

Written By: Dion on 01/30/2015

To write the soon to be three year history of Country Boy, one could narrow things down to a few building blocks: boys brew beer, boys go to Japan, boys win awards. Simplistic for sure, but it's truly a grassroots story. I'm sure if you were to ask Jeff Beagle four or five years ago, if he thought his award winning porter recipe would lead to this--he would laugh and say "No way." But here we are. The down home, everyman vibe is quickly becoming a regional phenomenon, and the beers are holding up their end of the deal. Next Friday, the birthday party begins with the first of three limited release bottles. And if this is any indication of what's in store...you'd better line up your DD. Brewed with cocoa nibs and sweet orange peel, this 11% Imperial Porter (?) takes the traditional style guidelines and kicks them to the curb. The nose opens with a subdued, sweet Bourbon that buffers nicely against an incredible layer of chocolate with a touch of vanilla. On the tongue, the sweetness comes in waves, almost marshmallow-like in its creaminess. Only at this point does the influence of the orange peel become apparent. While not very noticeable on the nose, striking the tongue it provides a touch of acidic sharpness that proves a nice foil to the overall chocolate decadence. With warmth, cursory notes of coffee and oak present to add depth. If I were to find any fault in this beer, I would say throw in even more orange peel, but that's a minor issue, as the finished product is so outstanding. I will freely and readily admit that I am a blatant homer for Country Boy. But make no mistake, their beers are world class. I'm advising you now...get yourself to the taproom to buy these limited bottles while you can, because when the rest of the country finds out what is going on here, they'll be hard to come by. As for me, if I have access to beers of this quality, my days of chasing Bourbon County and Kentucky Breakfast Stout are over. See you next Friday at noon.