Central Waters Brewer's Reserve Rye Barrel Stout Review

Name: Central Waters Brewer’s Reserve Rye Barrel Stout
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 11.9%
IBUs: 42

I’m taking a break from reviewing hazy beers to look at another entry into a beloved series of mine from Central Waters Brewing. Since reviewing their Cherry Stout, I’ve made it a goal of mine to try out all of the Central Waters Brewer’s Reserve beers since I’ve grown accustomed to the quality of the offerings in the series.

For my sixth look in the series, I’ve got my hands on their Rye Barrel Stout, which is of course, an Imperial Stout aged that was aged in rye whiskey barrels for a full year. There isn’t really much else for me to say, so let’s take a look at this!

Appearance – Opaque black color with a thin brown colored head & a spotty amount of lacing left behind along the sides of the glass

Aroma – Strong chocolate malt and roasted barley scent upfront with some vanilla and oak notes tucked away behind that. There’s also a light but encompassing rye spiciness there to let you know that this is very much a rye barrel-aged stout.

Taste – Right away, I’m getting that strong chocolate maltiness and roasted barley flavor, which is immediately followed by that vibrant oak and rye spiciness. On the back end of the palate is where that vanilla sweetness starts to shine and help bring balance; Especially to the rye aspect of the flavor. In the aftertaste, I’m getting some light bitter hoppiness paired with those oak, vanilla and chocolate malt flavors; Along with a light boozy heat and it lingers for a few moments.

It goes without saying that this is a fantastic beer. I’d even go as far as to recommend that even those who aren’t fans of Rye Beers will enjoy this, it’s that good! Everything melds together wonderfully and it is a nice change of scenery from all the beers that I’ve had as of late. That said, this is very easy for me to recommend.

Central Waters Brewer’s Reserve Rye Barrel Stout – 9.5/10