You know the routine by now: Boatrocker take delivery of freshly disgorged whisky barrels from Starward, fill them with imperial stout, wait a few months 'til the time is right, empty the barrels, blend, package, release to acclaim. In recent years, there's also been a Ramjet Day dedicated to the beer's arrival, although, thanks to COVID-19, in 2020 that's been replaced by Ramjet Day at home boxes, filled with treats, a detailed guide on how best to enjoy them, and something a little extra we won't mention in case you ordered one and haven't opened yours yet.
What's perhaps most impressive is the consistency of quality across the years – not to mention the spin-offs like the bourbon barrel-aged Roger Ramjet or this year's uber-limited Jackjet. That's not to say the beers are always the same; this one, which features a blend of French and American oak barrels, sits somewhere between the softer, creamier earliest iteration and the more aggressive of its predecessors, with more whisky character and a deeper dark choc / roast presence than the former. The whisky is of the young and sweet caramel / banana toffee variety rather than anything spicy and sits like a sauce atop the vanilla-coated dark malts, with a touch of leathery roast offering a counterpoint to the sumptuousness swamping your palate.
James Smith
Published October 2, 2020 2020-10-02 00:00:00
