*Pairs well with A complex story-driven game, an MMO; something that changes over time.

Welcome to another craft beer review for Games And A Glass! My apologies for not having a review last week, I was dealing with a cold/bug that spread its way around my job and I was the lucky person to get it last. Because of this, I felt a proper review wouldn’t be possible due to needing to be able to actually smell and taste the beer. But we move on!

This week’s review is from Central Waters Brewing Co., in Amherst, Wisconsin. The beer I will be reviewing is their bourbon barrel stout, a type of beer I am always a huge sucker for. I love its dark aromas and flavors and the subtle notes that come from the barrel. But before conducting the review, let’s talk about Central Waters.

Their extensive history can be found on their website, but as a sample it reads, “In 1996, two friends, Mike McElwain and Jerome Ebel, bought an old brick building on Highway 10 in Junction City, Wisconsin. The building, built around 1920, was originally a Model-A Ford dealership. Subsequently, the building housed a barbershop, followed by a liquidator, of second-hand goods, before being vacated in 1988. Mike and Jerome purchased the building in 1996, and spent the next two years thoroughly cleaning and restoring it. When the facility was ready for its first beer production, the friends put together the funds to purchase some used dairy equipment. This equipment was retrofitted to ultimately become the brewery’s first brew house. Months later, Central Waters came to be.”

Today, Central Waters has an extensive beer list that includes their Mudpuppy Porter, Rift IPA, Ouisconsing Red Ale, various bourbon barrel beers, and specialty releases. But in the beginning, they had merely their aforementioned porter, red ale, and the Happy Heron Pale Ale.

Their notes provided on the bottle for the bourbon barrel stout reads “This brewery’s most highly sought after beer, this imperial stout is aged to perfection in oak bourbon barrels. Look for this tasty treat to contain hints of bourbon and vanilla with roasted overtones that is sure to please any connoisseur’s palate. Serve this beer at cellar temperature from a snifter glass and enjoy this expression of our passion for brewing.”

And now onto my thoughts!

Nose: The stout immediately has that strong, distinct and heavy coffee or chocolate scent that the style is known for. It’s a lot and while it can dominate the aroma, there’s a small whiff of vanilla that balances out the beer. It’s an intimidating beer because of its black and very dark color. But as you grow more familiar with the beer, you can start to pick up some of the intended aromas. You sense the time it’s spent in the oak bourbon barrels; it’s significant and and plays a major role in its presentation. There are a few different aromas within the beer: coffee, oak, chocolate.

Palate: I primarily get a roasted flavor, similar to coffee. While a lot of stouts and darker beers can have that coffee taste, I admittedly don’t taste much vanilla, but perhaps this will change as the beer opens up, or my palate gets more accustomed to the flavors. Stouts are one of my favorite types of beers, and they’re something I enjoy as an occasional treat. They can be heavy, and there’s a lot to take in and process with each sip, so having a broad range of flavors works well to keep the beer interesting. The oak comes in towards the end and provides a nice balance to the strong coffee flavor. I appreciate this because one flavor can grow dull over time. The flavor has also changed quite a bit from the beginning; the roasted coffee flavor has settled down significantly, and now the oak is the primary flavor. It’s amazing how much can change over a short period of time.

Overall: This is a solid beer! I appreciate how its flavor evolves over time and the tasty roast is finished with the oak, and then it reverses roles as the roast takes a back seat to the flavor. Its aroma can be a lot to take in, but if you’re experienced with the style and know what to expect, and like it, you’ll be right at home. It’s a rich, dark smell that has a strong presentation throughout the experience. It’s a nice balance of chocolate and oak and any stout fan should give this beer a try.

I’d like to thank you for reading my craft beer review. If there’s ever a craft beer you’d recommend I try and/or review, please let me know and I will try, to the best of my ability, to acquire it! And remember, like a fine alcoholic beverage or a memorable video game, please enjoy in moderation.