Christmas Island by Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is a spiced and barrel-aged Imperial Stout and is being evaluated as a Specialty Wood-Aged Beer (category 33B from the 2015 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines). Specialty Wood-Aged Beers are aged in spirit barrels and should have a harmonious blend between the barrel characters (typically vanilla and toasted oak) and the barrel spirits. Imperial Stouts are noted for strong, rich chocolate and roasted malt flavors, black color with opaque clarity, full body and smooth mouthfeel. Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beers should have a harmonious balance between the spices, herbs or vegetables with the base beer style. Barrel Aged GBS was brewed with gingerbread spices and toasted coconut and was aged in Caribbean rum barrels.

Christmas Island pours jet black and opaque with a medium brown head. The aroma is strong dark rum over moderate roasted, chocolate, dark caramel malts with lighter, contrasting ginger and nutmeg spices. The flavor starts as strong dark rum that melds well with the chocolate, roasted and caramel malts along with a moderate sweetness that is balanced by a moderately light hop bitterness and cinnamon spice. The beer finishes moderately light in bitterness with a moderate sweetness; dark rum flavors linger and are balanced by chocolate and caramel malts with a light contrast of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Christmas Island is an extraordinarily tasty and well-balanced barrel-aged Imperial Stout. The dark rum flavors are complemented by the chocolate and dark caramel malts while the spices provide a subtle contrast. Do not get turned away because of the spices; they are present but provide a welcomed contrast and add complexity to this well-brewed barrel-aged beer.