RUM TASTE!

Disclosure: I am not a beer lover. Well I’ve never called myself that, so when a bottle of James Squire’s Malt Shovel Brewery latest creation appeared, I sipped it gingerly.

It’s called James Squire Rum Rebellion Porter, which adds a nicely Australian historical flavour, recalling the fledgling colony’s real rum rebellion in 1808, and the old-style label carries on the link. It seems beer brewed in early colony was sometimes stored in ex-rum barrels and acquired a little extra oak flavour and colour from them.

Master brewer Chuck Hahn says it has been created  ‘to celebrate mischief and victory over tyranny’. This century’s version, we’re told, is ‘a kissing cousin of stout’ with ‘vanilla undertones from the oak and rum echoes’, although I swear I tasted liquorice. Anyway, it’s that sort of darkly bitter porter flavour which you should try, I reckon. Word is, only 7000 cases have been produced, so perhaps you’d better hurry too.