My most recent article for The Bulletin, the first of 2023, hit the stands last week and meandered off into a boozy direction with two rum-infused specialty beers from Sunriver Brewing—Rum Ball Imperial Porter and Rum Barrel Coconut Stout. And because it was the tail end of the holidays, these got paired with actual homemade rum balls as a bonus.

Rum Ball Imperial Porter “was designed to emulate the flavor of the beloved confectionary delight,” according to the beer’s description. It began as an imperial porter for the base beer, and it was aged for 12 months in Jamaican rum barrels.

To achieve the rum ball flavor profile, the brewers blended the beer with crushed pecans, vanilla beans, cacao nibs, lactose (milk sugar), and “holiday themed spices.” The final result is 13.8% alcohol by volume.

The aroma is full of chocolate rum notes with a sweet pecan roll pastry character, subtle vanilla and spices, and cocoa. There’s a boozy aspect with a hint of oak and molasses. It smells like rum ball cookies with less pastry elements.

Read the rest of the article for the full review and how these beers paired with the rum balls. Hint: quite well!