Central Waters Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout

Bottle. This beer would be good if it didnt have that persistent lactose sourness to it. Infected? I almost dont think so. Oh well.

In short: A Bourbon flavoured stout with an annoying oaky sourness. Just OK.
How: Bottle 12oz, from Ughsmash thanks a lot my friend. Consumed when 4 to 6 months old
The look: Black body topped by a tan beige ring of foam
In long: Bourbon barrel presence is there but not overwhelming. Medium roastiness level. Some tar, some dark fruits, some black liquorice, some woody hops. So far so good but the beer had an oak flavour that brought an unwelcomed sournedd. Limited alcohol presence. Overall a standard bourbon stout with an oaky sourness that fits in like a nigger at the country club.

Sample at the Most Honorable SuperHappyFun Stout Tasting: Pours a medium-brown pour with a very wispy head. Very, very strong on the bourbon here. Smells like oaked cellar and vanilla. A lot of the flavor was masked by the bourbony sweetness. Some smoked character, almost bordering on salty.

Well, unfortunately, unless they were trying to make a sour stout, this guy is infected. Hard to get throught the sour off flavor to rate much of anything. I am sure the uninfected version is much better, but that version wasn’t in my bottle. I will hope for a re-rate, but unfortunately I will have to give it this score for now. Drain pour.

Bottle courtesy tpd975. Pours a very dark brown with a small tan head that lasts leaving good lacing. Aroma of bourbon, coffee, vanilla, oak, and chocolate. Taste is chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, oak, vanilla, and a hint of bourbon. Medium mouthfeel with a moderate amount of bitterness and smooth alcohol. Very good.

Sample at the Most Honorable SuperHappyFun Stout Tasting. Thanks to MIBRomeo for the trade! This beer is a dark brownish-black color with a medium and foamy beige head that recedes slowly. Patches of lacing on the glass. Aroma of rich malt, bourbon, oak and vanilla. Full-bodied with flavors of malt and butterscotch, bourbon and dark fruits. Lightly bitter hops and coffee in the background. The finish is roasted malt and butterscotch with a lingering coffee and vanilla aftertaste. Very good overall.

Bottle as a simple gift from deftim13 on 12/6/07. Tried at PP bottle shop with hapjydeuce and Brad. Dark brown color. Medium tan head that lingers a bit. Smells great, especially when I pop the cork with some oak and a little hops. I thought it smelled like a barleywine. Little or no roastiness. The taste leaves much to be desired, with some sourness. I don’t think this is aging well at all.

Bottle generously shared by wetherel at the PP Bottle Shop, thanks John! Very lovely aroma, loaded with oak wood and sugary bourbon whiskey tones. Some chocolates and toffee noticeable as well. Still, dark brown appearance, no head. Flavor finishes pretty quickly, with hardly any lasting barrel-aged character. Caramel and light chocolates seem to dominate here. Medium bodied feel. A slight prolonged astringent / tangy note on the palate.