Central Waters Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout

I honestly don’t know where to start with this one. First off, this is far from a stout. It is a very watery light brown. Clear around the edges. This is more like a barrel aged dubbel. If it was a dubbel it wouldn’t be half bad. Other than being water thin, it has an overbearing sour grape flavor going on. Didn’t get much bourbon out of it. Plenty of oakiness coming through. I hope this was a bad bottle, because this is nothing that I would seek again. I was expecting a lot more out of this. Instead this will go down as one of the worse beers I’ve ever had. Re-rate: I obviously had a bad bottle in my first experience. The second bottle had a load of bourbon in both the nose and taste. It was much darker than the first as well. Tasted good and for 9.5% was going down very easily. My only really complaint about this beer is it’s a little thin for my liking. For a BA stout, this is quite thin. It’s good, but all hail the king, Founders Kentucky Breakfast!

Aroma: strong bourbon, oak Appearance: small, dirty-white, head, diminishes Flavor: bourbon, alcohol, and oak initially, finishes with chocolate flavor Palate: creamy texture, average carbonation Overall: Great Beer!

Rerate: 12oz bottle, again courtesy of Schutzenliesel. Thanks, Tom! This is a different version than the first bottle I rated, and instead it matches the one in the RB picture. Pours an oily brownish-black color; khaki-colored head with solid retention at the edges. Plenty of chewy bourbon and burnt and roasted malts in the aroma; definitely an emphasis on the bourbon barrel, which shows predominantly charred, buttery oak. The mouthfeel is where this batch suffers significantly; rougher bourbon character than the toasty, vanilla-tinged bourbon I remember; much harsher and more astringent; makes one long for the soft, oak-chip quality of the other batch. Lots of charred malts and bitter chocolate coming through. A much rougher version of the original, still showing a solid and dense bourbon character, but a bit harsher. 8.4.7.3.15=3.7.

12oz bottle, courtesy of Schutzenliesel (a freebie from our last tasting). Thanks a bunch, Tom! Pours a dark brown center; light tan head with beautiful lacing. Soft, toasty vanilla aroma: sweet bourbon and milk chocolate and marshmallow. Smells more like oak chips than a bourbon barrel, to be honest. Medium-to-full, chewy mouthfeel: light bourbon and vanilla notes, well-integrated with a light, milk-chocolate-dominated imperial stout; warm, oaky and marshmallow presence; again, I’m getting oak chips more than the typical complexity of barrel aging (seems too soft), but I’m still really enjoying this. Maybe I’m a bad person, but this is really soft, tasty, bourbon-tinged vanilla goodness. Lovely, layered stuff, with enough taste and complexity to justify itself. Lengthy, vanilla and milk chocolate finish. 8.4.9.4.17=4.2.

12 oz bottle courtesy of Chris via trade. Pours a very dark muddy brown color, tinkering on black, with a medium brownish beige head. Aroma of vanilla oak, coconut, baking chocolate and bourbon. Taste is of dark chocolate, vanilla abstract, oaked wood with a bourbon finish. Very good, yet slightly different tasting than other barrel aged stouts. Unique.

Thank you again Badgerben for sharing this Central Wisconsin brew. Pours a semi opaque black brew with a tan head. Aroma of old oak, vanilla, some coconut, and (or course) bourbon. Flavor is of roated dark barley malt, vanilla, the bourbon and sweet chocolate. Very smooth mouth with a smooth aftertaste. I could not tell this had high alcohol until later.

Bottled (Thanks heemer77). Rubyish brown colour, small off-white head. Aroma is roasted malts, vanilla, chocolate, ryebread and a bit barrel hints. Flavour is vanilla, alcohol, spices, some bourbony hints. Still a bit empty in my opinion. Hides the 9.5% well.

Bottled
Muddy brown, not much head. Mild vanilla and milk chocolate aroma. Starts a bit fizzy, then typical barrel aged flavors open up - oak, vanilla and in the aftertaste bourbon. Actually I was suprised to read later that this is 9.5 %, almost watery palate - barrel ageing makes this drinkable, base beer here is nothing special.

Thanks badgerben for sharing. A wonderful bourbon aroma on this pitch black pour. A well balanced bourbon taste with roasted coffee hints.