Brothers' Reserve: Kill Devil Brown Ale (Widmer Brothers)

Despite my best efforts to stay objective, I approached this beer with fairly low expectations. Every review I have seen or heard has been sub-par; most bloggers' reviews have cited disappointment and letdown. And then I tasted Kill Devil for myself and remembered an important fact about craft beer: like art, beer speaks to each person differently based one's palate and personal preference.

But in case you still don't trust your own palate, I'll lend you mine for the moment.

I picked up a bottle of Kill Devil from Beer:30 in Jacksonville. The aroma is incredibly sweet. There's definitely a hint of rum, but the sweetness is pretty overpowering.

Like the aroma, the taste is very sweet. I was actually a bit surprised at how sugar-forward this is on the tongue. Reminds me of sugar cane juice I drank in Egypt. Beyond the sugar-forward introduction in your mouth, there are heavy amounts of molasses and caramel flavors that are followed by an unmistakable rum profile, which is my favorite part about this beer. The rum comes through even more as the beer warms and the low-moderate carbonation also helps create a solid rum finish. I recommend letting this one sit for about 10 minutes after you've taken it out of the fridge.


This is a sugar-rum-molasses-malt-bomb in a glass. It's really quite enjoyable and really serves as a nice winter warmer. The 9.5% ABV brings a good amount of heat that picks up as the glass warms. The biggest problem I have with this beer is the amount of sugar that comes through. Although I really enjoyed the taste, I'm not sure I could drink more than a glass due to its sweetness.

If you like rum, brown ales, fun dip, or rock candy, this beer is right up your alley.

Click here to watch the brewery's promotional clip about the Kill Devil.

Cheers!