Central Waters Cassian Stout Reserve.

June 8, 2023

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Seen the Reserve Cassian Stout on tap at my favorite place. I ordered me up a snifter of this 11.7% imperial stout by Central Waters Brewing. A semi local brewery that has some impressive stuff.

Definite black black. Funny looking tan head. Like bubbling pancake batter. It disappears right away though, but it being barrel aged so that’s fine. Dont see anything for carbonation up the sides but those big bubbles on the head says there should be something.

Chocolate, nutty, vanilla aroma. Don’t get much for bourbon in the nose, but does have a boozy note. Every time I take a wiff there is something else happening. Late pruney or lite raisin starting to peak out, but it far in the back.

The taste is definitely barrel aged. Both bourbon and oaky tannins. Lite chocolate and that vanilla again. After taste shows cinnamon and something nutty like a hazelnut.
It’s got so much happening I didn’t even notice any roast until I went looking for it. But what it does have for roast is a coffeeish roast barley. It really is buried behind everything else.


As boozy as this tastes like, it does have some body to it. Does have legs on the swirl.
Cannot tell if it is the carbonation or hops that give a tongue bitter. But it’s right where it should be. I do think the posted 27 IBU is wrong. As it does have a bitter that cuts through all of the flavor layers.

Wow.. this was quite a ride. Big flavors, big booze. But it was smooth all around.
You should know by now I look for straight style beers, and not into the added flavors or gimmicks, but this one is good. It’s has a little of everything.

So I’m going quite high on this one
4.75/5.

Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

May 9, 2023

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Today we are going to be drinking an old favorite… Edmund Fitzgerald Porter by the Great lakes Brewing Company. 
A couple of quick stats here, 37 IBU and  6% abv.

Poured from a 12oz bottle, Fitz drops a big light tan head that lingers for quite a while. The body is very dark brown, but staying short of black. Ruby or reddish edges where light makes it through.

Even upon pouring the aromas of chocolate, light roast and grainyness hit you. There is something in there that’s giving the impression that it should be sweet along with a faint old school earthy/citrus hop aroma as well. Don’t see this much any more, but reminds me of cascade. There really is quite a bit happening already and we didn’t even taste it yet.

Oddly, with all of that stuff going on in the nose, the first taste I get is that grainy backbone. Then comes the roasted barley, dark chocolate with caramel on back end. Quite a bit of a smooth hop taste as well. All of these points are bold, but not overpowering. Noticably minerally. Could be the water?
Thankfully it is not as sweet as I thought it was going to be.

Somewhat dry and well received roasty finish, but a decent roasty beer should have this. Would’nt say this is a thin body, but it is thinner than your eyes think it should be. But could be some of that bitterness and carbonation tricking you as well.

There is good roast, and solid bittering, with thise hops really wanting to stand out. Everything about this screams old school. So it’s solid, balanced, big but subtle.  Most importantly, smoothly drinkable.

I am sure glad these older beers are making another run to show today’s drinkers and brewers what can be done when not over playing any part and just letting things play together.

Easily 4.5/5. I recommend this if you can get it.

B.O.R.I.S

April 11, 2023

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Stopped into my local tapper this past Sunday and saw B.O.R.I.S. The Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout.

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Barrel 41 Cinnamon Roll Crunch Porter.

March 21, 2023

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There was a new beer up on tap today. Barrel 41 Cinnemon Roll Crunch Porter. Seems like a lot of additives, but lets see how it is.

Poured into a regular pint glass, this beer is opaque black. And looks a bit..hazy or fuzzy . The darker brown head looks thick, but sadly it doesn’t last very long at all. But that is probably from the additives

There is not much roast or hops in the smells. It’s all milk chocolate with some vanilla background. And something close to maple syrup after it warms. So far everything is on the low side, but playing well.

Nice blast of cinnamon and very light milk chocolate, even vanilla frosting. Next is a bit of coffee roastiness that really makes up for the high sugary level. But that roast is not harsh, but maybe it should have been… just a little.
There is still that something like maple,,, or bacon hiding in the background. I just can’t pin it down.

Nothing for hops or yeast here.. but to be honest, I’m not sure how those would have matched up with all that sweety stuff anyway.

There is a lot going on here, but all things are pretty tame, but the main things that stick out is, the cinnemon of course, and now that its warming lactose, and the roasty bits.

Very full body on this, almost chewy. And that “haze”.. well you can feel it. It has a grainy particulate feeling to it. Is that supposed to be the crunch part?
Not very much for bitterness.. but I wish it was. That sweet just hangs on the tongue, but it stays shy of being gloopy.

This is an odd one. Right from the name I was sure I was not going to like it..but ya know what.. it’s ok. It’s not bad, it’s not great… just ok. Dont think I could do more than one.
There is just enough of a roast profile to keep me interested,, but the sugary sweetness is just a bit much.

For now I’ll have to go 2/5,, but if they ever bump the roast or bitterness, or lower the lactose a smidge,, this could be much better.

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