Central Waters Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Cherry Stout

Brewed by Central Waters Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial Stout
Amherst, Wisconsin USA

Translucent cherry brown in color wit a dusty tan head and a doily wrung around the edges. Subtle nose rings out with unsweetened bakers chocolate, black cherries coated in chocolate wax, anise, darkening caramel sauce and a light bourbon and rye sentiment. Flavor means business after the over carbonation subsides. Sweet, woodsy flavor and feel with the bourbon livening the edges with a caramel liquor creation. Saucy chocolate drizzles over bourbon raspberry tortes with red currant and cherry plum currents woven throughout. Fuller bodied force with a red fruit astringency hugging the corners of the tongue after each sip. Just enough lactic acid to give a delectable, tart edge. Bourbon and rye give the sweet surprise an extra special edge, creating palate stickiness and a quest for more of the liquid as the final, dry chocolate cherry stout says its final goodbye.

Bottle thanks to Brigadier! Poured a lovely shade of black with a creamy, well-retained cap of caramel head. I’m with Jon.. this aroma rocked!.. tangy cherry skins align beautifully with grainy oak, bourbon sugars, and vanilla.. sweet and seductive with hints of power beneath.. very nice usage of the fruit and the barrel. The flavor had a well-roasted dark chocolate base with tart cherry skin accents.. the barrel usage was soft and well-executed with bourbon sugars, grainy wood, and vanilla, but no overt booziness or bourbon dominance... drier roasted chocolate and mild tartness on the finish. Grainy and a hair heavier than medium-bodied on the palate.. tangy cherries get a bit tangled up with the wood grain around the edges.. felt good, but not great. Overall a very enjoyable brew!

12oz bottle from bwkrieger from like a year ago....thanks man. Dark brown with light brown head. Sweet cherry aroma with roasted malts. Complex mix of oak, bourbon, cherry, and roast. The cherry comes through nicely, just enough tartness without being bitter or overbearing. Everything balances well. Minimal alcohol presence. Really nicely done. Fairly heavy.

Sampled at DLD 2008. Holy hell thats a strong scented brew! If you could burn a cherry with boiling chocolate, i think you’d hit this one pretty close. A lot of alcohol content and just the rough around the edges aspect makes this a sipper, and a very enjoyable one at that.

Bottle courtesy of CaptainCougar. Aroma of cherry wood and bourbon with a brandy sweetness. Black body with tan head. Has the molasas, bourbon, sweet, cherry flavors. Normal flavors that make these souts so good. Easy on the palate witha sweet cherry taste lingers on palate. Thanks Tom.

Tasted at Noogfest 4.0 (2008). This Imperial Stout pours a medium black color from a 12oz bottle. Small sized tan foamy head. The aroma is chocolate, roasty malts and cherries, touch of bourbon. A medium bodied stout. The malts are chocolate and roasty malts. The kops are earthy. The cherry flavor is subtle, neither sweet nor tart. The bourbon flavors are subtle as well. It’s a bourbon barrel cheery stout that more about the stout than the barrel or the fruit. Nice beer. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Was pretty lucky to have someone able to obtain this hard to find bottle at the brewpub. Aroma,was amazingly complex, oak cherry, coffee, chocolate, the cherry and malt hits you right away in the taste, the cherry taste itself is complex, chocolate,coffee all float in,and thenin the swallow,the soft velvet taste of bourbon,a very strange complex brew,I can see why it took a gold at the GABF, might be a touch to strange for me

2006 GTMW. Dark brown, copper hints. Light tan creamy head. Stemmy cherries in aroma. Cherry chocolate pie, vanilla cake. Very nice cherries in a slightly roasted malt body. Very subtle bourbon hints are yummy, along with chocolate hints. Great beer. I’m really digging the BA cherries stouts I’ve found.