Brewer's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout - Central Waters Brewing Company

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

2.13/5  rDev -49.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

I honestly don’t know where to start with this one. First off, this is far from a stout. It is a very watery light brown. Clear around the edges. This is more like a barrel aged dubbel. If it was a dubbel it wouldn’t be half bad. Other than being water thin, it has an overbearing sour grape flavor going on. Didn’t get much bourbon out of it. Plenty of oakiness coming through. I hope this was a bad bottle, because this is nothing that I would seek again. I was expecting a lot more out of this. Instead this will go down as one of the worse beers I’ve ever had.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2007 17:45:23 | More by FtownThrowDown

brewmudgeon

Wisconsin

2.53/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

cw bbs and cherry bbs, back to back

a 3.5-4 both are quite black and look about the same. not much head or lacing, but that will be forgiven i guess due to the barrel aging and abv.

s 3-4 sweet bourbon, vanilla and butterscotch dominate the nose of the bbs, but it is not nearly as alcoholically aggressive as my memories of the bbb. the roasted barley is far in the background, just where i prefer it to be. this isn't the most complex nose. the bourbon is less noticeable in the aroma of the cherry bbs, in which the tart cherries are clearly present. the cherry has a somewhat more subdued nose overall, yet it's still quite pleasant (4-4.5)
now that i've placed the main scent of bbs as butterscotch, it's not quite as alluring. oh well.

t 3-3.5 whoa this is smooth! not nearly the challenge to drink that I half-anticipated. indeed, this is shockingly smooth and quaffable. with the malts playing a supporting role. no hops detected. the cherry bbs offer less bourbon for the palate and an impression that i am sucking down cherry pie while drinking the bbs.

m 2-2.5 the mouthfeel is thinner than expected (same for both). the carbonation level is relatively low and doesn't contribute significantly to the mouthfeel.

o 2-2.5 these beers are drinkable, sometimes hard to sip rather than gulp, too friendly and approachable. over time though, the butterscotch combines with a dishwater off-note and makes me want to hurl. i liked these at first so much because i expected to hate them and didn't, as the feared boatload of burnt barley was absent. but bbs, based on solstice which i cannot stand, is ultimately fairly gross. unfortunate as i have a few 4-packs still in the cellar.
overall, i just cannot drink this at all anymore.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 22:47:52 | More by brewmudgeon

sacrelicio

Minnesota

2.8/5  rDev -33.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A bit of a disappointment from one of my favorite Midwestern breweries. Pours a dark amber/ruby/translucent brown. Not particularly appealing, and not what I'd expect for a bourbon barrel aged stout, or any stout for that matter. The smell is quite good, with typical bourbon notes of vanilla, oak, and toffee, with a touch of alcohol.

The taste is another matter. The alcohol has a spicy burn, like I took a regular porter or stout and poured some bourbon in the glass. Kinda tastes like a whiskey-Coke. Not very good.

The mouthfeel is thin for the style. Watery and prickly from the alcohol.

Overall, a below average bourbon stout that is overrated. I will age a bottle to see how it fares.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 05:13:29 | More by sacrelicio

drewba

Illinois

3/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A - Super dark brown with a head that has loads of big frothy bubbles sitting on a base of tiny bubbles. Lacing is here, but breaks quickly.

S - Sublime; lovely vanilla, candied sugar sweetness, soft oak, mellow bourbon, a touch of maple. Reminds me a lot of Backwoods Bastard, perhaps Silva stout.

T - Shit. The nose barely translates to the taste. Right away, I'm hit with an unusual harsh woodiness. Slight char, but then some semisweet & dark chocolate, vanilla extract, a bit of artificial cherry and cheap bourbon. The bourbon somehow is able to impart a nice vanilla sweetness, but then goes back to tasting cheap, winey/tannin-y and watered down. The finish has a milk chocolate and coffee finish, that is a bit of a saving grace. After a nose that gave me a half chub, this feels like I've been had. This is a muddled and unrefined. Nothing seems to work or blend together, it's kind of everything on it's own.

M - Oily, medium body with a fantastic amount of carbonation.

D - I don't hate this, but the taste is just so disappointing. I'll just take 2 sniffs for every sip and I'll be all good here.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 05:47:11 | More by drewba

amatuerbeerguy

Oklahoma

3.15/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured out a dark dark black. With some tan head not much

Aroma of bourbon and some smoke, and slight blueberry hint. Some vanilla is apparent

Flavor of chocolate, with some smoke and roast, toffee, some soy flavor also apparent.

Mouthfeel is smooth with low carbonation, with a harsh hop character.

Overall one to try but more than that you need to judge for yourself.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2006 03:22:13 | More by amatuerbeerguy

kasper

New York

3.15/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Big props to DRINKNDRIVE for throwing in this extra from my wants list.

A: Pours dark brown -- almost the same shade as the bottle it came in -- with a light and frothy single finger head that doesn't stick around. Some leg lace patterns as I sip.

S: Initial whiff was all oak, somewhat sour bourbon. As it warms, hints of creamy vanilla make an appearance. I was actually expecting a stronger bourbon aroma.

T: Taste is sour bourbon that leads into a somewhat dry oak- and alcohol-filled finish. Creamy vanilla not showing through on taste.

M: Much lighter than I'd had hoped. I wouldn't even call it full bodied. Mild carbonation, but almost too much for the intended style.

D: Not sure how old this bottle was, but it really doesn't stand up to similar-styled stouts like BCS in any way shape or form. I'm not even sure I'd call this a stout. There's just this lingering acidity and thinness that kind of lets down.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2008 01:46:30 | More by kasper

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a very deep brown with red highlights. Unfortunately it is not opaque. A 1/2 finger of tan head forms and dissipates quickly. Leaves a nice filmy cling along with webbed lacing.

N: A lot of vanilla wafts up right away along with some lighter bourbon notes. There's also some semi-sweet chocolate in there. The nose brings to mind chocolate/vanilla ice cream.

T: Vanilla, whipped cream, bourbon and scorched sugar are upfront. Mid-palate brings in some semi-sweet chocolate and watery toffee along with hints of booze and chocolate covered raisins. Dark fruits (raisin & plum) really come out in the finish along with hints of oak and earth.

M: Medium bodied, creamy, warming, dry and only a little sticky.

O: Although complex the flavors just are not full enough for a Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout. The nose is pleasant but the appearance is extremely poor. Good vanilla and dark fruit notes. Not bad for the price but I always expect more from BA beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 21:02:49 | More by justintcoons

Drazzamatazz

Maine

3.18/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from cellar, temperature taken at 55.2 F and poured into DFH snifter.

A: From the first pour I was shocked how much lighter this was then what I expected. Its really more a dark brown than a black. I can even see light through the bottom of the glass. Smallest of heads formed but seems to be hanging out.

S: Definitely bourbon aged. Smelled like a brownie rum raisin ice cream sundae with caramel, only with bourbon and vanilla beans instead of rum. Seems very well balanced and inviting.

T: Boozier than expected from the aroma. Less vanilla in the flavor, more chocolate with bourbon. Tobacco and molasses. Finishes bitter, metallic and boozey.

M: Disappointingly thin but aided by the higher carbonation. Drying like drinking straight bourbon.

D: For being a year old its still packing some heat. I think if I would have had this fresh it would have been the most bourbon forward beer I've had. With that in mind, when I want to drink bourbon I do, but as a beer it seems lacking. Bourbon presence is the biggest thing going.

EDIT: Drainpoured the last 1/3. Again, too much bourbon not enough beer.

This beer came in a package along with some others that seemed mistreated and off. I'll definitely give this one another shot simply due to its great aroma but nothing else about it really pleased me.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2011 02:12:53 | More by Drazzamatazz

Wadsey

Indiana

3.18/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

2010 12 oz bottle poured into DFH signature glass. 

A: Deep brown with deep amber highlights. Not much of a head, which is unsurprising.  Excellent clarity. 

S: Smells of bourbon, damp wood, and maybe a touch of vanilla. The base imperial stout is indiscernible. The barrel has bowled over the base beer.

T: Bourbon booziness assaults the palate: bourbon, oaky woodiness, a hint of vanilla and sweet malts. Bitter, boozy and drying finish. No dark fruits. No coffee. No chocolate. No roasted malts. 

M: Low carbonation and thin. Slightly astringent and definitely warming. 

D: CW Bourbon Barrel Stout is a sipper, but i find it to be too simplistic for a barrel-aged imperial stout.  This beer is to that style what Backwoods Bastard is to barrel-aged scotch ales, except a bit more direct and one-dimensional. I wouldn't seek it out but I wouldn't reject it if someone offered me a pour. 

Thanks to joshuaseresse for the generous extra!

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 01:50:54 | More by Wadsey

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.18/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 12oz bottle (2012 vintage) into tulip glass. Pours a bright amber color with a small white head that dissispated righ before you could say awww! Aromas are of ripe figs, sugars, cereal grains, and booze. Flavor was quite disappointing for me (which led me to think it might have been infected) - almost could detect some sweet cereal grains, bourbon yet a little "watered down". Grainy with almost a rye bread like flavor as well as some dark fruit flavors. The backfinish was warm and boozy. Mouthfeel is decent throughout. Overall, a disappointing beer despite its high ratings IMO.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 19:18:09 | More by CuriousMonk

Auracom

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -24%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A friend from Cali was interested in this one and pointed it out to me, so I decided to grab a single 12 oz. bottle. 6 oz. of that poured into a snifter on January 22nd, 2012.

A - Looks thin for an American double IS. Dark brown hue with a thin white, soft tan head that quickly reduces down to edge-bubbles. Minimal lacing.

S - A subtle combination of chocolate cake batter, vanilla, sugar, wood chips, and faint alcohol. Not huge, but quite appealing.

T - The bourbon barrel shows up more in the drink. Underlying oak, hop/espresso-like bitterness, light maple syrup, and alcohol heat at the back.

M - Light-medium body, much as I expected from the looks of it. Typical carbonation, shorter finish with a lightly bitter, woody aftertaste.

D - Aroma beats out the taste here. I like the control of the bourbon and sweet flavors in this, but unfortunately I was disappointed that the chocolate cake prominent in the nose didn't show up at all in the drink. Not a particularly memorable barrel-aged brew but worth trying at least once.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 03:05:08 | More by Auracom

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -24%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a tulip glass. This is the singularly most underwhelming bourbon barrel stout I've EVER had. I poured this into the glass from nearly six inches up, and scarcely got fizz, much less any semblance of a head or crown. The nose is pretty much straight bourbon without any level of complexity about it. The taste is, ok. The bourbon's a little more tempered, yet there's still not much else going on to complement it. The mouthfeel is pretty hot. All bourbon. Fortunately it doesn't linger. This will be the only bottle of this I ever drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 20:25:54 | More by Retail1LO

aasher

Indiana

3.23/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I received this bottle in a recent in person trade with TallPaul07. Thanks again for this one Paul!

It pours a medium bodied dark, dark brown with a slight beige lacing around my glass. The nose consists of sweet bourbon, vanilla, and a lot of toffee. The flavors are of bourbon, slight aluminum, vanilla, and it finishes pretty quickly and a little watery. The metallic taste threw me off a bit. Maybe this bottle isn't up to par? The body is a little light for an imperial stout and it leaves an aftertaste as if it had too much CO2. Strange. It's drinkable all things considered but I prefer a more resonating flavor and fuller body in my stouts.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 03:14:39 | More by aasher

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.25/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

*2009 vintage*Scores reflect this vintage until I get a chance to verify that the excellent bottle I had wasn't a fluke.

I received what is hopefully an uninfected bottle from someone in the midwest, probable eyncognito? Thanks, Ian!

Dark brown with reddish brown highlights, this beer has a thin beige head that recedes to a ring rather quick. The nose is interesting in that it's rather unconventional for an imperial stout and more like a brown ale with caramel, brown sugar and some vanilla from the bourbon barrel. Mildly woody, I get some tannin character. Some cocoa is evident as well. The palate opens with a grainy sourness, not really infection-like, but with a mild but medicinal character. Not particularly pleasant, this also has flavors of cherries, some cocoa and a little roast. This tastes off too, and I'm dropping my scores.

**Original review dated 02 Jan 2009
12oz bottle received from nflmvp in a recent trade. Thanks a bunch, Steve! Split with largadeer after lunch on day 3 of our decadent tasting.

A: Black with reddish brown highlights. Thin beige head that recedes to a ring rather quickly 3.5

S: Mild bourbon with a strange sourness and funk. Some chocolate and oak. There's a pleasing roastiness and coupled with the funk, it's kinda refreshing 4/5
T: Opens up with some bourbon and oak before some chocolate and roasted flavors come in. Mildly bitter and rather tannic on the finish, along with some acetic sourness 3.5/5

M: Rather light, decent carbonation, OK finish - average at best3/5

D: Meh.3.5/5

** Edit 16 Oct 2010**

I got a couple of bottles from asmokingoat and CaseyK. Thanks, guys! This is the 2010 vintage
This one looks pretty nice. Again, dark brown with a light brown head with excellent retention and lacing. With this vintage, the barrel really overwhelms everything else. Plenty of vanilla and coconut are present, obliterating the base beer. Moderately sweet, I wonder if they used Elijah Craig barrels this time around. Only some dry cocoa is apparent from the base beer.
It looks like they've ironed out some inconsistencies from previous batches by whelming the base base beer with a really nice barrel character. Coconut and vanilla are present in rather large quantities, and the base beer seems bigger with some chocolate and cocoa present. The base beer also seems sweeter and less ashy and dry than I remember it being. Booze is moderately restrained, and tannins appear on the finish, drying up the palate. Mildly fruity towards the finish, this is a pretty remarkable turnaround for a beer I expected to dump. Very well done:
4.5/4/4/4.5/4

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2009 14:48:48 | More by DefenCorps

lurpy1

Minnesota

3.28/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tis the season for bourbon-aged stouts. Great buzz in the area for this one, but I'll believe it when I drink it, thanks. Picked up a single solitary 12 oz.-er, split into 2 pints.

The pour does not impress. I've seen dubbels darker than this. This looks like slightly weakened coca-cola. What it does NOT look like is a stout.

The smell is gentle and sweet, picking up the boozy bourbon and a little bit of vanilla. If the taste matches the aroma, we have a winner (note the foreshadowing).

But....more than any other BB stout I've had, Central Waters' version tastes phony. Yes, I can pick up on the bourbon and the vanilla that goes along with it; there's just a sense they came out of a bottle of bourbon extract. The taste, however, does cause me to vacillate. With one sip I want to drink it forever, with the next, I want to send it down the toilet.

The drink does do a good job of masking the alcohol - very little burn. But I found it way too thin for a stout.

I would continue to drink this beer. But the vast majority of the brewers I've had who have stuck their neck out to try barrel aging a stout have offered something better.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 13:44:12 | More by lurpy1

ThreeWiseMen

California

3.33/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got this in a trade with nflmvp. Thanks a ton Steve!

Poured into a Rémy Martin snifter.

Appearance: Really doesn't pour that thick or dark for a stout. Once settled, light can be seen through around the edges of the body. While the second pour was a little better (due to yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle, I suppose), this beer did not look imperial stout-like. The head is pretty tiny, but that's to be assumed for a barrel-aged beer. It hangs around for the entire session as a tight, foamy, tan halo thanks to some pretty active carbonation that can be seen crawling up the walls of the snifter. Surprisingly, I got some decent lacing, too. All in all, good but nothing special.

Smell: Bourbon, vanilla, caramel, and chocolate filled the room immediately after the cap was popped off! Once in the snifter, the bourbon and ESPECIALLY vanilla intensified. Rich oak, whipped cream, and molasses are also there, but this nose is all about the vanilla! Vanilla with a nice bourbon kick. Awesome!

Taste: Charred oak, bourbon, blackberries, tart cherries, and even a bit of vinegar. Hmmm... I don't know about this. I like how the beer starts (note: "like"), but I find the finish to be too dry and a little astringent. The charred wood flavor picks up toward the end. I'm pretty disappointed with the flavor profile - especially after taking several big whiffs from above - but this definitely isn't a bad beer. It's just... average.

Mouthfeel: A little gritty, warm, dry, and thin. In my opinion, this beer showcases the negatives of barrel-aging. Too bad. Again, this still isn't a bad beer.

Drinkability: I came home from school today looking for a delicious imperial stout; unfortunately, this beer wasn't what I was looking for. I'm glad I got the opportunity to try it, but I can't say I was impressed.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2009 20:11:04 | More by ThreeWiseMen

largadeer

California

3.35/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2008 bottle kindly shared by dyan.

Appearance: Clear dark brown, light in color for the style and a bit thin looking. Pours with a fairly small tan head that settles to a disc fairly quick.

Smell: Musty barrel and a hint of funkiness, as if it's starting to sour. There's a good share of molasses and roasted grain as well. Bourbon makes itself known once the beer reaches room temperature.

Taste & mouthfeel: Mildly acidic initially, followed by a strong roasted bitterness. Sweetness is present more in the form of fruit and caramel than the typical chocolate and molasses notes of this style. The body is on the light side, a touch thin for the style. The finish is oddly tannic and vinous. This one tastes like it's in the early stages of infection.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2009 22:34:20 | More by largadeer

n2185

North Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours black with a finger of tan head that recedes into a ring with some decent lacing.

S: Sweet, creamy chocolate and vanilla up front followed by oak aromas. The finish smells strongly of alcohol and whiskey.

T: Some sweet chocolate notes up front followed by vanilla and oak. Then the whiskey flavors kick in, wiping out all others and leaving a fairly strong alcohol burn.

M: Medium body and carbonation, this beer is not very thick and creamy feeling, but rather like a soda in its body and carbonation.

O: Not a bad beer, but it has the same problem as their bourbon barrel coffee stout in that it tastes much more of the barrel than the beer that went in. It manages to avoid being cloyingly sweet at least, but the beer is not balanced at all with the barrel flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 02:47:15 | More by n2185

DeaconBluez

Alabama

3.38/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

2011 vintage received in a trade. poured into surly darkness tulip.

appearance: head quickly dissipates once basically as soon as the beer is fully poured. i didn't expect there to be much head considering the style. pours a very dark brown. not as dark as other stouts, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

smell: lots of hints of vanilla, dark, dark choco, and bourbon. there is something different in the smell that i can't put my finger and i don't necessarily like it. oh well.

taste: vanilla is in the forefront for me. also, some hints of bready malts? dark chocolate also stands out. bourbon from the time in the barrel is on the tail-end.

mouthfeel: very carbonated and light for the style. i typical like my stouts with little more thickness to them, so this wasn't a standout for the beer.

overall: a nice, not great, beer for me. perhaps i should have sat on this for a while and developed as i seem to remember having this before. the mouthfeel was probably the biggest disappoint for me, but the taste makes up for that some.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 22:36:37 | More by DeaconBluez

glazeman

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

CWBS

Extra from jcnd9803 in a recent trade. Thanks! Poured into a snifter.

A: Dark brown in color. Some light mocha colored head, but not much. Poor head retention, no lacing.

S: Lots of bourbon on the nose, and not too much else to be honest, but there is some coffee a little deeper.

T: Again, like the nose, there is a lot of bourbon, but the taste seems a little watered down. There's not much interesting coffee, vanilla, or chocolate that I have grown accustomed to in other bourbon aged stouts.

M: Too thin for my liking

D: Overall, the thinness, and simplicity of this beer make it quite drinkable. The alcohol content is hidden well and is not all that high to begin with.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2010 19:35:41 | More by glazeman

Arborescence

Finland

3.4/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Almost pitch black, hints of a tiny but creamy head.

Aroma: Almost offensive bourbon. No smoke here, think maker's mark.

Taste: Not as strong as expected; the bourbon is there, but also roasted coffee and chocolate. I'd prefer peat though!

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, but not easy drinking.

Overall: I've had some excellent barrel aged stouts, but all the best ones have certainly been of the peaty or smoky sort. The bourbon sweetness here doesn't appeal to me. Although it's not a bad beer by any means.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2012 23:37:01 | More by Arborescence

fear025

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the GLBF 2010.

Aroma:Huge bourbon aroma with dark malt.

Appearance:Black, nearly opaque very little head.

Taste:Huge bourbon flavor. It's tough to get past the bourbon, but once you do there's also dark malt in there with the typical dark malt bitterness.

Mouthfeel:Medium to thick body. Slight harsh astringency.

Drinkability:This is a huge bourbon bomb.

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2010 15:28:02 | More by fear025

weatherdog

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip

It pours a nearly pitch black with a decent sized tan head. Retention is medium with minimal lacing.

The nose is just great. It's rich, sweet with a heavy bourbon presence without a heavy alcohol aroma. On the end a nice subdued coffee roast is there.

The flavor kind of falls off from there, an alcohol presence is there the entire sip which is very distracting. The roast goes away and there is an increased vanilla flavor.

The spirits thin out the body too much for my liking in an imperial stout. The carbonation level is nice though, a bit lively in order to take away from the bourbon. Drinkability is decent but the alcohol flavor really doesn't meld well with the rest of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2011 03:59:59 | More by weatherdog

CharlesDarwin

Rhode Island

3.48/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Originally reviewed on February 18, 2005. 12 Oz bottle. Dark brown black pour with a wine colored fringe and sticky lacing in tan. Weak aroma of vinous alcohol, with a hint of bourbon and berries. Flavor a weak sour cherries, vinous and charred oak. Some sweet and sour sauce, with a light bourbon cascade, over gentle roasted coffee and oak. Coffee is more pleasent and carries the roasted flavors, but this is pretty weak. Ridiculously thin for the style. Smack and finish are a hard bourbon and light oak. Here, there’s just too much barrel and not enough beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2006 04:35:05 | More by CharlesDarwin

Ineedabeerhere

Connecticut

3.48/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Thanks for the trade Brian! Had one of these last night, from notes.

An aggressive pour yields two fingers of tight tan foam over a deep black body. Fades slowly to leave a film in my tulip. Not too much lacing.

Vanilla, oak and booze dominate the aroma by a pretty solid margin. Pretty nice aroma, but not really enough of the base beer cutting through the barrel's impact. A little chocolate as it warmed more.

The taste is sweeter vanilla, milk choc and kind of a burnt sugar/caramel quality to it. Relatively low bitter roast character, more sweet flavors going on here, a little cola mid-palate. It all leads into a really unique hazelnut finish. I mean, really. This is distinctly hazelnut. I picked it out right away.

Low carbonation, nice medium-bodied brew. But as it warmed it got to be a bit syrupy. I really like the ABV point, being just under 10% is a nice level for a BA imperial Stout. Overall though, this is just a little too bourbony sweet. The first few sips of this were great, but I sipped on the bottle for almost an hour and kept lowering my score in my notes over that hour. Splitting a bottle would be ideal, but I think this one will age nicely.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2010 05:34:36 | More by Ineedabeerhere