Central Waters Kosmyk Charlies Y2K Catastrophe Ale

Brewed by Central Waters Brewing Co.
Style: Barley Wine
Amherst, Wisconsin USA

Serve in Snifter

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2012. 12oz. Pours reddish brown. More brown than red. Slightly cloudy. Very malty and sweet. Less fruity than other barleywines I’ve had.

Fresh 2012 bottle. Pours slightly murky, russet tones. Good, half-inch of tan head. Sheet lacing. Hugely figgy on the aroma, with some plum, big toffee, and just a hint of citric hops. Big sweet notes up front, washes into a biting bitterness on the finish. Shows its strength.

This is a beer for special occasions. The special occasion should be: if you are ready for gonzo, break-the-bank, beam-me-up-scotty, in-your-face, hoist-me-up-by-the-trousers, maniacal madness. For me, that would be about seven times a day, but I can only handle ONE of these units. Absolutely face-smacking, palate-whacking, Rome-sacking, brain-hijacking cracker jack. Dense. Like drinking an entire enchanted forest, with last year’s leaves, and all sundry tree bark shavings included (all of it put in a mash tun and brewed till properly condensed).

Smells of resin, bourbon, alcohol and oak. Nice amber color. Tastes like vanilla, bourbon, wood, and malt. There is hops citrus as well. Grapefruit. Nice bitter finish with some warming.

In short: A malty dark ale with a bunch of flavors clashing together. Not fun.
How: Bottle 12oz, consumed approximately 6 months after receiving it from oakbluff, thanks a lot Scott
The look: Cloudy burgundy body topped by a medium beige with good retention leaving good lacings on the glass
In long: Nose has a rich maltiness boosting burnt caramel and there is also a surprising scented flowery smell (seems like hops, but not only hops) and also a light xmass beer style spiciness. Taste is equally strange. Part of the beer is rich fruity maltiness (caramel, toffee, figs, dates, etc.). But then part of the beer is scented candies, garden flowers, cinnamon bun, gingerbread man. To me there was a clash of flavors here, as if someone had mixed two different beers that didn’t go together. Didn’t work for me at all. Ah, the Y2K catastrophe, that famous bug that made us partied like it was 1899 and forced me to change my microwave because I don’t like popcorn that is microwaved for 3 minutes and 100 years.

Bottle courtesy of The Cheeseman. Poured a deep murky brown/amber with minimal head. Big malts, caramel booze on the nose. Surprisingly well balanced bitterness. Candied sugar, dark fruits, oak, and solid bitter finish. Really enjoyed this and will seek out again.

Ported from BA A Garnet with light head, great retention S Very malty, a bit fruity T Sweet, raisin, boozy, delicious M Thick, a bit low on carbonation for my taste O This is a great beer, thoroughly enjoyed it, but considering the barrel aged version is not hard to come by and the cost is the same, I would go with barrel aged every time. Serving type: bottle

This does better as it warms. The barleywine - 2011 batch so aged a year - has a lot of alc in the smell and at the back of the taste. But otherwise it has burnt caramel and figs/dates. A medium to light body, it’s dark in the center to nearly clear on the outside. True to style barleywine that probably is a great candidate for aging. If barleywines are your thing, this is an excellent option at the price point, and something that could compete with Bigfoot. That said, for me there was a tannic onion type of thing going on in the finish that just didn’t sit right. So... quality, but the taste was just a little off.

sweet fruity aroma. pours cloudy copper. flavor is vanilla, fruit (almost strawberry) , and a touch of grain. Enjoyed it.

Bottle shared by BC3. Poured a clear copper color with a moderate frothy brown head that lasted with good lacing. Moderate to heavy malt, complex dark fruit aroma. Medium to full body with a sticky texture and flat carbonation. Medium to heavy dark fruit sweet flavor with a medium to heavy sweet and small alcohol burn finish of moderate to long duration. This is a interesting beer.