Bourbon Barrel Barleywine - Central Waters Brewing Company

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.51/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle of the 2010 vintage courtesy of FrankenBrew pours a murky crimson color with a small cap of tan head...leaves a nice lacey collar.

Nose is definitely oxidized, and sweet. Bourbon comes in a distant third, followed by peanut brittle and wood. Interesting mix or aromas and smells like a big beer for sure.

Mmmm, this is what I am talkin bout! The bourbon soaked wood, oxidized sherry flavors and sweet malt come together damn near perfectly. The mouthfeel is bigger than the 11.5% would indicate and is awesomely rich. ABV is so well integrated at this point, it is very smooth. This is awesome, one of the best beers I have had in quite some time.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 00:29:33 | More by twiggamortis420

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.89/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2009 bottle from TPatuto. Thanks! 12 oz for me.

A: Dark brown with a prune tint in the light. Thin ring of head after the pour foams to about a 1/4 inch. Sticky. Very sticky.

N: Wow. Deep breather. Bourbon, oak, toffee, caramel, and vanilla. Raisins, molasses, and more bourbon. Lots of black licorice. This is layered and it threatens to suck you in and hold you in its folds.

T: Sweet and bracing. Raisins and prunes. Toffee and caramels. There's a coffee like bitterness that mixes with the hop spiciness. Very, very oaken. Candied pecans. Trucks full of black and licorice. Some oxidation, but it adds to the beer. Both sweet and yet balanced - there's still quite a bitter element to this.

M: Like someone forced you to eat a crayon (and not in a disgusting way.) This is sticky and viscous.

O: I thought 3.5 years might have done this a disservice, but it's still going quite strong. If I lived in WI, I would stock up on this and age it to this range. This is far better than fresh Mother of all Storms. I will say, though, that despite my gushing about it, I had Arctic Devil after this and had to drop this one a few points because AD is just that much better and rounder. Still, a recommended beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 16:00:14 | More by writerLJBerg

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle courtesy of HopsMatt, thanks bro! Initial smell of the bottle is the same as sniffing a Jack Daniels or Crown Royal bottle: pure whiskey. The beer was an amber color, scant head. The aroma from the glass was more subdued bourbon with notes of vanilla. Flavor was vanilla, heavy booze, whiskey, caramel, decent but not great. Mouthfeel was a bit thin. I would not put this in the upper echelons of bourbon barrel barleywines but it was a decent offering overall.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 01:54:33 | More by ArrogantB

SummitVA

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Crystal clear deep auburn with ruby highlights on sides of glass. Light pop when opened, quarter inch white rocky head when poured. Steady carbonation.

S - Booze foremost. Licorice, then vanilla (and vanilla, then licorice after the glass warms to room temp), and wet oak. Lovely caramel and burnt sugar. I'm getting very little alcohol in the nose, strangely enough.

T - Bourbon and huge malt. Some dark caramel flavors, but little crystal sweetness. A little plum and date in the finish, along with a firm herbal bitterness. Alcohol far more apparent here; it is the last, lingering note, and it warms throat.

M - Medium bodied, but a good deal thinner than I was anticipating. Without bigger body, the alcohol in the finish tends to overwhelm.

O - Really happy to have had this at long last. A lovely, complex sipper. That being said, very glad to have another bottle that I can sit on for a year to see if the alcohol heat lessens.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 02:03:00 | More by SummitVA

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

More bottles from my latest Philly run. I am feeling adventurous today and may try to eradicate the bottle backlog that has been an albatross since school started back. Now, I am just running through backlog.

From the bottle (in poetic format): "Flavors of bourbon, malt, and hops meld quite good/Served at cellar temp like it should/Unified in one voice, our fans can rejoice/Charlie now comes aged on wood!"

A beautiful finger-and-a-half of dense, tawny head that left beautiful lacing in its wake as it fell. Color was a hazy deep-amber. Nose caused the back of my head to blow off! Coconut/vanilla bourbon melded with sweet malt to create a hot, boozy melange that seared my nostrils, filled my sinus cavity and when I stupidly struck a match to see what was going on, ignited, blowing out my brain housing group. Wheeee! Mouthfeel seemed to suffer from CWBC Disease, i.e. thinness, but the heat of this darling erased all downfalls. I had a Come-to-Jesus moment as it initially had the heat of strained and lit Sterno on my tongue. I was initially overwhelmed, but upon recovering, I got tastes of coconut/vanilla with a big caramel malt sweetness. Where did I score this? Oh, for another bottle or two to cellar ...

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 16:46:26 | More by woodychandler

harrymel

Washington

3.6/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled Jan, 2012
Pours hazy graham brown with an etched surface. Smells of bourbon, oak, sweet malts, some nougat and alohol with a hint of candied cherry. Taste is sweet and carries vanilla, bitterness, sharp alcohol, raisin, some oak a bit of toffee and plenty of crystalized malts. Odd body is initially medium, but has a hollow feel with lower carb and a wet finish. This is a decent brew, but nothing I remember being particularly exceptional when staged against MoAS.

Bottled January 2011, reviewed 12JUL11
3/4.5/2.5/4/3.5- 3.28
A: pours a hazy dark caramel ale with two fingers of yellow and creamy head. The head falls to a solid billowy sheet of the same. Spotty lacing. Orange hues sharpen where light passes through this murky ale.
S: Good stuff here. Bourbon, vanilla, oak, toffee, caramelized sugars. Really has a matured nose despite only being six months old. There's only a slight hint of tart smell I get from some BA BW's; but it is not intrusive here.
T: Sharp up front, the alcohol is present, but then it falls quickly to reveal some beautiful toffees, brittle, caramel, oak, bourbon is pretty strong in here IMO. As I've been drinking more of this beer, the alcohol seems to continue to be a little over the top; it overbears the other notes this beer has to offer.
M: chewy. Moderate carb. Sticky leftovers. Good feel.
O: A good beer with plenty of potential, but the heat is still up there IMO. I would like another bottle, but I would like it to sit for a year or two.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 07:33:51 | More by harrymel

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a cloudy orange-brown pour with a hint of carbonation that formed a slight foamy ring around the top of the glass. smells of maple, bourbon, vanilla.. not much of the typical barleywine smell aside from the sugary sweetness of the malt that rises immediately.. for being such a boozy beer, you don't really smell the alcohol. a bitterness up front that is slammed immediately by the sweetness of the bourbon and malt combined.. vanilla, wood, caramel, toffee, grassy hops in the finish. has a bitter aftertaste, which blends in perfectly with the vanilla bourbon flavor.

a full body, low carbonated beer. excellent sipper and great tasting.

i gave a bottle of this to my dad and he said it made him stop liking craft beer. i guess my dad's getting weirder now that he barely drinks anymore (due to heavy doses of heart medication), but he had a point. he was expecting a barleywine mostly, and he barely tasted it. all he got was bourbon, and that's mainly up front in this one, but the malt bill is still there, and let's face it - barleywine is about malt. the thing i don't get is he used to be a big scotch and bourbon drinker when i was a kid.. he just said he was grossed out because there was bourbon mixed in his beer.... but he didn't complain when i gave him my homebrew blackout stout (made with applewood and oak bourbon chips). i guess the moral of the story is, don't drink this if you just got out of the hospital and are expecting a non-bourbon flavored beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 09:42:46 | More by facundoCNB

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.05/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into an Allagash chalice. 2012 bottle.

Appearance - Deep ruby. Pours clear until some sediment comes through and I pull back the bottle. Holding it up reveals suspended silt like sea monkeys in red wine. Yum.

Smell - Very nice bourbon aroma with a shot of grapefruit hops. Caramel and vanilla shine through, but brown sugar is subdued by the hop presence.

Taste - Health barrel up front. Bourbon mostly. Vanilla compounds blend with the caramel backing to all of it. Brown sugar a little more prevalent here. Hops come back with a vengeance in the aftertaste. Combine with a sharp oak flavor that is a bit harsh.

Mouthfeel - Boozy. Barrel hot and a hot beer. I enjoy older vintages of this a little more. Sharp hops, booze, and barrel make for an intense beer that I'd rather was more subtle in all categories.

Overall - Excellent beer, if not the best BA barleywine out there. A consistent standby that I almost always have in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 02:17:27 | More by Alieniloquium

kdb150

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured cool from a 2012 bottle into a snifter.

A - Nice brown color with ruby highlights, small ivory head subsides to a persistent ring. A bit of lacing. Looks pretty good.

S - Bourbon, toffee, and a hint of ethanol. Smells good.

T - Bourbon up front and toffee in the back. The middle shows a more complex base beer, with hints of dark fruit and caramel. It is a bit hot, but appropriate for the ABV. This could definitely use some age, but it's a delicious beer right now.

M - Nice and syrupy, though not to thick or cloying. Leaves a great toffee aftertaste that is really quite pleasant. Carb is moderate, works well with the beer.

O - This is quite good right now, but will no doubt get even better with age. The flavors are all there, and great, and the alcohol, though noticeable, doesn't need much calming. Bourbon barrel-aged barleywine is one of my very favorite styles, and this one is good enough to stash many away for future cold and rainy days. A very well-done brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 02:36:08 | More by kdb150

matttttYCE

Arizona

4.45/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2012 Vintage. Huge thanks to Timmyj21 for sending me a few of these in our last trade! You're awesome man!

Pours into a large snifter with a murky, amber-brown, slightly purple hue. The head, light tan in color, reaches it's crest at about a finger high and dies out near as quick as it arose. All I'm left with is a small ring around the glass.

My initial thought is that it's very barrel forward and a touch hot with alcohol. Lots of bourbon barrel juice, hearty oak wood, vanilla, toasted coconut, and even some hints of char like charcoal filtering of the bourbon. Behind that is a nice presence of toffee, burnt brown sugar, plum and dark fruits hinting at chocolate covered cherries, caramel and "heavy" smelling malts. Very pleasing aroma, albeit a tad bit strong.

Starts off with a bit of peppery spice and twinge of alcohol, but it never reaches a hot or boozy level. Part of that may be hints of hops as well. Bourbon, dark charred notes, lots of oak barrel, hints at vanilla and coconut comes through a tad from the nose. Behind that are pleasant notes of toffee, caramelized and burnt brown sugar, candied sugars, dark fruits, plums and raisins, hints of light chocolate and chocolate covered cherries, and plenty of strong malt characteristic. Bourbon and spicey charred oak are on a whole other level in this one. Not that they are insanely intense, just a different side of barrel aging I had yet to taste. That is, I've never really experienced a beer that's had as much charcoal, strong oak, and peppery/spicy bourbon influence as this one. Truth be told, I find myself thoroughly enjoying it.

Carbonation is medium, while consistency is viscous and a bit filmy but not in a bad way. The body is nice and medium to medium-heavy. And the finish is a bit dry and leaves you with more of that peppery bourbon spice. Actually, I'm quite enjoying the finish...it's close to sipping on a nice spicy bourbon.

One word - Outstanding! This beer is wholly enjoyable and actually showed me another side of bourbon barrel aging that I hadn't experienced previously. I love it. Do I love it as much as I love, say, King Henry or Mother of All Storms? Well, I'm hard pressed to give an answer on that. I might have to have the three side by side to determine a favorite. In any case, very well done bourbon barrel aged barleywine. Also, I suppose you could call this one "hot" or "boozy" at this stage. Personally, I enjoyed it like that, but I'm thinking it should start to mellow after little while (say 8-12months). Might even hit a sweet spot. Can't wait to try them down the road a bit.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 02:27:53 | More by matttttYCE

cbeer88

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted blindly in the Blind BIF. Poured into Duvel tulip.

Apperance: Dark orange, bordering on brown. Decent finger and a half head on an aggressive pour, lots of carbonation bubbles. Light spotted lacing.

Smell: Caramel malt, oak, and a bit of a hop profile. Also a good amount of alcohol presence on the nose. Bourbon I do believe.

Taste: Really hot, the alcohol dominates the palate on this one. Bourbon barrel for sure. Underneath I get some caramel, some sweet bread-y flavor, and a good amount of pine flavored hop punch.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, moderately carbed.

Drinkability: Very low - this beer is really hot and needs some time to mellow.

Overall: I do think there is a very good beer in here, but it is so masked by the alcohol that I'm having a hard time tasting what lies underneath. I'll get through it alright without a struggle, but I would lay this down for a bit before attempting it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 19:26:17 | More by cbeer88

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to jstilwell for this, one of my fav styles by far. I love barleywines, and adding bourbon barrel to it... oh man! Been holding it for a little while, but it was already about a year old when I got it. 2011 vintage, I believe it has a notch in the January bottled date.

Pours a light creamy looking head covering that fades at a med pace to just a touch of head eventually, but typical for an 11.5% beer, it also leaves nice lacing on the sides as long lengs drip from the top of the lacing in a neat effect. The beer is a hazy murky sediment filled yeast chunked drunken haze looking thing, with a chestnut mahogany almost purple color.

Nose is awesome, malt city! Big malts, sweet malts, loaded caramel, toffee, brown sugar, a bit of molasses, candy syrup, even a touch of maple. That's quickly brought on with the fruits, tons of fig and plum, raisins soaked in brandy, light nutty quality with that. Next on the list is the bourbon, it's not dominant but it's definitely there. A light vanilla oaky barrel aroma as well, but more of the bourbon with a light sweetness and vanilla of it's own. As it warms I also get a hint of an earthy spicy chewy hop like profile. A slight tingly booze is in there but doesn't seem as high as it is.

Taste comes on sweet, candy sweet, a bit syrupy at first, but then the bourbon kicks in nicely. A nice big bourbon flavor that doesn't overpower but adds quite a bit. Nice sweet candy bourbon with some oak barrel, and lots of vanilla, as the vanilla really comes through nicely. Malts are a plenty with the sweetness, reddish candy malts, plenty of caramel sweeteners, toffee galore, brown sugar and molasses come in just a bit. Later on the back end there is a light coffee syrup flavor too which is unique. Then of course the fruits of the labor, some fig and date, and lots of brandy soaked raisins again. As the nose did, it also brings some spicy earthy chewy hops, with quite a bit of bitterness. I'm surprised the hops come through as well as they do for it being almost 2 years old now. Just a touch of warming booze comes in, but not nearly 11.5% except for a light booze taste in the background, but no tingle or heavy alcohol. Finish is long lingering, a smooth creamy coffee syrup taste, with lots more vanilla, some bourbon, a bit of booze fruits again, little more caramel and toffee, and a big blanket of spicy earthy hops bringing a big bitterness. Not too dry on the finish but compared to the initial sweetness it's fairly dry.

Mouth is fuller bodied, somewhat rich, decent carb for what it is, some warming booze.

Overall very nice, delicious, great bourbon that brings lots of flavor without overpowering, delicious vanilla, sweeteners, fruits, malts, and even a long spicy earthy hop that brings nice bitterness and has held up for almost 2 years. I wish I could get a lot of this beer. I wouldn't call it my fav bourbon barrel aged barleywine, but it's up there. Again right in with my top 3 styles.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 22:56:27 | More by jlindros

cfrances33

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle thanks to yamar68, poured into HF stem.

Pour: Ugly, muddy copper, with barely a finger of head that diminishes to a rim. Nice sticky legs, alcohol definitely there.

Smell: Toffee and bourbon up front, with some chewy raisins and vanilla. A hefty oak presence lends an almost smokey character.

Taste: A lot of barrel here, both with bourbon characteristics and a significant oak presence. Nice toffee and very chewy dates and figs. Some vanilla. Ends extremely woody, almost smokey, and any lingering taste is gone.

Mouthfeel: I can't decide if this is too sweet, or has too much of an alcohol presence. As it warms, these concerns are alleviated as it all blends together.

Overall: A very nice barrel aged barleywine, but not in the same league as KH, Sucaba, and Leon.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 20:43:34 | More by cfrances33

StoneTSR

Colorado

4.83/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

APPEARANCE: Typical mahogany color for a Barleywine with a surprisingly nice head of about a full finger. Unlike some others who have reviewed this beer here, the head hung in there for a while. The lacing was also quite nice.

SMELL: Very complex and delicious smeller with cherry, vanilla and wood leading the way. Some caramel and a touch of bread were also present.

TASTE: Everything from the nose is here in the taste as well. The cherry is dominant along with vanilla and wood. Adding to the caramel and bread is a little chocolate. The one thing missing from a typical Barleywine here is banana. It may be that the bourbon barrels overwhelm it, and either way, it doesn't need it, just a note that it isn't there as I expected it to be. The beer is delicious.

MOUTHFEEL: Like the smell and taste, the mouthfeel is very complex as well. While it starts out sweet, the hops in the middle create a small pucker of bitterness and the beer dries throughout each sip.

OVERALL: With all the flavors here it would have been easy to allow one to take over and tip the balance, but at no point does this delicious masterpiece go too far in any direction. Beer Advocate encourages reviewers only to use 5s when a beer is truly exceptional - and this is one of those cases.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 03:05:44 | More by StoneTSR

aasher

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This bottle was courtesy of TallPaul07, thanks Paul!

This one pours a medium bodied cherry wood brown with a one finger beige head. The nose is pretty balanced. There is oak, vanilla, caramel, molasses, and even some red grape character. The flavors too are complex and it drinks an off dry. The flavors are sweet and malty, featuring dark red fruit, a good amount of oak, vanilla, toffee, and a moderate amount of alcohol. Pretty solid and more balanced than I expected. It drinks big and sticky with a good amount of wood and alcohol in the aftertaste. Overall I liked this quite a bit. It's better than the majority of barrel aged barley wines out there.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 03:46:48 | More by aasher

mikeyv35

New York

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Date: 03/24/12
Type: 12oz. Bottle
Vintage: 2012
Glass: Ommegang Tulip

Pours a brown mahogany in color w/ a 1/2 finger off white head that left medium lacing. Fantastic aromas of oak, vanilla, bourbon, butterscotch, and brown sugar. The flavor was of butterscotch/brown sugar sweetness up front, transitioning to oak/vanilla/bourbon, and finishing w/ hop bitterness. Medium bodied and lush w/ appropriate carbonation. Definite sipper! Pretty boozy, but nice to contemplate your thoughts with.

Overall, very enjoyable brew! This one could be all-world w/ a few years of age in the cellar, as it was a bit hot for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 19:16:43 | More by mikeyv35

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.53/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle from 2010, poured into a Duvel tulip. Thanks to EliteDigger for getting me this one in an in-person trade a couple DLDs ago.

A: Pours a cloudy dark red-brown body under a finger of fine tan head that settles slowly into a ring and leaves plenty of delicate lace. Pretty good.

S: Wow that's boozy...in a good way. Huge barrel presence, with luscious bourbon and raw oak absolutely dominating. Walnut, raisin, and vanilla have supporting roles. Not too sweet, hugely complex, and simply amazing.

T: Toffee and bourbon right up front, followed by vanilla, coconut, dark fruit, and booze-soaked wood on the finish. Really harsh on the back end, but it's worth it.

M: Thick, creamy, a little sticky. Very nice.

O: Great beer. One of the most bourbon-forward beers I've ever had, even after a couple years. If it finished more smoothly it would be right up there with the very, very best.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 23:42:34 | More by woosterbill

Morey

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a murky dirty brown color with one finger of beige colored foam following a medium aggressive pour. The head settled extremely fast to nothing but a thin and spotty layer. There's definitely some alcohol legs on the sides of my snifter, but the lacing quickly retreats back into the beer.

Aroma: Plenty of bourbon up front is followed closely by a huge wave a caramel malts. Smells sweet and sugary with a hint of sticky earthy hops. I'm also getting raisins in there as well.

Taste: In your face bourbon/alcohol up front gives way to caramel and earthy malt flavors. There's some sticky hop bitterness towards the middle. I'm also getting some dark fruit like sweetness towards the back-end. Plenty of bourbon along with a good dose of alcohol heat on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body with a sticky feel. Low level of carbonation.

Morey's Bottom Line: A BIG BAD Barleywine to be sure! If you don't like big beers, this isn't for you. Plenty of bourbon and warming alcohol following each sip. A bit more on the earthy side than most English-style Barleywines. It's somewhere in between American and English.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 17:40:36 | More by Morey

AwYeh

California

4.48/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to seeswo for sending me this in the 2011 Black Booty BIF. This early fall-feeling night seemed like the perfect occasion to crack this one open on. 2011 vintage, poured into snifter.

A: Pours a deep amber-brown color, with a finger of tan head topping off the glass. A bit of lacing remains.

S: Bourbon, caramel, vanilla, molasses, brown sugar, toffee, and just a bit of alcohol. Great barleywine aroma.

T: Taste follows smell, with a hint more of alcohol coming in alongside oak to add to what was already there. Personally, I'm loving the alcohol alongside the great flavor- the spice and warmth accent it perfectly. Fantastic.

M: Medium-thick body with light carbonation. Its sticky characteristics accent the finish perfectly, allowing the flavor to linger in my mouth for minutes after a sip. Considering the strong body on this one, I'm wondering if it would hold up to a cigar. If I ever get my hands on a few more bottles of this, it will be something to try out.

O: Amazing beer; I was concerned that I hadn't aged it long enough when I gave in to opening it tonight, but it's certainly already an amazing beer to drink. Have a glass of this if you're lucky enough to be in its distribution range; you won't go wrong. This rivals Hoppin Frog's Naked Evil for my favorite barleywine to date, and very well may have just overtaken it.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 08:35:06 | More by AwYeh

DevilsCups

New York

4.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle received as an extra from Nwu008. Thanks! 2012 Vintage.

A - Pours clear out the bottle but settles very murky and mahogany/brown in the glass. Small light tan colored head that dissipates fairly quick.

S - Amazing aroma of bourbon, vanilla, red licorice and booze. Brown sugar in there S well. Just awesome.

T - Follows the nose completely. Bourbon and vanilla hit first, then comes the red licorice and finishes with the brown sugar/toffee notes. This is wonderful.

M - Well carbonated, maybe a bit too much but it's fine. A bit fizzy, but smooth. Can't really fault too much.

O - Great beer from Central Waters. They're doing wonderful things with their barrel program.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 01:19:42 | More by DevilsCups

FosterJM

California

4.23/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1482nd Review on BA
Bottle to Snifter
12oz

2011 Vintage
Thanks to ErikKoppin for this one

App- A deep and rich coloring intermixed with reds/browns/ambers and a little bit of mahogany. A nice puffy 2 finger head that was a bit tan and eggshell lasted longer than I though. Good lacing as well.

Smell- A bit think for my bourbon liking but was really nice aromatically. Boozy, malty, rich and creamy. A good note of toffee and darker fruits. Not per se quad like but close with figs and dark cherry.

Taste- Its a very good beer. Lots of depth of flavors with nothing really competeing with eachother but working together. Darker fruits and toffee along with boozy notes. Its a bit thick with creamy malts.

Mouth- A thinner medium body with a semi-prickly medium carbonation. Good flavors remain with malts, booze and candy sweetness.

Drink- Its a very tasty and solid 12oz. Love the fact its single serving. The booze is very well layered and doesnt over power. Glad I have a 12 to hold onto until next year.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 19:13:50 | More by FosterJM

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a hazy chestnut color with a very thin lacing ring and steady, but light carbonation.

S - Bourbon, toasted caramel and toffee, figs, oak, brown sugar, molasses, and some alcohol effervescence.

T - Bourbon and oak is right up front out of the gates and stays throughout with a big presence. Toffee caramel, some vanilla, figs, and warming alcohol presence. There's a slight pine/citrus bitterness at the very end, but it's light.

M - Medium body and a little light for a barley but still works very well.

O - A very enjoyable barleywine, I'm glad I finally had the opportunity to try this.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 02:26:40 | More by jzeilinger

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle, poured into a snifter; Jan 2012 bottling

A somewhat murky mahogany body, with a small, ecru colored cap that fell quickly. Just some bubbles remain along the edges.

The nose is of figs, caramel, dates, maple syrup, oak, bourbon, brown sugar, and some cocoa powder. Big and bold, assertive in all the right places.

On the palate, toffee and caramel with figs/raisins/dates quickly in tow. Some brown sugar and cocoa powder through the middle before a huge wave of bourbon and oak seal the deal. The finish is sugary and full of toffee and bourbon.

The body is on the lighter side of full with low carbonation. I felt this needed a little more body to really put it over the edge. A little undercarbonated as well.

This is a tasty beer in all aspects. Big, bold flavors and with a fuller body and better carbonation, this beer would really shine.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 21:09:14 | More by ColForbinBC

azdback

Arizona

4.53/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into my Brurery Tulip. Very dark caramel colored. Cloudy with an off white tan colored head of about a finger. Head lays down rather quickly to leave minimal lace and a very small collar of the same color as the head.

Smell is just outstanding. Sweet caramelized sugar, vanilla, wood, bourbon, alcohol. This is exactly what I wanted this to smell like. Homerun!!

Taste is much like the nose. Sweet vanilla and carmel first, and the barrel coming in next with some charred oak flavors and some spice. A bit peppery on the swallow along with some mild alcohol burn. This is really good.

Mouth is bright and on the spritzy with medium/high carbonation. Body full rich and the finish is long and very wet. The alcohol burn is minor but needs mentioning.

Overall I really loved this beer. A great example of a Barleywine and on top of it they barrel aged this one to perfection. Thanks to TIMMYJ21 for this. Highly recommended you pick this up in a trade or off the shelf if you are so lucky.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 05:34:23 | More by azdback

2beerdogs

California

4.45/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wow!! Another BIG THANKS to ASUBeer for this one.

Not going to break it all down into separate categories.

Pours a beautiful ruby meets dark honey in color with a half inch of quickly dissipating creamy head. The aroma brings pure bliss. Gives that well balanced barleywine, not sweet enough to be a truly English one, but sweeter than some of the ones out there that the hops flatten out the sweet. Smells a bit like Mother of all Storms, with some barrel thrown in. Very tantalizing. The flavor is quick to grab. A bit of Bourbon barrel, malt, hint of fruity caramel ( I know that one sounds a bit off), and...gentle heat. Mine is a young one, 2012, and this is August. But not offputting in the least-just the opposite, Nirvana. Mouthfeel is full enough with a silky, slightly oily finish. Malt and Bourbon barrel linger in the aftertaste--thankfully.

Now I need another 3-4 bottles to sit on, and see how they are in a year or two. Great Barleywine!

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 04:37:43 | More by 2beerdogs