Brewer's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Barleywine - 3 Year Aged
Central Waters Brewing Co.

Had on tap. Pitch brown opaque body with a lighter brown cap. Aromas of barley, toasted caramel, big bourbon, and mid-dark nuts with some vanilla lingering. Taste is the boozier of the set so far, barley, caramel, oak is there but backseat with the toffee, orange peel and vanillins. Feel is boozy and full, the barley snarl is still there but elevated due to the barrel character, a sipper with much character

 

 

 

Poured at 58°. Fast fizzy light tan head began to disappear before I could take the photo; poor cap retention left a few very small islands of micro dots, a brief thin ring and no lace; no legs on swirl; dark ruby color with excellent clarity. Oaky bourbon and caramel malt nose; boozy exhale. Oaky bourbon entry; sweet caramel malt right behind; hop bitterness has fallen off with aging; muted dark fruit in background. Medium light body; alcohol burn on tip of tongue; full on mouth warmth from 14% abv; dry wooden barrel tongue coating. Overall, a little on the oaky side for me; drinks hot and thin; long oak linger.

 

Caramel malty, honey-nut cheerios, hint of dark fruits, and a prominent bourbon barrel nose on this one! Taste follows with a pretty well-balanced, caramel and honey, bourbon barrel boozy swallow. As it warms, a little hoppy bitterness peeks out, but it doesn't interfere or dominate. This is pretty good! 3 year>2 year IMO.

 

Poured at fridge temp. Pours dark brown with almost no head. The nose is very boozy. It's getting really close to simply smelling a bottle of bourbon. Leans towards Blanton's for me. Also getting some stone fruit, toffee, and some nice malts.

The taste is fantastic. Tons of toffee, bourbon, vanilla, toast with butter, marmalade, slight brown sugar, plums, and very slight citrus peel. Great barleywine! Definitely a sipper!

Pours a ruby-brown color darker than the 2-year, with a thin tan head that quickly disappears into a modest crown.

Vanilla, caramel and toffee show most in the nose. Some raisins, hops and leather are behind.

The taste is fairly well blended, with the oak and hop bitterness well integrated with the light vanilla and raisin. Light bitterness lingers in the aftertaste.

Slightly fuller bodied than the 2-year, with tighter, more restrained carbonation.

This presents more mature and the American elements comes together better with the base and barrel, IMO. No cardboard, either. Looking forward to the 4-year.

 

 

Man you gotta love those trips to Wisconsin. Thanks NickU for cracking one on the back porch! Seriously one of my fave places in the world to have a beer.

Pours dark brown. Looks similar to the regular balbw. 1/4" off white head. Stiff aroma of booze/bourbon, this did come off stronger. Makes sense, we've went from 10% to 14.5%.

Taste, you know man (hits blunt and reflects), I've always loved the regular for its ability to give a big bourbon taste without the excessive heat and viscosity in the mouth feel. But this kind of goes beyond that into more of a GIBCS level strength, and I don't think its for the better. Is it good? Sure. But damn man, I don't often get into these strong ass beers much anymore. Was great to have 6 oz of the multi years, but whether it be 2, 3 or 4, I think I still prefer the 1 year regular. Anyways, you know the drill, bourbon, toffee, caramel layers, just with extra ooomph here.

 

Poured with a large head but it didn't last as long. Tons of caramel with bitter, burned edges. The bourbon is assertively boozy with just a little vanilla. The finish adds a nice bitter tingle, hints of grapefruit rind and naked oak. Not much leather or tobacco. My least favorite of the three, though I am enjoying the hell out of it. It just didn't come together quite as well as the other two, it's a bit more brash and unrefined tasting to me.

 

 

16oz can at a share. Another doozy. Mahogany pour, hazy, little to no head. Aroma comes in malty, very strong and quite boozy, With woody notes and some tannins. Taste is sweet and malty, creamy, hefty. Tobacco and dark pit fruit notes, raisins, woody.