Central Waters Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout

Poured very dark brown with a medium long lasting tan head. Aroma is big on the barrel. Vanilla dominates with notes of bourbon, chocolate, and light coconut. Some alcohol fumes also rise out of the glass. As the beer sits woodiness comes out greatly. Sitting more and now much chocolate. Flavor starts with woody bourbon then moves to chocolate and back to bouron with a semi-dry and light bitter finish. Very warming and some alcohol flavor present. The flavor let me down a little after such a great complex aroma. Medium body seems a little on the thin imperialstout side.

Thanks to duane for sending this to the Yeha. Poured black with a brown head. Smells like choclate dipped in melted butter. Flavor is chocolate and coffee, mildly sweet, with some alcohol, but then quickly overshadowed by a strong oak butter flavor. A little too much wood in this. Good, but not sure if it’s top fifty material.

12oz bottle (good thing Rich had a bunch of these to open up and pass around). Poured a dark and cloudy brown color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of bourbon, wood, vanilla, chocolate and roasted malts. Tastes of bourbon, vanilla, roasted malts, roasted malts and coffee. Call me a BA sucker (especially Bourbon), but I liked this one.

Bottle at Ricklikebeer’s YEHA ’05 with a special thanks to Duane for sending this for everyone to enjoy. Dark brown, nearly black with a small tan head. Aroma of bourbon, mild smoke, roasted malt and a bit of butterscotch. Flavor was bourbon, dark roasted malt and the butter started to come out a lot the more the beer warmed. Not being a fan of bourbon, I like the aroma more than the flavor, but overall a nice beer.

Bottle thanks to richlikebeer via duane at rich’s YeHa 05. Smoked aroma with some whisky-like vanilla notes. Some woodsiness also comes through with mild chocolate aromas. Dark brown in color which is mildly opaque with a tan head. Like the Town Hall Czar Jack, this is also a bit thin in appearance and could be darker and more opaque. Chalk, chocolatey start, turning more vanilla-like and dry. The barrel flavors are rather apparent, but the underlying beer is not overly impressive. I think the Czar Jack was quite a bit better with or without the barrel.

sampled at Richlikebeer’s YEHA’05. big thanks to DUANE, who couldn’t make the event, but sent us a SIXER of this just because he’s a badass. cloudy brown color, ruby golden edges. dark tan head. buttery bourbon aroma, some molasses too. flavor is quite similar, smooth bourbon, some buttery chocolate malt. thanks again, Duane! RE-RATE - bottle in trade from 1FastSTi. blackish mostly cloudy body, golden chestnut at the edges. little to no head, a little dark tan foam ring is left around the inner perimeter of the glass. aroam is vanilla, oak, borurbon, and a little molasses. flavor is roasted malt, but sour! bourbon flavor is in the background & not overpowering. not too much heat like a lot of other bourbon stouts. vanilla and chocolate malt flavors are muted by now, as others have said this beer is not holding up as well as hoped. to my surprise the mouthfeel is sort of light. just enough heat in the finish and smooth bourbon aftertaste. shoulda drank this sooner, but still great, nonetheless. thansk 1FastSTi!

12 oz bottle, via CaptainCougar. Poured a dark brown, almost black. Clear, with a light brown head that faded quickly to a thin ring. Aroma is vanilla and charred oak dominated, with lesser notes of roasted malt and bourbon. Flavor is a perfect balance between roast, espresso, chocolate, and subtle bourbon. Quite a delicate flavor, not a beer that overwhelms your tastebuds. Very little alcohol noted. Body is a little lighter than expected, and a little overcarbonated for my taste. Overall, one of the best bourbon aged beers I’ve had. The bourbon plays an equal role with the base beer.

12oz bottle from CaptainCouger...Pours a very very dark brown color with a big bubbly ligh ttan head. Head is very creamy. I beleive you could count every single bubble that makes up this head. Nose is a very sweet bourbon, quite a bit of vanilla, some light fruit notes, some chocolate as well. very smooth on the palate, more vanilla and some very sweet chocolate here, light bourbon through out, aging seems to be done just right. Finishes with a subtle hint of bitterness and fizz. Palate is a little clingy and light lacing is sporatically left on the glass.