2013 Central Waters BBS

I was just told Milwaukee Whole Foods will have it on Friday

 

I was just at Woodman's in Oak Creek, and talking with the Beer Rep, he said they should have it ready to put on shelves by Thursday.

Just remember to leave me some!

 

In stock at Milwaukee Discount Liquor. $12.99/4 pack, no limit that I could see (I grabbed four 4 packs).

 

Trade ?

 

Should hit in Chicago next week.

 

Have to disagree with you on this one. We cracked a couple of bottles last night, and the consensus was that this year's batch had a noticeably thicker/silkier mouthfeel compared to previous years. Not quite on par with BCBS, but definitely headed in that direction.

 

Agree with above. Thought it was a bit thicker than last years...a little less carbonated as well, which I thought was a good thing. Now, I loved last year's version as well, but preferred the 2013.

 

Anyone notice an off flavor on the finish? I got a 4-pack at the brewery when it was first bottled last month and it just wasn't right. I had it on tap in Madison last week and same thing. The finish was dry/leathery - almost like an absence of flavor. I had my last bottle a couple of nights ago and it tasted better. I wonder what it is, and why the off flavor seems to be dissipating over time. I noticed the same thing with the bourbon barrel scotch ale earlier this year, which also got better over time.

 

I always considered that to be from the oak. Seriously, have you ever put a fresh piece of oak in your mouth? It has a dry/bitter/leather flavor.

 

Thanks for the tip, but I'm not sure that's it. I shared a bottle with a group of barrel aged beer aficionados and nobody picked up oak in the flavor - everyone thought it just tasted "off". But the last bottle I had tasted pretty much as expected for CW bourbon barrel stout. I wonder if it has something to do with how the barrels are emptied. Do they pressurize the barrels with CO2 or nitrogen or something in order to push all of the beer out of a barrel? And does that add some sort of weird flavor to the beer that would dissipate over a few weeks?

 

I totally agree with the bourbon barrel scotch ale. Tasted all over the place at first but after a few months it tasted fantastic. Haven't tried the BBS yet.

 

I'm drinking one side-by-side with a BCBS right now. BCBS is just a different league. Much thicker, much richer, much more complex. Neither of my parents are beer drinkers, but both like to sample stuff I bring up during the holidays. Both picked up the difference between the BBS and BCBS right away.

I picked the BBS up at Woodman's in Kenosha yesterday, and it looked like they had plenty, for reference.

 

No question that BCBS is still significantly thicker than CWBBS, and it may be richer (depending on your definition of "richer"), but I'd argue that which one is more complex is very debatable at this point. While base BCBS is unquestionably a great beer, the thickness makes it a bit overwhelming and one-note, while the CWBBS consistency gives the flavors more room to spread out and distinguish themselves.

We polished off a growler of BCBS last weekend, and by the end pretty much everyone was tired of the taste; if it had been CWBBS I don't think that would have been the case.

 

have you ever been in a Turkish prison?

 

I'm guessing they do it the same way they do all beer. Probably pump the beer from the barrel into a brite tank, fill head space with CO2, let it settle into suspension and pump it to the bottling line and fill em up.

 

The BBS was much more one-note for me. I'm home for the holidays and both my parents (non-beer drinkers) had the same comments independent of each other after taking a few sips.

BBS had more of a piney hop presence, some vanilla and oak, and more of an alcohol taste. Some roastyness/chocolate came out as it warmed up, but that was about it. BCBS started out much more chocolately and smoky, then opened into dark fruit and sherry flavors. The barrel characteristics were there, but much more integrated into the whole.

Not trying to put down BBS; it's a nice BA stout. It's just not a substitute for BCBS. Having had a few years' worth of BBS, though, it's definitely gotten thicker and richer. It used to be much thinner and harsher.

 

There are alot of good Barrel Aged stouts in the Midwest...but for me there are three different degrees.
There is BCBS, and that really stands in a league of it's own.
Then there is Black Note, KBS, and BBPT5 just below. Not saying they aren't as good, but they don't have that rich, viscous mouthfeel.
Then there are the likes of Central Waters BBS and Dragon's Milk.
They are all different, and suitable depending on occasion. But it's unfair to compare any stout to BCBS, IMO.

 

Meh, I think it's fair to compare them. It's not like the techniques used to create those beers are so different that they're in different categories. KBS may be more comparable to Peruvian Morning or BCBCS; it's an odd duck out, what with the coffee and vanilla.

BCBBW is an unfair comparison, IMO, due to the third-use barrels. I'm honestly not sure who else does that, and I'd be really curious to try another barley wine aged in barrels used to make a BA stout.

Edit: Also, I'm not as big on the whole ranking thing. It's more... here's what I got out of this beer, here's what I got out of this beer, and which did I enjoy more. I catch myself falling into the "want the best" trap too often and forcing things to conform to what I want them to be, not what they are. I'm trying to enjoy things more and rank them less.

 

/Midwest Stout Debate.

 

The wait is over for those around the Chicago-land area!! It's here now. $14.99 per 4 pack.