For is ship was not the fastest on the sea, but the locals whispered that he only set sail on full moon nights, when the wind of a thousand angel’s wings helped him take flight. His vessel was never boarded by pirates, nor was a single drop of the precious cargo ever lost to the seas.

To most, he always looked more of a sinner than a saint, and in truth, Diego was a wildly unpredictable, almost crusty captain. Made a saint by the Vatican after he vanished at sea, the many mysteries of Santo Ron Diego live on with us today in this beer bearing his name.

==Introduction==

I got this beer at qualityliquorstore.com. Being a fan of the Lost Abbey I was intrigued when I heard about this beer as this is their first time they do a Ron (Rum in Spanish) Barrel aged offering. Unfortunately, unless you truly like the Lost Abbey, the beers can be pricey at times except for their year round servings. It is interesting as going to the brewery is less pricey (at about 1$ per taster). Regardless, let us see how worth the price this Rum Barrel aged beer is. Cheers!

Aromas:
Toasted coconut, rum soaked raisins, sangria, agave syrup, dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, plums, figs, anise, molasses, plantains, bananas, pecan pie, stone fruit peaches, apricot, port wine notes, dark chocolate, brown sugar, oak, coriander, ginger bread, pineapple and coconut.

Flavors:
Rum, oak, vanilla, plantains, bananas, agave syrup, almond joy chocolate, dulce de leche caramel, port wine hints, ginger bread, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, pecan pie, stone fruit peaches, apricots, rye, pineapple, passion fruit hints, coriander spice, hints of pumpkin spice, toffee, toasted coconut, dark fruit raisins, figs, plums, currants, sangria, hazelnut nectar, molasses, anise, licorice, Danish cream cookies, marshmallows, chocolate smores and dark cherries.

Aftertaste:
Rum lingers, plantains, dark fruits, caramel, vanilla, oak, grape, port wine notes and earthy notes. Slight boozyness in the taste, murky brown full body, sipping drinkability, creamy and moderate mouthfeel.

Overall:
An exceptional beer for sure but the reason it wasn’t supreme exceptional has to do with some of the sharp hints at time from the spices and rum. I really think it is probably too early to drink this but I am sure it will become mellower over time. Regardless, I really enjoyed this one and think it was exceptional. I really don’t know if it is worth the price as you are only getting 375ml bottle of this. Then again, it is meant to be taken in a sip at a time. I highly recommend it though if you are willing to buy it.

Anime Corner:
Terra Branford from Final Fantasy VI was used in this pairing to go with the colors of the label and the somewhat pirate aspect of using Rum barrels. In a way, Terra’s clothing has this look kinda like a pirate. That and the sword she has in the artwork kind of looks like that. In the first artwork, it displays what the beer is going through as it is infusing and evolving into something bigger through the rum. The angel wings are representative of Santo or the Saint in the name of the beer.