Light bodied beers are great for enjoying any time and in session but what about when you want something dark and full of all kinds of amazing flavors? A flavorful barleywine that’s sure to fill the tastebuds and warm the body? Something aged in bourbon barrels to add another layer of complexity. Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Barleywine fits the bill perfectly and is one of the very best barleywines out there.
Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Barleywine pours a deep copper color with a hint of reddish to it and a small tan head made of small bubbles. The head settles fairly quickly and leaves little lacing in it’s wake. With an amazing aroma of light sweet caramel and toffee followed by great notes of oak from the bourbon barrel, you really could spend hours sniffing this one, rather than drinking it. While that would be a great treat, it would keep you from the wonderful flavors this brew holds. This barleywine is sweet and lightly sugary with notes of light caramel and oak. A touch of maple is present in the aftertaste as is the light caramel as it slowly fades. Although this big barleywine weighs in at around 11.2% ABV, the alcohol doesn’t really make itself known in the aroma or flavor. No heat on the aftertaste at all even with no age on it. Even fresh, this one drinks like it’s been well aged. A true testament to the wonderful stuff that Central Waters does with all of their barrel-aged creations.
If you’re looking for great sipper and love barley wines and bourbon barrel aging, you’ve gotta get your hands on this one. Central Waters has truly created one of (if not the) best barrel-aged barleywines on the planet. Make an effort to grab up a couple bottles of this one when it becomes available each year. You’ll be very glad you did. An amazing barleywine that drinks awesome fresh from the liquor store shelf or with a little bit of age on it. But as good as it is, it’s going to be very hard to stash it away in the cellar and not enjoy it sooner rather than later. Checkout Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Barleywine. You’ll have zero regrets (other than not being able to get enough).
