Central Waters Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout

Brewed by Central Waters Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial Stout
Amherst, Wisconsin USA

One for the brewer and his willingness to make a bold statement. A dark/black thick with little to no head pour. The aroma is heavy with burbon and chocolate. The taste is noteably burbon and quickly turns to a sweet chocolate spice flavor. There is a is an alcohol kick to this brew that stays with you for a while. Best consumed from a Brandy sniffter (have tried straignt from the bottle cold, room temp, frosted glass, frosted glass letting warm, and tap in sniffter). Flavor intensifies as it ages; bought a case and seems to get better with time.

12 oz bottle (thanks to acertain!!) into a Snifter type glass. Pours a very dark brown with a blackish tint to it with basically no head whatsoever. There is also small tiny tan sediment chunks floating around near the bottom of the glass. The nose is almost entirely filled with bourbon and oak with a tiny bit of dark malt escaping beneath the overpowering duo. The flavor comes on surprisingly sweet with a creamy vanillay and chocolately, start which quickly progresses into a very intense oaked bourbon flavor mixed in with a big hunk of coffee (which is mainly overpowered by the bourbon oak). This intense flavor then gets an alcohol kick tossed in the mix, which then finishes with the bourbon, oak, spicey, and alochol kick that lingers for quite a bit. Really an impressive brew! You can definitely begin to feel the 9.5% after drinking it. I would LOVE to find another one of these!! Thanks again Andrew!

Aroma was definite bourban, oak, with some cream, and chocolate. Body was black with ruby edges. Taste was chocolate, and bourban with a light note of coffee.

Nose of bourbon with coffee, vanilla, and a little chocolate; Dark brown with red edges and a tint tan head; Flavor was of bourbon, vanilla, with coffee notes and a samll hop finish.

Much thanks to hopdog for this one in a trade... Appears a black with a dark caramel hue around the edges. A nice, 2 finger tan head slowly fades out into a gentle cap. Scattered spots of lacing is left around the glass. Smell is of oak, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, cocoa, and sweet, warmed, brown sugar. Taste is of the same aromas highlighted by the oak, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, and cocoa flavors that is a blend that’s certainly worthy of any beer/bourbon lover’s time. Mouthfeel is creamy, bourbony bite, chocolate sweet, and perhaps just a shade of sourness that is buried far in the background and not noticeable enough to penalize. If anyone has any more bourbon aged brews that they would like to trade, or sell...please let me know. These always seem to be a sure fire winner in my book.

Aroma was all sorts of chocolates, toffee, carmel, smokiness, and a little roast. There was maybe a hint of the bourbon barrels but nothing really pronounced as far as bourbon aroma is concerned. The color was a great dark brown with a toffeee colored head that had a ring around the glass the entire time. Flavors were also of smokiness and toffee, carmel, woodsy a little oak maybe from the barrel, but still no real good bourbon flavors came through. This was a good stout overall but a little thin in the body and prolly one of my least favorites of the BB Stouts I have tried. thanks for the bottle Blake!

Bottle. Had a sweet roasty and wood barrel aroma. Black body with thin tan head. Bourbon dominated the flavor up front with a good somewhat sweet roasted taste to it. Middle till end rich chocolate mats, roasty some alcohol still there. Definently a body warmer. Smooth finish after a stong bourbon start. Good beer.

Deep brown, almost but not quite black and thin tan head. Aroma of vanilla, caramel, prune, chocolate, coffee, all weel blended. Flavor is dark chocolate, vanilla, raisin and prune blueberry, coffee and yes there is a bourbon flavor in there, too. As it warma, an herbal, woody note meegers, as does some brown sugar. A lot going on here, but well made, and very tasty. Thanks, Santa!