Gute Nacht - Barrel-Aged
Central State Brewing

 

 

a somewhat wild stout, and another gorgeous beer from central state. these guys are so far ahead of the curve, so innovative, and still yet so relatively unknown. i love their beer, and this is a good one. a big sturdy imperial stout with a wild yeast element, but aged in whiskey barrels until maturity, and about as rich, heavy, and complex as they get. not sure how long you would want to cellar a can, but i could see this beer doing amazingly well over time. its thick and black from the pint can (sick art on it too), with a tall tan head over two inches high, airy lace as it slowly settles, relaxed but alive. the whiskey here is strong, vanilla and corn and oak and maple, lots happening. i immediately am missing the wild side, maybe some belgian notes, but not funk or sour hardly at all, just a little weirdness, this aspect seems underdeveloped, but i dont miss it, the beer doesnt need it. heavy dark chocolate and coffee here with the whiskey, some char, some malty bitter element, and a hint of smoke among it all. beautiful depth even without the wild yeasts, and surprisingly lively carbonation, really bubbly and it serves to lighten the whole thing up, even with the mild booze burn it finishes with. sexy beer, nothing quite like this out there, and even with a minimal weird yeast aspect, the beer still has a ton going on and remains balanced and memorable. elite level beer, its only a matter of time before central state becomes a household name i have to think...

 

 

Pours black with a very nice thick brown head. Quickly goes away. Aroma- coco powder, cherries, pretty oaky, a shot of Bourbon. Doesn't smell like just another sugar bomb Stout. Taste- a nice hit of earthiness throughout, reminds me of chocolate covered malt balls a little bit, some dark chocolate, hint of coffee, medium on the Bourbon taste. (The taste doesn't just linger and linger. Some what clean finish) Mouthfeel, is pretty smooth and velvety. Overall, this is nice. Has just a little more of a complexity to it.