Beer Me! — Central Waters Brewing Company — Amherst, Wisconsin, United States

Read about our trip to Germany and Prague at
The "Beer Me" Blog!

This is not the official web site of

Central Waters Brewing Company

351 Allen Street
Amherst WI 54406
Telephone: +1 715-824-2739
Hours: Friday 4:00pm-9:00pm, Saturday 3:00pm-9:00pm.
Brewer: Paul Graham
[Contact] [Update]

Notes

Opened: 1998

Annual Production: 10,000 bbl

Contributors: Diane Crawford, ernie, George Akin, Mario Kornmesser, Siegfried Binge, Steve

Central Waters moved out of their original Junction City location in January 2007.

Updated: June 13, 2021

Beer List

Barleywine Ale 2017

Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer
- Date: June 21, 2019 (#10071)
  
  Package: bottled
  
  Place: Place unknown
  
  Score: 16½ points
  
  Appearance (3)
  Red-brown, nearly opaque. Low dense head.
  
  Aroma (3)
  Malty, grainy, mildly floral. Mild citrus.
  
  Mouthfeel (8)
  Big and malty, fairly fizzy. Toffee and caramel in a grassy, floral package. Mild candy-orange-slice flavor. Medium bitterness. Finishes remarkably clean.
  
  Overall Impression (2½)
  "Aged in used oak bourbon barrels." Thanks to Brett Bass for the bottle!

Belgian Style Blonde Ale

Belgian-Style Pale Ale

Bourbon Barrel Barleywine 2008

Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer

Awards:

Gold Medal, 2008 Great American Beer Festival

Bourbon Barrel Barleywine 2012

Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer

Date: December 23, 2016 (#9681)

Package: bottled

Place: Ridgeview Liquor, Ashwaubenon WI

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Bright red. Low dense head.

Aroma (4)
Coconut. Oak. Some alcohol.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big and chewy and smooth. Huge malt, dark caramel. Grassy, fruity hops, medium-big bitterness. Warming alcohol, more in the finish. Rich malty, mildly fruity finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Bottle-conditioned.

Bourbon Barrel Cherry Stout

Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer

Awards:

Gold Medal, 2006 Great American Beer Festival

Bourbon Barrel Stout 2011

Wood- and Barrel-aged Dark Beer

Date: November 23, 2012 (#8977)

Package: bottled

Place: Place unknown

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Dense brown head.

Aroma (4)
Coconut. Roast malt. Licorice.

Mouthfeel (10)
Thick, smooth, and malty. Lots of chocolate and coffee with a big vanilla/coconut flavor up front. Mild grassy, resiny bitterness at the end, along with clean sweet malt.

Overall Impression (3)
Fantastic beer.

Double Barrel Stout 2018

Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout

Date: November 26, 2020 (#10395)

Package: bottled

Place: Place unknown

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Thick but short-lived head.

Aroma (4)
Fiercely aromatic. Dark malt, alcohol, raisin, chocolate. Coconut and oak.

Mouthfeel (10)
Thick, smooth. Hugely malty with a real nice roasty sweetness. Warming alcohol stays in the background. Lots and lots of barrel character, oak, coconut, whiskey. Finishes warm, sweet, and clean.

Overall Impression (3)
Absurdly complex smooth beer. Thanks to Jay Jackson for the bottle!

Date: August 10, 2011 (#8613)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Madison, Madison WI

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Hazy golden. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Biscuity. Mildly spicy hops.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, creamy. Sweet and fruity and reasonably bitter. Grassy bitter finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Thanks to KJ Harnack for the bottle!

Date: May 21, 2000 (#3451)

Package: draught

Place: Wisconsin Micro-Brewers Beer Fest, Chilton WI

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Amber, slight haze, good head. Herbal and citrus hop aromas. Medium body, spicy hop flavor and finish.

Date: January 16, 1999 (#3142)

Package: draught

Place: Minocqua Ice-Cold Beer Fest, Minocqua WI

Score: 13½ points

Overall Impression (2½)
Yellow amber hazy, moderate head. Citrusy aroma, a little musty. Fairly light body, real citrusy middle, light sweet finish.

Date: May 6, 2011 (#8562)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market #16, Madison WI

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. Dense head.

Aroma (3½)
Big citrusy hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, smooth. Big citrusy hop flavor, fairly bitter. Big caramel backbone.

Overall Impression (2)
Good beer.

Date: May 25, 2000 (#3455)

Package: bottled

Place: Flanagan's Stop and Shop, Appleton WI

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Red, low carbonation and head. Hoppy chocolate malt aroma. Thick, big herbal hop flavor, mildly bitter. Lots of caramel malt. Big hoppy drying finish.

Date: August 7, 2012 (#8895)

Package: bottled

Place: Ridgeview Liquor, Ashwaubenon WI

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Deep red. Low head.

Aroma (3)
Rich malt, toasty. Mild alcohol.

Mouthfeel (8)
Thick and chewy. Huge caramel malt, fruity hop flavor. Medium bitterness. Mild alcohol. Finishes sweet and malty.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: October 13, 2008 (#7464)

Package: bottled

Place: Steve's Liquors, Madison WI

Score: 15½ points

Appearance (3)
Deep dark red. Moderate head.

Aroma (2½)
Earthy, a little sweet.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, smooth. Really roasty, lots of black malt. Lots of licorice, resiny, dark toffee, burnt sugar.

Overall Impression (2)
Good beer, but it's a little sharp. Thanks to Ryan Cairns for the bottle!

Date: May 21, 2000 (#3450)

Package: draught

Place: Wisconsin Micro-Brewers Beer Fest, Chilton WI

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
Dark dark red, thick head. Faint chocolate and hop aromas. Medium-light body, nice chocolate flavor, smooth finish.

Date: April 24, 2010 (#8210)

Package: bottled

Place: from the brewery

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Black. Thin head.

Aroma (3)
Alcohol and oak.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big and chewy and malty. Lots of oak, some coffee. Alcohol. Malty finish with some coffee. Very well-balanced, but not as assertive as I expected.

Overall Impression (2½)
"A bourbon barrel aged imperial stout made with freshly roasted Emy J's coffee." Thanks to John Peterson for the bottle!

Date: August 7, 2012 (#8894)

Package: bottled

Place: Ridgeview Liquor, Ashwaubenon WI

Score: 13½ points

Appearance (3)
Black. Dense head.

Aroma (3½)
Coffee. Whiskey. Chocolate. Coconut.

Mouthfeel (6)
Thick and chewy. Black malt, whiskey. Solvent — acetate. Resiny bitterness. Tart.

Overall Impression (1)
Tastes old. Paris liked this one a lot, though.

Date: November 25, 2020 (#10394)

Package: bottled

Place: Place unknown

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Jet black. Low brown head.

Aroma (4)
Malt and molasses. Alcohol and coffee. Grassy. Spicy.

Mouthfeel (10)
Thick, smooth. Malty and dark, with a nice charge of coffee flavor. Oaky coconut. Treacle. Some alcohol in the middle, but it's all nicely balanced. Grassy note in the finish. Low-medium bitterness all the way through.

Overall Impression (3)
Real nice smooth complex beer. "Malt beverage aged in used oak bourbon barrels with coffee added." Thanks to Jay Jackson for the bottle!

Date: April 11, 2004 (#5265)

Package: bottled

Place: Club Liquor & Beer, Menasha WI

Score: 19 points

Overall Impression (3½)
Black. Huge dense head. Chocolate and herbal hop aroma. Big smooth body. Hugely malty and quite roasty. Nicely warming. Very flavorful, complex beer. Thanks to Jay Jackson for the bottle!

Date: January 16, 1999 (#3143)

Package: draught

Place: Minocqua Ice-Cold Beer Fest, Minocqua WI

Score: 18 points

Overall Impression (3)
As black as a beer can possibly get, with a massive thick head. Nice bold sweet coffee aroma. Thick, malty, black.

Date: June 21, 2019 (#10070)

Package: bottled

Place: Place unknown

Score: 19½ points

Appearance (3)
Dark brown. Thick dense head.

Aroma (3½)
Rich toffee. Grassy. Nice oak note. Some caramel.

Mouthfeel (10)
Big, malty, smooth. Nicely sweet with a touch of roast. Dark toffee. Some alcohol. Coconut, and oak in the background. Grassy, malty, sweet, toffee finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Real good beer. "Aged in used oak bourbon barrels." Thanks to Brett Bass for the bottle!

Date: August 10, 2011 (#8616)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Madison, Madison WI

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Amber, hazy. Big thick head.

Aroma (3)
Mildly biscuity. Grassy, fruity hops.

Mouthfeel (8)
Light and fizzy. Biscuity malt, fruity hops. Low-medium bitterness.

Overall Impression (2)
Clean beer. Thanks to KJ Harnack for the bottle!

Date: June 21, 2019 (#10072)

Package: bottled

Place: Place unknown

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Low dense head.

Aroma (3)
Coconut. Black licorice.

Mouthfeel (8)
Big body, surprisingly fizzy. Malty and roasty, grassy, coconut, and oak. Reasonably malty, mildly bitter. Lots of flavors, but not all that balanced.

Overall Impression (2)
"Aged in used oak bourbon barrels." Thanks to Brett Bass for the bottle!