Brewer's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Barleywine
Central Waters Brewing Co.

Poured from 12oz bottle into snifter after being stored overnight in a fridge at roughly 45 degrees. The pour is brown to dark brown and hazy. As the beer is poured into the glass the flow is clean and constant, the stream against the light is amber in color. As it settles in the snifter, a crackled bubbly head makes a brief appearance and disappears swiftly. There is also an effervescent sound that lasts for a few seconds.

If you would ask me to describe what a great example of a barrel aged barleywine smells like from memory, this beer is what I would describe. Dominant scents are roasty malt, molasses, bourbon and brown sugar which form a sweet and sharp medley of aromas, very inviting. Taking a backseat are dried fruit, rum-soaked raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg. The combination of aromas remind me of fine Venezuelan rum.

First few sips are unapologetic and make sure you notice the booziness of this brew. However, clocking in at 11.5% ABV its dangerously balanced. The rest of the flavors mimic very well its aroma (as do most barleywines in my experience). An oaky bourbon taste leads a diverse parade of flavors, followed by sweet caramelly malt, molasses, moist brown sugar, cinnamon, a vanilla bean touch and lastly a spice that strikes the same chords with me as a chili powder. The finish is mostly oaky bourbon in a very pleasant way. The nose on this beer and its aftertaste are hand-in-hand, making every sip a vicious cycle of aromas and flavors – in my opinion, this makes for a fantastic drinking experience.

Mouthfeel-wise its a bit tongue numbing initially - the bourbon screams at you to recognize its presence. Lightly astringent but very well balanced. Very light carbonation that complements its syrupy consistency quite well.

Overall – I thoroughly enjoyed this beer and it is a great example of what a barrel aged barleywine ale should be.

Gifted by a prestigious BA from Wisconsin , this delight pours dark burgundy with a film of Khaki lace on top that shrank to an octopus starburst swirling on top of my Don Mario Branded Barleywine glass. First sniff yields toffee, raisins, earthy toastiness. Taste has additional char, molasses , tangy bourbon, nutty. Mouthful is medium, granted I’m a sipper so it’s hitting nicely. Overall dynamic sweet, balanced , flavorful, dry finish. It’s very good obviously!

12 oz can canned 2/13/25 into a snifter.
L: Pours a murky dark mahogany color with a thin light khaki head that recedes to light edge foam, light steady carbo, no lacing.
S: Burnt caramel malts, bourbon, oak char, a nutty aroma, molasses, tobacco.
T: Sea salt, buttered caramel, molasses, tobacco, a hint of coconut, wood, bourbon burn, distant leather, a fringe hop tang off the tip of the tongue, it is fairly sweet and is a tiny bit pale. There is distant rye in the finish.
F: Very lightly brisk then glassy & smooth, medium-heavy bodied mouthfeel with a long and broad medium-dry finish thanks to the rye.
O: Such a gorgeous tasting beer and is not overly sweet. Deeply voiced flavors with superb balance. Dancing ingredients sip after sip. It is world-class in its style.

Poured the color of tea and appeared nearly black in the glass.
The taste is bourbon soaked caramel with dark fruit notes and oak surrounding it all.
The feel is lighter than expected but it doesn’t detract from the flavors.
OA, I really enjoyed it and was happy to get to try it.

 

 

 

I'm finally getting around to drinking this beer, just short of its 8th birthday (bottled in early 2016).

First impression is favorable, as the glowing amber color on the pour was very enticing, and there was a surprising amount of (admittedly short-lived) head. Aroma similarly impresses with plenty of brown sugar and sweet molasses.

My first impression of the taste & feel is that.....I'm not sure what I think. It struck me as a little watery initially, and the flavor profile didn't jump out at me. As I drink more of it, what I'm noticing is that a) there is more barrel than I was anticipating (and in a good way), and that there is a brilliant alcohol warming on what ends up being a long finish. Much less rich than the aroma implied. Hard to know if the notes I picked up on the nose have faded over time in terms of the taste.

Overall, this is an enjoyable beer.

 

 

 

 

 

2015 bottle

poured from a 12oz brown bottle – neck has code 25418 – label notched 2018

Bourbon Barrel Barleywine Ale – Brewers Reserve body is a hazy dark brown almost amber in color. A ½ finger kaki head was produced. The head quickly reduced to a collar of foam leaving only spotty lacing. The nose is of sweet caramel, brown sugar, and bourbon. The taste has flavors of caramel, dark fruit, and brown sugar followed by bourbon, then a hoppy light bitter lingering finish. The mouthfeel is a little sticky with a full body and a moderate amount of carbonation.
Overall, this is a flavorful barleywine with its drinkability only limited by its high abv. The Ale makes for a nice nightcap on a cold winter’s day.

2015 bottle consumed 8/24/21

This is getting up there in age. I always wish I would have tasted one of these aged bottles versus fresh to see what's changed, but I only have the old one. AT any rate, this is an amazing beer. So smooth and complex on the nose and pallet. It's all caramely goodness with tons of booze. But it's so smooth. As usual with these Brewers Reserve, they could be thicker for me in appearance and while drinking. it's not a huge distraction though. A world class beer but not on the level of the very VERY best barleywines for me. There might not be anything better though for the price.

12oz beer review from notes:

A big beautiful overly hopped aromatic beast of a beer. Tastes like an old leather shoe filled to the tongue with hops, malt, rye, booze, tobacco, and leather (more or less in that order).

A+

16oz can at share. Amber pour, cloudy, thin beige head. Malty aroma, as expected, caramel, toffee and plenty of bourbon barrel. Rich malty taste, woody, tobacco and more bourbon and its prerequisite heat. Smooth and strong.