Lord Byron Double Wood Blonde Cask + Beer – June 2026
Get ready for EXCLUSIVE two-way barrel magic, A rum shaped by a beer, then the beer shaped the rum! This is a true flavour feedback loop and perfect flavour symmetry with both products sharing the same DNA: vanilla, oak, spice, tropical fruit, and warming alcohols echo across the pairing in seamless harmony.
Our old friends at Lord Byron Distillery are back with their Double Wood Blonde Ale Cask Finish Pure Single Rum and collaborating with the crew at Common People Brewing Co. and their Rum Barrel Aged Billycart Blonde to create the ultimate matched boilermaker. Spirit meets beer, beer meets rum, heritage meets craft, and the combo absolutely sings.
What we have on offer this month, is a bottle of exquisite pure single rum from Lord Byron that was matured for 4 years in ex-bourbon, then finished for 4 further months in a cask that previously held the Belgian Blonde Ale. You also get a single 440ml can of 10.3%abv Belgian Blonde Ale that was finished for 10 months in a barrel that the Lord Byron rum came out of. Even if you don’t normally drink beer, this is an excellent opportunity to taste for yourself the effect these two products have on each other. It’s a totally excellent scientific experiment!
If you want more of the beer – it’s available in 4 packs from our online store!
We’ve featured a few releases from family-owned-and-run Byron Bay Distillery Lord Byron. Each expression of their pure single rums we’ve offered over the years has been nothing less than exceptional. We’re absolutely proud of our long-standing association with this amazing distillery and beyond excited to talk about this months offering – but it’s not just from them alone this time.
For two years now, Lord Byron have been sending some empty barrels into the Northern Rivers hinterland to their mates at Common People Brewing Co (in Bangalow). These still dripping barrels have then been filled with a Belgian Blonde Ale to soak up the rummy goodness for ten whole months!
A Belgian Blonde Ale (in case you’re wondering) is bright, golden, and dangerously smashable – crisp pilsner malt, spicy Belgian yeast, a flicker of soft fruit, and a dry, clean finish that hides its punch. Light on the palate, big on charm, it’s the kind of beer that looks innocent and drinks effortless, but absolutely knows how to make an entrance. In the case of the Barrel Aged Billycart Blonde – it’s an ale that’s not to be taken lightly – weighing in at a hulking 10.3%abv!
At 3.6 standard drinks per can – BEWARE! – this ale will frikkin’ have’ya if not handled with care!
Last year – they canned their first batch of their rum barrel aged Belgian Blonde Ale especially for the Bangalow Billy Cart Races. One of those barrels was sent back to Lord Byron and was then filled with 4yo ex-bourbon aged Lord Byron Pure Single Rum (as part of their ‘Double wood program’) and left to finish for another 4 months before being bottled exclusively for the Rum Tribe at a delightful 45.2%abv.
And so, we thought what better way to fully enjoy this rum – than to offer it with a can of the beer that helped shape it! The ultimate matched rum-boiler maker. But what is a ‘boilermaker’ anyway and where did the term come from?
A boilermaker is the ultimate “clock‑off and don’t talk to me yet” drink: a beer for the thirst, a shot for the feelings (originally whiskey), taken in whatever order your day demands. Born in the rough‑and‑ready bars of 19th‑century American metalworkers, it was the after‑shift ritual for the folks who literally built the boilers that kept industry running. They didn’t want fancy. They wanted fast. And thus the humble, heroic boilermaker was born – part refreshment, part reset button, all attitude. Toss the shot, chase it with beer, and suddenly the world feels a little less like a 12‑hour shift at the smelter.
Our Tasting Notes:
The Rum:
Nose: A light and floral funkiness to this one. Sweet caramel custard, sultanas, Allen’s pineapple lollies, jasmine flowers, with a delightful petricore framework holding it all together
Palate: Such a lovely viscous mouthfeel – it’s incredibly oily and deliciously mouthcoating. A touch of pepper precedes a big bowl of funky fruit salad with all manner of tropical delights to be found – lychee, pawpaw, mashed banana – with every colour jube twisting and turning in there as well.
Finish: A liquorice note starts to become apparent as the palate morphs into the finish (it becomes also apparent when you sniff the empty glass that just held it too, interestingly). Lovely long and creamily chewable, with buckets of tropical fruit taking their turn in the spotlight.
Wow – this is a very Caribbean style rum from Lord Byron with that light, creamy, pleasantly (non-challengingly) funky fruit driven, less caramel-ley profile I associate with Caribbean rums as a generality. A lighter flavour profile – but certainly not lacking in flavour, in fact quite the opposite – this is a flavour bomb and a half. Just the flavour profile sits tilted more on the fruity/herbaceous/floral side than heavy caramel, Dutch liquorice, bitter dark chocolate and black espresso.
The Beer:
Look, I’m no beer expert by any stretch. I’m not a fan of lagers or bitters to be honest – but this Belgian Blonde Ale is an altogether different beast. It’s creamy, fruity and not as dry as the aforementioned. An ale has more residual sugar left after the ferment than lagers resulting typically in a sweeter beer (and this does sit on the sweet side), which makes it much more enjoyable to this spirit drinker.
Not my normal tipple I admit, but I’ll be grabbing another 4-pack to help finish the bottle with. Purely for scientific purposes you understand.(wink wink)!
The Verdict:
Well to me, it’s the fruitiness that ties the rum and the ale together. Whilst all the hallmarks of Lord Byron spirit are there, this is a much fruiter rum than any I can remember from them (and I’ve just gone to check a few ½ empty bottles of Lord Byron to confirm).
FROM LORD BYRON
Nose: Layered and expressive with sweet bourbon cask influence over a floral, slightly herbal backbone. Caramel, cookie dough and honey sit alongside apricot and tropical fruit. Deeper complexity emerges with pine needles, jasmine, tree bark, dried ginger, clove and citrus peel notes. Subtle smoky, savoury and mineral tones add further depth.
Palate: Full-bodied and textured with a creamy, slightly waxy mouthfeel. Bourbon and rye spice lead into honeycomb, toasted oats, roasted nuts and salted vanilla. Fruit evolution moves through fermented pineapple to ripe tropical notes. Mid-palate layers of white tea, wintergreen, cedar, nougat and baking spice are supported by long, dry tannins and a defined oak structure.
Finish: Long, dry and evolving, showing bourbon warmth, dried apricot, toasted oak and nougat. Herbal and floral elements linger with soft spice fading gradually into a complex, drying finish.
FROM COMMON PEOPLE BREWING CO
We have been getting very creative and collaborative again down at the brewery with our regular autumn Belgian Blonde. For the second year running we have teamed up with Lord Byron Distillery to get some of our Billycart Blonde into some of their rum barrels.
Now, just as this year’s Bangalow Billycart Derby is about to kick off, we have released the 2026 version of this very special beer. This is an extremely limited release and won’t last long!
Over the past 10 months our Belgian Billycart Blonde has been residing in ex-rum barrels from our friends at the Lord Byron Distillery, creating an otherworldly beer for the senses.
When the brewers put their collective noses together, closed their eyes and inhaled the sweet aroma… mmmmmm..
Then tasted the nectar… yes, it’s all there…
The silky smooth vanilla and oak notes imparted by the barrels. The characteristic rum flavour. The phenolic and spice from the Belgian Blonde beer. And the warming heat from the higher alcohols. All working in perfect balance.
ABOUT LORD BYRON
The earliest record of the Restall family in Byron Shire dates back to 1897 when Jack Restall was the local butcher in Billinudgel. Although this fact wasn’t discovered by Brian and Helen Restall until recently, it explains why they have always had a deep sense of affinity with the area and to traditional trade and craftsmanship.
For several years, Brian was the CEO of Cape Byron Power, a local Northern Rivers’ 100% renewable electricity generator located adjacent to the local farmer owned sugar mills at Condong and Broadwater. It was within this role, Brian came to realise that almost all of the food-grade molasses, created by the local sugar mills, was used for cattle feed. Given the sub-tropical environment of the Northern Rivers region, Brian and Helen felt that there was clearly a higher and better use for a small part of this local molasses.
Brian and Helen have travelled extensively and worked around the world. Brian loves dark spirits and Helen is passionate about light spirits. Together they strive to create a small-batch, handcrafted range of spirits that aims to deliver a superior tasting experience. They are members of the Australian Distilling Association and have been trained and mentored by Bill Lark’s team in Tasmania – Bill, being the first person in 153 years to get a micro-distilling license, and is affectionately known as the “Godfather” of the craft distilling market in Australia.
Today, Lord Byron Distillery stands as one of Australia’s most principled and quietly ambitious rum producers – a distillery that champions provenance, purity, and flavour without ever losing its laid back Byron soul. For the Rum Tribe, they’re not just collaborators; they’re old friends who keep delivering the kind of rum that reminds us why we love this category in the first place.
ABOUT COMMON PEOPLE BREWING CO
Common People Brewing Co. are situated in the lovely town of Bangalow in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. The people behind this new craft brewery are family and friends. They’re Common People. The majority of them were born and raised in the Northern Rivers region. After exploring the world and finding life partners, they each found their way back to their roots.
Common People has a core range of crafty and sessional beers that are always on offer, including an IPA, a Pale Ale, a White Ale, a Hazy IPA, a Lager and a Stout. They also get super crafty with Seasonable brews which hang around for a few months, and always have something new for you to try with their limited-edition Special Batch Brews. CPB Co. have engaged Northern Rivers suppliers and builders throughout every phase of the brewery build. They work with nearby farmers and producers to facilitate circular business practices, such as donating spent grain to feed livestock.
