Style: Barrel Aged Barleywine

ABV: 11.5

88/100

Aroma:	11
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	17
Mouthfeel:	4

Central Waters Brewing Bourbon Barrel Barleywine

What the brewers say

"A barleywine ale aged for a full year on used bourbon barrels, this beer has avors of dark fruits and wood, winner of the Gold Medal at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival.”

What our panel thought

Aroma: “The expected sweet malt notes are complemented by cleansing alcohol notes. Malts share the stage with notes of toffee and turbinado. Rich toasty and slightly caramelized notes. Moderate oak and vanilla with moderate alcohol.”

Flavor: “Malt sweetness is slightly sticky, but does not overpower the other elements of the beer. Hops bitterness is medium strong and cuts some of the malt sweetness. The barrel comes in later with notes of bourbon and coconut. Noticeable alcoholic heat. Nice blend of toast and caramel characters with a touch of oak peeking through.”

Overall: “A gooey sweet, malty bar- leywine that is contrasted by a hearty hoppiness. A few years of age could improve this beer, moderating some of the tannins. Satisfying bourbon-barrel aroma and avor.”

What our editors thought

Review printed in: Big Beers (December 2015-January 2016) (View All Issues)

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How We Review

REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Triptych Brewing Batch 969 Barleywine

“The base beer is gone; all that remains is a cinnamon-forward, wood-aged beer. Taking the sum of all those parts, amburana being the largest chunk, the entire experience offers a spicy beauty.”

Stonecloud Brewing Co. Respect The Drip

“Medium toasty toffee. Notable coffee and light chocolate. Light cherry and black currant. Deep, rich flavor with strong chocolate, toffee, toast. Sweet on balance, especially on the finish.”

Fremont Brewing Bourbon Barrel Aged Abominable

**Aroma:** “A forward barrel character that is melded with some nice dark malt characters and light esters. Vanilla, coconut, oak, light roast, caramel, and dark cherry. Sweet chocolate malt carries through the nose. Touch of red wine notes, moderate bourbon. Lots of chocolate.” **Flavor:** “Like an imperial stout, but with less roast barley character. Big bourbon, rich dark chocolate. Apparent bitterness is only there to support the malt. The strong vanilla and roasted coconut work perfectly with the sweet biscuit and rich caramel. The alcohol warmth is nice and not overpowering.” **Overall:** “An incredibly smooth, bourbon-barrel-dominated strong ale that could easily pass for an imperial stout. Coconut and vanilla are excellent expressions of the barrel and complement the rich roast and chocolate backbone delightfully.”

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