Fifteen - Central Waters Brewing Company

maximum12

Minnesota

4.63/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Finally popped a bottle open with my wife after drinking a few glasses of this at the Anniversary Party...with the creeping beginnings of a cold. Glad to enjoy it properly now. 22 oz. bottle split in half...almost.

Pour is black & fairly still, even with a harder pour. The nose is much more impressive, & mimics almost exactly a bourbon-soaked, double-chocolate Ghiradelli fudge brownie. That's a pretty nice smell. Actually, that's a damn marvelous smell. Nice start.

Fifteen isn't going to get you a supermodel GF, make you popular, or thicken that hairline, but hey, only dumb beer geeks expect things like that of a brew. What it is, is much like the smell. Bloody big bourbon jars the palate right out of the gate: no subtle touch, & that's fine by me, I hate searching for the booze in my barrel-aged beers. That lovely fudginess comes up right behind, almost batter-like. Big vanilla & nice roast add to the mayhem. Drying, toasted wood rides up at the end. Thick & chewy. Ridiculously drinkable, I'm sipping this like ice tea in the Sahara.

Is Fifteen the end of beer evolution? No. Haters are hatering, though, the backlash being so obvious as to be amusing. Anyways, I love this beer less than my daughters, which by geek standards means this beer is a miserable failure. Wait, no, actually, it's excellent. A beautifully constructed brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 03:41:15 | More by maximum12

CLCardinal84

Illinois

4.96/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Got this bottle in a trade with Mike (SixPack6)

I am not sure why the last few reviews have been so average as this was one of the best beers I have ever tasted.

A: Cola colored pour with a decent ring of carbonation in the top of the snifter

S: I could just sit and smell this beer. Bourbon, chocolate, molasses and oak hits the nose.

T: Wow, mind blown. This was the most perfectly integrated stout I have ever had. It hit every taste that I am looking for in a barrel-aged stout. Every smell I listed above, I tasted in the beer.

M: Albeit a little on the thin side (not every BA Stout is as thick as BCBS), it was very well carbonated and creamy on the tongue.

O: I would put this just below BB Vanilla Bean Dark Lord and Rare but above just about every other barrel-aged stout I've ever had. Fantastic beer, and if you have the opportunity to get a bottle I would do it in a heartbeat.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 23:30:09 | More by CLCardinal84

RandomBattle

New York

2.95/5  rDev -35.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

22oz. Poured into a snifter, like a boss!

Appearance - Dark, dark brown, with about 1 fingers worth of beige head. At this point I was pretty amped...

Smell - Heavy whiskey/bourbon in the nose, very in your face and it severely overpowered any other aromas wafting forth. At this point I was still mildly amped...

Taste - Heavy whiskey/bourbon notes with a decent chocolate, toasty stout flavor in the background. Slightly one dimensional. At this point I was a little disappointed...

Mouthfeel - Very thin and fleeting. Many reviews claim this is thicker than the 1414...which makes me glad I never had it. This is definitely the weakest component of this beer. At this point I was very disappointed...

Overall - not for nothing...but I'm pretty mad at myself for buying into the hype of this one. This beer completely fell through my expectations of it, based on the hype. I've had countless barrel aged stouts that were far and away better than this. At this point I was extremely pissed I traded for this...

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 05:21:00 | More by RandomBattle

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.71/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to joshuasereese for the bottle!

Pours motor oil black with hardly any head from a vigorous pour. Slight lacing. Looks fairly flat.

Big chocolate aroma. Some vanilla and maybe oak and chocolate if I strain enough, but chocolate is overpowering, but smells delicious.

Unfortunately the flavor does not live up to the smell or hype. Big chocolate bomb of a beer. Up front the tastes are muddied and all over the place. A little booze although not nearly as integrated and present as I'd prefer. Some roasted malt, oak and vanilla. Finishes with a big bitter dark chocolate linger. Easily the best part of the flavor.

Pretty thick body with lowish carbonation.

Don't understand why the hype train is pulling out of the station for this one. Not bad by any means, but the flavors are a jumbled mess, alcohol is not very well integrated and it's just hard to drink in general despite the fact that there are some legitimately good flavors coming out of this at times. Really it's a slightly less sweet version of what ST Chokolat wants to be. Maybe it'll age better, but for now I'll pass on trying to obtain any more.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 15:45:30 | More by jmarsh123

rodkin

Missouri

3.2/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance is pretty flat, black, medium thickness. Nothing special.

Smell is humongous chocolate, followed by vanilla, caramel, oak, bourbon. Really just waves of chocolate though. Smells great, if slightly one-dimensional.

This is, well... hmm. Boozy upfront, astringent bitter coffee, oak, some chocolate in the finish, slight bit of vanilla. The flavors are jumbled together, it's kind of a mess. This is very average. As it sits it opens up slightly, becomes a bit less boozy and a bit more chocolatey. Still though, a BCBS blows this out of the water.

Mouthfeel is overcarbonated and not thick enough.

I don't get what people are on about with this beer. Smells great, but it's all downhill from there. Honestly, I don't think you should waste your time on this. Not worth what you have to trade to get it.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 04:29:38 | More by rodkin

Sean9689

Illinois

3.49/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to thetomg for sharing. 22oz bottle into tulip.

Pours black, light mocha head, thin ring around the glass, and some legs & spotty lacing. The nose is lots of booze, some chocolate, burnt sugars, and a good amount of barrel influence. Taste is all barrel and hot booze, pretty messy. The chocolate and burnt sugars are hidden by the overpowering oak & booze...the extra time in the barrel is to blame, I'm sure. Body is medium, light carbonation, sweet creamy finish.

After being let down by 1414 last year and reading all the stellar reviews here on BA, I was expecting this one to be amongst my top beers of 2013 so far. After trying this, I can easily say this is overhyped beyond belief and is just a hot boozy & oaky mess. Perhaps some additional time in the bottle will improve this one, but right now, it's the most overhyped beer on BA.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 18:25:34 | More by Sean9689

Jfriz25

Wisconsin

4.56/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Appearance- Dark brown with some ruby edges. Light brown head that fades to a ring around the edge of the glass.

Smell- The dominant smell is dark fruit followed by huge bourbon notes.

Taste- Bourbon dominates. The dark fruit that was in the nose isn't there. Some booze finishes. The highlight is super smooth bourbon that I'm attributing to 26 months in the barrel.

Mouthfeel- Thinner body then expected but it is still super rich and smooth. Moderate carbonation that helps boost the feel.

Overall- The bourbon is amazingly smooth and balanced. I love the mouthfeel and nose. It is a little lighter in color than Id like from a RIS but overall it was delicious.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 03:09:35 | More by Jfriz25

seeswo

Ohio

4.36/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle opened alongside 1414, Peruvian, BBBW, BBS, BBCS. Also, I'm a huge fan of CW - they are really good people and I have been supporting them for a long time.

Pours black, like you'd expect. Short tannish cocoa head. Looks good. Smells of vanilla, a bit of dark chocolate and bourbon. Smells nice, though maybe a touch mellow. Certainly inviting. Taste was very balanced and smooth. Dark chocolate, vanilla, bourbon spirit and a bit of wood come through. The body was inviting - smooth and relatively full. Enjoyable. Overall, this beer was one of the better from the balanced and subtle category. Nothing big in the flavor at all, but a nice drinker. I might even say it is a bit modest. Time was nice to this one, as it opened up (not from warmth, as it was served slightly above cellar) and you spent some time with it. Probably not the perfect beer to enjoy at a tasting unless you wanna give it 45 minutes to sip and get a decent pour (like I did do).

So, we decided to open a BCBS. This really popped in contrast to the 15. Following that, we opened Black Tuesday and Grey Monday. BT was a little hot and I think the argument could be made the 15 was better, but not substantially. Grey Monday was just better and that is that. Having recently enjoyed a lot of these barrel-aged imperials, this is the order of some recent ones I've done: Grey Monday = BCBS > BA Pt5 > 15 = 1414 = BT > Black Note > CW BBS.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 01:39:49 | More by seeswo

Blackboardbrewing

Minnesota

4.99/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

One of the many bottles I have cellaring, 4 to be exact.

Thought I'd compare my thoughts of bottle versus tap at the brewery.

A: Pouring out the bottle a dark almost black, yet no opaque into the glass, similar to 1414. A hair more viscous. I wish I couldn't see the reddish brown hues, but that's the only area this beer suffers.

S: Overwhelming to the nose, massive flavors of toffee, vanilla, coconut, and a nice smooth bourbon spirit presence. Aging in barrels this long you'd expect that. A very nice baker's chocolate combined with sweet caramel overwhelms the olfactory. Amazing.

T: What can I say, this is the best Imperial Stout I have ever tasted, especially with the barrel character. Layers and layers of complexity. I am seriously speechless. I taste amazing stout meets barrel. Smooth as can be. Absolutely incredible.

M: I used to knock CW for a lot of their stouts being thin, and to be honest, I thought this one would suffer as well, 1414 was a bit thin, but this is perfect. I don't know what they did, but they balanced out everything so nicely, no syrupy characteristics, perfectly carbonated. A+

O: Once again, CW knocks it WAY out of the park. This beer is perfect. I'm excited to see what a year or two makes this...But how can you already improve upon darn near perfection! YUM!

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 18:40:55 | More by Blackboardbrewing

ElderPuma

Wisconsin

4.94/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

15 poured dark brown to black with a brown one finger head.

Smell was rich bourbon, vanilla, toffee, overall pretty amazing.

The smell was outdone by the taste which was a complex mix of great bourbon flavor and vanilla notes which was supported perfectly by the underlying beer.

Moutfeel was excellent, the best I have ever experienced for a big ABV BA stout. Silky, smooth, rich and creamy without being too heavy.

This for me was the best BA stout I have ever had and that is saying something given the number of very highly rated versions I have had. The 26 months in the barrel seemed to have an amazing overall affect that allowed the beer and bourbon to completely meld and make for a perfect marriage.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 13:17:55 | More by ElderPuma

MarcatGSB

Michigan

4.81/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from 22 oz. bottle into Central Waters snifter.

A: Pours a very smooth deep black with an amazing, long lasting, frothy beige colored head. Good appearance of very small bubbled lacing around the edge of the glass, slowly working it's way down.

N: The nose is really fantastic. Erupts out of the glass upon pouring, notes of big fudge, cream, vanilla, and some really mellow bourbon character. A subtle bit of dark coffee give way to notes of marshmellow and mild oak.

T: This beer is very, very complex. It has many deep layers, followed by other deep layers. First impression is a very robust deep roast coffee filled with chocolate and nuts, only to give way to this beautiful creamy sweet vanilla character, rounded out by that beautiful dry oak again. The oak is so slight, but settles in amazingly as the vanilla fades.

M: Ohh so creamy. It's a full mouthfeel. With so many layers, it touches every taste on your palate, minus maybe any spice. It's so lasting, giving way to new things for what seems an eternity. The carbonation is right on, just enough to provide some room for everything to dance. It allows the full, rich body to shine.

D and O: This beer is much more impressive out of the bottle, I'd say. When I tried it on tap at the anniversary party, I wasn't blown away. I thought it was good, and slightly better than the traditional BA Stout, Peruvian, etc, but out of the bottle this beer really shines. There is something to be said about drinking a beer out of the proper glassware, sitting in your own living room, and really being able to dissect a beer. With that opportunity, this beer shines greatly. It's so deep, and rich, yet remains very well balanced and extremely drinkable. This beer is on par with Rare and RareR D.O.S., yet firmly sits above the likes of Abyss, Black Note and BCBS...

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 01:45:19 | More by MarcatGSB

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.94/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22 oz bottle poured into a Central Waters tulip.
Serve in a snifter. Serving temp 45-50°F

A - This imperial stout pours velvety smooth and almost creamy, filling the glass with an inky black beer. With the amount of alcohol and time in the barrel, it's hard to request a firm, long-lasting head from the beer. A ring of tan foam creates a surface halo though.

S - Fifteen's robust and powerful nose displays layers of complexity within this beer beginning with mellow, not hot, bourbon alcohol. Notes of white chocolate and vanilla follow and pair with the oak's nutty, earthy characteristics, becoming reminiscent of a white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookie. Milk chocolate and notes of coffee assist with a touch of astringency on the finish.

T - The robust aroma expands ever further in flavor, developing deeper complexity and changing flavors from a white chocolate cookie to a barrista-made coffee drink. Creamy milk chocolate overlaps espresso like a chocolate-covered coffee bean while a swirl of French vanilla and hazelnut are dribbled in. Fifteen's exceptional flavor finishes with a subtle undertone of earthy, wet oak which compliments the nutty characteristics of the beer.

M - Fine carbonation gently lingers on the tongue keeping this imperial stout from feeling flat, but the voluptuous, full body is impeccably smooth and creamy with a chewy, lingering finish. Mildly dry, warming solvent alcohol finishes out with a nod to bitter black coffee.

O - Paul and Anello continue to out-do themselves. Central Waters' Fifteen anniversary beer is exceptional in every regard from it's captivating aroma to the bold, evocative flavor and smooth, creamy finish. This is what barrel aged stouts should aspire to be; ready to drink without cloying booziness but also worthy of further cellaring. I see another GABF medal in their future.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 23:37:51 | More by BeerFMAndy

Drucifer

Illinois

4.94/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had on-tap in a plastic 8 ounce cup at the CW 15th anny party.

A: Not much head on it, but it was a very dark brew

S: Lots of bourbon, oak, vanilla, chocolate. As with appearance, very similar to 1414 here as well

T: Wow, this is a world class brew. This is where it seperates itself from 1414. Very similar all around, but the borubon/oak character is much more pronounced. Vanilla, chocolate, roasts are all very balanced. No flavors really dominate the others. No booze or hotness to it at all.

M: Not too thin, not too thick. I'd say it's just right. for the abv and style.

O: This is a beautiful barrel aged stout that hits everything you want in the style at a perfect balance. I could easily drink 40 ounces of this if it were more available and my health/wallet wasn't at stake.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2013 18:08:32 | More by Drucifer

CityofBals

Illinois

5/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served on-tap at Central Waters into a plastic taster cup.

A: Black with brown edges, small cascading mocha bubbles rise as the beer nestles into the plastic cup.

N: Huge notes of molasses, vanilla, bourbon, fudge, dark chocolate, and a slit hint of coconut. As it warms, the flavors start to open up, chocolate liqueur poured on to raisins, marshmallows, light oak notes, this thing keeps changing every time I put my nose to the cup! World class.

T: This beer is about as complex as I can imagine. I was worried that it would be thin, but hell no. My first sip was like a bourbon soaked snickers bar, molasses comes to mind immediately, followed by beautiful vanilla and nut accents. There really is no way to explain how smooth this beer goes down, the beer changes so much as it warms, it's really great stuff. I'm happy this is lower ABV, it'd be way to dangerous at 15%>. This is like BBPT5 to the Nth degree. Cheers Paul and Anello!

M: Can you say chocolate milk? This is smooth, creamy, complex, and it leaves you wanting more. (just lick your teeth for a second taste!) The carbonation is enough to allow the beer to open up, and coat your mouth in delicious bourbon and fudge.

O: Well, this is a game changer. Supremely balanced, smooth, and worthy of sharing CW's 15th birthday. The complexity of the flavors meld so perfectly, it is a testament to the talent of the brewers at CW's. Cheers again guys! Move over BBPT5, BCBS, BN, and say hello to BA DL and Rare. This is a real treat, share this with the best of friends.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2013 01:11:10 | More by CityofBals