Brewer's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Barleywine - 4 Year Aged
Central Waters Brewing Co.

 

 

 

Pours a clear amber colour, ruby in the Budapest sun

Smell is rich malty bourbon.

Taste is the same, not quite as rich. Biubron vanilla, malty caramel.

Feel is too fizzy for me, richness is there, but just had too much tingling on the tongue.

Alright, hoped for more.

Like the others there is a somewhat clear brown appearance, tan head settles into a collar with beautiful surface lacing. Smells great with big earthy barley, caramel, toffee, toast, big bourbon waves with pronounced dark oak. Taste though is simpler as the booze is so strong, with nuggets of barley and earthy grain, black strap molasses replaces the caramel and toffee, far less sweet. It burns a bit on the edge as it warms, otherwise barley and barrel are made known. Odd as I find this to be the worst in the series by a considerable amount

 

Poured from the can into a large wine glass, I'm seeing a darkish brown amber colored beer with good head retention and lacing. This looks nice enough, but then I stuck my beak in the glass. On the nose, this is showing caramel, toffee. light vanilla, brown sugar, noticeable bourbon and sherry. It's impressive, to say the least. The flavor profile replicates the nose, but just had more of everything. I'm getting hints of chocolate as well in this excellent beer. The beer is pretty sweet, as you would expect, but the bourbon and sherry components help to counter and balance the sweetness. The flavor profile is actually fairly complex in this well crafted BW. Mouthfeel is fairly full, but not to the extent I was expecting. Even so, this beer delivers considerable flavor, with a long, lingering, sweet finish. Abv is well integrated into the the flavor profile, so drinkability is pretty decent (for a rich, sweet BW that has an abv of nearly 15%).

Excellent beer here, even by Central Water standards I think. One of the better domestic barleywines I've ever had the pleasure to enjoy.

 

From a 12oz can:

Appearance: Dark brown, starts with a small head but it fizzes out.

Smell: Big caramel, sweet, boozy, wood,

Taste: Sweet, fruit like red wine, touch of maple, boozy but somewhat blended. Not as much wood as expected.

Overall: Good beer, kind of boozy (what do you expect at 14%+?) It seemed to have less barrel flavor (wood, vanilla, chocolate) than expected, just more booze. We'll see if that continues when trying the 5 year version.

2022 version poured from a 12 oz can into a snifter. I enjoyed this one more than the 2-year version but less than the 3-year version.

 

Very excited to dive into this one! Poured at fridge temp. Pours a very dark brown with minimal head. The nose is exceptional. Huge notes of toffee, bourbon, figs, molasses, and some honey.

The taste is VERY barrel forward. Wow - it's not a surprise that this spent so long in barrels. Bourbon, toffee, plums, honey, slightly alcoholic, oak, leather, very slight hop bitterness, and a bit of pecan pie. Lovely. 

Mouthfeel is chewy with a boozy aftertaste. Lovely overall.

 

Sweet caramel malts, prominent dark fruits, hint of all-spice, and a subdued bourbon barrel nose on this one! Taste follows with some caramel-covered raisins upfront, and then a hoppy bitter barrel swallow. Pretty good. 3>4>2 IMO.

 

 

Pours a tawny brown with a small tan head that quickly settles into a wisp and crown. Definitely darker than 2-year, but maybe a hair lighter than 3, and with a better head.

At this age a hint of sherry shows in the nose, along with leather, pine, fig and vanilla.

Complex tasting right from the first sip. Oakiness, distant pine, leather. Strong alcohol burn throughout. And residual sweetness in the finish showing raisin, fig and vanilla custard.

Just on the hefty side of medium bodied and creamy with a nice restrained fizziness slowly cutting through.

I really like the lingering bitterness of the 3-year. This one is definitely the most complex sipper, and also the hottest, of the ones I’ve tried. Very enjoyable.

 

 

Smaller head than the two year, darker and a little cloudier. The chocolate and figs are more prominent, the caramel more subdued. The barrel notes have stronger leather and tobacco, less wood. The bourbon is mellow and extremely well Incorporated Candied nuts at the finish. Tasty as hell, not better or worse than the 2 year aged version, but definitely distinct.