Central Waters Brewer's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout Review

Name: Central Waters Brewer's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.5%
IBUs: N/A

While 2016 has been a mixed bag for a lot of people, this year has treated me pretty well: Started a career, got a new car, visited Disney World for the first time ever and, most importantly, I got to try most of the Brewer's Reserve offerings from Central Waters.

Which brings us to their Bourbon Barrel Stout, an Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels. Out of all the ones I've had so far, this one has been the hardest to track down but here we are and it's ready to drink! Good thing too, considering that temperatures are currently right around zero

Appearance - Pitch black with a thin brown head with some very spotty lacing left behind.

Aroma - Rich oak and vanilla notes with some strong chocolate malts and bitter hops. I'm also getting a light cherry undertone, but that is more than likely coming from the hops being used.

Taste - Strong oak and chocolate malts upfront. In the back I'm getting some vanilla and more oak notes with some mild bitter hops and some mild roastiness. The aftertaste is mainly chocolate malts with a light hint of oak.

Once again, Central Waters delivers on making an excellent barrel aged beer. With just the right amount of bourbon and oak thrown into the mix, this is an exceptional Imperial Stout that is absolutely worthy of your attention and serves as a reminder to me that Central Waters has one of the best bourbon barrel aging programs of any brewery out there.

Central Waters Brewer's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout - 9.5/10