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Brewer's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale
Central Waters Brewing Co.
- From:
- Central Waters Brewing Co.
- Wisconsin, United States
- Style:
- Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Ranked #7 - ABV:
- 12%
- Score:
- 95
Ranked #1,664 - Avg:
- 4.27 | pDev: 7.26%
- Reviews:
- 244
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 18, 2024
- Added:
- Jul 16, 2013
- Wants:
- 101
- Gots:
- 290
Cherrywood smoked Scotch ale aged in used 12 year old bourbon barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Nass from Florida
4.42/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.42/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
The pour is umber brown. The taste rich, malty, bourbon, vanilla, & dark chocolate. Overall, this was a great scotch ale but Founders Brewing has them beat by a point or two. The 12% abv drinks like a 9% abv beer. Cheers! A-
Feb 18, 2024Reviewed by MercInc from Wisconsin
4.18/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Very dark., with a dark tan head. More like a "Stout " or a "Porter" than a "Scottish Ale" . Heavy and flavorful. I'll be serving this on our "Burn' s Supper" night.
Jan 17, 2024Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri
4.34/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.34/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12oz bottle. Poured out a dark, dark brown color with a small, off-white head of foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass. It smelled of bourbon, oak, vanilla, smoked malt, peat and toffee. Strong bourbon taste with maltiness, smokiness, caramel and toffee.
Jan 11, 2024Reviewed by DarkPassport
4.27/5 rDev 0%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.27/5 rDev 0%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: 12-ounce brown bottle with a dull and simplistic label absent of an ABV or date. Poured into a tulip glass. Very dark and turbid chocolatey brown color. 1-centimeter of light frothy dark tan foam went away in about 10-15 seconds.
Aroma: Malt, malt, and more malt. Molasses and dried dark fruit with some black licorice. Bourbon ethanol. Cream. Tiny bit of cacao and an even smaller amount of smoke.
Taste: Rich and creamy mixture of caramelized malt, vanilla, toffee, bourbon, and raisin. A touch of smoked dark chocolate.
Feel: Thick and creamy. Low carbonation that is fitting to the style.
Overall: Great Scotch ale and excellent complexity. They did a great job masking the 12% ABV. The dark fruit could be toned down slightly in favor of more caramel or bread.
Dec 25, 2023Aroma: Malt, malt, and more malt. Molasses and dried dark fruit with some black licorice. Bourbon ethanol. Cream. Tiny bit of cacao and an even smaller amount of smoke.
Taste: Rich and creamy mixture of caramelized malt, vanilla, toffee, bourbon, and raisin. A touch of smoked dark chocolate.
Feel: Thick and creamy. Low carbonation that is fitting to the style.
Overall: Great Scotch ale and excellent complexity. They did a great job masking the 12% ABV. The dark fruit could be toned down slightly in favor of more caramel or bread.
Reviewed by DarkLordScott from Wisconsin
4.18/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours dark chocolate brown with a frothy, vigorous two finger head. Aroma is dark fruit (raisins, dark cherries) and malt. Taste is in the middle of the spectrum, with wood characters and that dark fruit again. Carbonation is moderately low. Nothing too complicated here -- just straightforward Scotch ale.
Oct 19, 2023Reviewed by Thomas_Wikman from Texas
4.45/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.45/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Look: Black with a thick mocca colored head
Aroma: caramel, plum, bourbon
Flavor: sweet caramel, molasses, some dark fruit, plum I think and significant bourbon. Not very boozy and easy drinking.
Body/Overall: full bodied. Top notch world class.
Sep 29, 2023Aroma: caramel, plum, bourbon
Flavor: sweet caramel, molasses, some dark fruit, plum I think and significant bourbon. Not very boozy and easy drinking.
Body/Overall: full bodied. Top notch world class.
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
3.75/5 rDev -12.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -12.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle at share. Almost clear brown pour, short lived beige foamy head. Aroma is malty, caramel, bourbon notes. Taste brings more earthy malts flavors, nutty, a little vanilla, toffee. What it doesn't have is any sign of peated malts. Seems a little dull due to age.
Jul 01, 2023Reviewed by Scottsbeer from Florida
3.18/5 rDev -25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.18/5 rDev -25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Rating based on the beer I had and I am sure it doesn't reflect it when it is fresh. Somebody who will remain nameless sent this to me as a blind beer. 2016 bottle received and drank September 2021. Old oxidized and flat. There are enough ratings here that this rating for a 5 year old beer will not affect the overall score. If I get a fresh one at some point I will update.
Oct 07, 2021Reviewed by bluejacket74 from Ohio
4.45/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.45/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
12 ounce bottle, 2021 vintage. Thanks to Brutaltruth for this! Served in a thistle glass, the beer pours a dark brown color with about a half inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both decent enough. Aroma is nice and malty, the brew smells like caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, toffee, molasses, oak and bourbon. I think the taste pretty much follows the aroma, but with the addition of some raisin and light earthy and peaty flavors. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's slick and easy enough to drink with a moderate amount of carbonation. Doesn't drink like it's 12% ABV. I think this is a pretty good barrel aged Scotch Ale, certainly worth buying if you come across some!
Sep 19, 2021Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia
4.15/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 4.25
4.15/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 4.25
Vintage 2017 bottle:
Decent head for an old BBA beer, although the beer has a near flat feel to it. Nose is bourbon-soaked dessert bread with dates, dark brown sugar, and a little raisin. There’s a shrouded robust red wine tannin aspect as well. Feel somehow dampens taste, but there’s spiced bread, bourbon, and brown sugar coming through. Lingering charred sugar brings sweetness and a hint of bitterness. A nice BBA beer that I really want to have with a little more carbonation.
Sep 07, 2021Decent head for an old BBA beer, although the beer has a near flat feel to it. Nose is bourbon-soaked dessert bread with dates, dark brown sugar, and a little raisin. There’s a shrouded robust red wine tannin aspect as well. Feel somehow dampens taste, but there’s spiced bread, bourbon, and brown sugar coming through. Lingering charred sugar brings sweetness and a hint of bitterness. A nice BBA beer that I really want to have with a little more carbonation.
Reviewed by brureview from Massachusetts
4/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a dark chocolate color with a 2F head in a Gordon scotch ale glass.
Mild aroma of oak.
Moderate MF.
Bourbon barrel taste, oak with a sharp bitterness in the finish.
This is one of my favorite styles.
Central Waters is an excellent brewer, but this offering falls short of their usual big beers.
There should be more fruit, and more carbonation as usual in the style.
I possibly opened it too soon.
Excellent beer worthy of cellaring.
Aug 29, 2021Mild aroma of oak.
Moderate MF.
Bourbon barrel taste, oak with a sharp bitterness in the finish.
This is one of my favorite styles.
Central Waters is an excellent brewer, but this offering falls short of their usual big beers.
There should be more fruit, and more carbonation as usual in the style.
I possibly opened it too soon.
Excellent beer worthy of cellaring.
Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri
4.25/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Dark brown in color with a murky complexion. There's a fingernail of brown around the rim. The aroma is of sweet, caramelized malt and bourbon. I'm tasting sweet dark malt, bourbon, and some smoke. The mouth is sticky, boozy, and chewy.
Jun 14, 2021
Brewer's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale from Central Waters Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
95 out of
100 with
1104 ratings
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