Cellared Beer Reviews

[Gonzoillini1]

Opened a Bells Batch 10000 last night and really didn't expect much, but it was very impressive. The muddled flavor from when it was fresh has rounded into caramel, toffee, molasses like flavors and the hop profile hasn't oxidized into a mess. One of the weaker offerings from the Batch series, but glad I held on to the rest of the 6 pack I purchased when it was fresh and I really didn't like it.

 

[poonamibaxter]

2010 Mephistopheles

Burnt sugar, roasted malts and alcohol. Still has heat after all these years but flavor is straight burnt sugar. No hops at all and surprisingly little oxidation. Rack these back each year you will be rewarded.

 

[swivelhips1]

Hair of the Dog Fred batch 79, 84, 88 and 89. 88 and 89 were totally flat and super oxidized tasting. Immediately drain poured both. 79 and 84 were interesting for a few sips but nothing I could ever drink a pint of. Definitely some variability between the two, with 84 being much more in the banana bread camp and 79 having more funkiness. Between about 5 of us, we only made it through about half of each before pouring the rest away. If you are ever looking to make Miller Lite seem even more delicious than it already is, precede it with some aged Fred.

 

[thewimperoo]

Had a couple of older brews last night.

2012 Blueberry Eisbock from Kuhnhenn. Really good. My first experience with so I have no comparison point, but the level of blueberry was quite high in both aroma and flavor. Syrupy, but not cloying. A bit of fusel alcohol burn off in the nose as it warmed, but there wasn't much heat in the taste.

2002 JW Lees. Blew my mind, how great it was. Picked this up off the shelf from a random Binny's, 3 or 4 years ago. Been sitting in my basement ever since. Zero signs of oxidation. Caramel, toffee, burnt sugars. Like a decadent creme brulee. Brilliant. Makes me feel good about the bottle of '99 I still have.

 

[furley]

The reserve 30 was not showing its age at all. No oxidation that I could tell and the 30 had some nice barrel character that was absent in the 12.

sweetjesus i love the 30

 

[barleywinefiend]

2010, 2011, and 2012. All were hanging tough and tasting like candy, heat and dark fruit. Delicious turds.

 

[barleywinefiend]

2012? Westy XII. Oh so smooth and amazing. Some yeasty goodness at the bottom. Went well with the duck breast.

 

[barleywinefiend]

One of my all time favs. 2011 Sebago is drinking great. Lots of smooth brown sugar. Flawless.

 

[barleywinefiend]

1994 tastes of booze soaked raisins and toffee...needless to say it's f'n amazing.

 

[barleywinefiend]

Waaay past it's prime. A true classic has died. But the BA version was much better than the base.

 

[barleywinefiend]

Yikes. Rusty cap and all. Not going down well.

 

[barleywinefiend]

I did not think this beer could get any better. I was wrong. Perfect and still one of my most beloved. ISO!

 

[barleywinefiend]

2011 BA Ruffian. No issues. Lots of barrel and brown sugar. I love those Stranahan barrels.

 

[barleywinefiend]

2000. This beer is still killer. Yes, still, killer. All wine, wood, and fruits here with a light oxidation, very light.

 

[barleywinefiend]

2013 Insanity. This beer poured as sexy as it tastes.

 

[ASUBeer]

I did not think this beer could get any better. I was wrong. Perfect and still one of my most beloved. ISO!

I must have been living under a rock when this was released. How did I miss this? This beer sounds absolutely amazing. Must tick.

 

[libbey]

Got a bunch of older beers in the on deck circle/fridge.

2011 Smuttynose Imperial Stout.

This beer has aged wonderfully. Just a hint of oxidation but this is loaded up with fudge chocolate, leather and dark fruit. Zero heat.

When I tasted this beer fresh I thought it might be a good candidate for some longer term aging and honestly I lost track of this bottle in the cellar. I think it's probably on the down turn at this point so I'm glad I opened it (and found it)

 

[stakem1]

1994 tastes of booze soaked raisins and toffee...needless to say it's f'n amazing.

I hate and love reading commentary like this because it reminds me I still have a stockpile but its not healthy enough to allow me to drink 1 everytime I want to.

Waaay past it's prime. A true classic has died. But the BA version was much better than the base.

Never liked this or the base to begin with but for whatever reason I held on to a couple of each in hopes it would get better. Thanks for crushing my dreams.

 

[ridglens]

2011, proper glass.
wasn't mind altering fresh and under 10%... at 4 yrs old im expecting nothing. poured cellar temp

smell is light and thin, but nice combo of some roastiness and chocolate, maybe a bit of cardboard...

tastes good, a bit of oxidation but a good, thick, roasty nice character, still good carb. mouthfeel is lacking, a bit of a bite after. has a bit of that old hop/tobacco thing going on (yeah, that one that you really like). if this were like 10% thicker it would be world class, but as a $2 , 4 year old beer it is damn tasty!

 

[matedog]

Trying to purge Almanac from my cellar -

Batch 1 (Fall 2013) and batch 2 (spring 2014) Dogpatch Sour. Batch 2 was a little zestier and something sort of resembling fruit (we're talking Almanac here) was present. Time doesn't seem to be adding anything to these.

 

[stupac2]

Drank the 2011 with my wife yesterday for our anniversary. It's definitely getting less fruity, but it's still got that jammy raspberry thing that never really seems to go away. It's also still got that weird olive flavor it's had since the beginning, basically the same amount, wish I knew what it was fine. The main thing that I got is that, and maybe this is just that bottle, it's starting to turn a bit acetic. I don't remember that in any bottles before, so it's kind of disappointing if it's going to be a trend. Not that I really think you should be counting on a framboise to be good 4+ years out...

 

[stakem1]

Drank the 2011 with my wife yesterday for our anniversary. It's definitely getting less fruity, but it's still got that jammy raspberry thing that never really seems to go away. It's also still got that weird olive flavor it's had since the beginning, basically the same amount, wish I knew what it was fine. The main thing that I got is that, and maybe this is just that bottle, it's starting to turn a bit acetic. I don't remember that in any bottles before, so it's kind of disappointing if it's going to be a trend. Not that I really think you should be counting on a framboise to be good 4+ years out...

Did you and your wife take your wedding bands off to take that pic?

 

[matedog]

Did you and your wife take your wedding bands off to take that pic?

Framboosin' gets you in a swinger mood.

 

[stupac2]

Did you and your wife take your wedding bands off to take that pic?

Not the first time I've done that. I like it.

 

[ridglens]

2011 (i think, 2012 cap) Westy Blonde. Total shot in the dark here, lucked into a couple of these (or un-lucked, we'll see) as part of a bigger deal. Ive had it fresh but don't very often. going in blind, this one was fresh out of the box from Antwerp, into the freezer for 20 mins, and into the #alwaysproperglass.



smell is funky yeast and hay, with some odd spiciness going on, maybe clove? smells really interesting. Taste is same, some wierd background flavors going on, but good belgian yeasty spice and banana, carbonation is rich and creamy. not tart at all but might be a little bretty-type flavors. actually pretty damn good, psyched to have a couple of these, a fun one to drink.

stupac2 .... not red cap.

 

[barleywinefiend]

Please forgive the fuzziness as everything was beginning to get a bit fuzzy as I marched on to this one. Pretty sweet with a nice honey flavor with some citrus and underlying tropical fruit. It went down really smooth. I enjoyed it fresh but it's still good to me.

 

[barleywinefiend]

This beer deserves a big thumbs up. I was not the biggest fan fresh. This things has come alive, beast mode.
Big and husky, full bodied, loads of caramel, toffee, citrus and heat. It was sticky as ****. A pure treat to drink.

 

[barleywinefiend]

2012 Lift Bridge Commander. Lots of vanilla, toffee, and a modest bourbon booze tinge. Holding up extremely well.

 

[harrymel1]

2013 Upright Blend Love

Watered down flavor, raspberries diminished, spice is muted, some medicinal character.

Disappointing for one of my favorite breweries.

 

[thunderbirdesq]

This beer deserves a big thumbs up. I was not the biggest fan fresh. This things has come alive, beast mode.
Big and husky, full bodied, loads of caramel, toffee, citrus and heat. It was sticky as ****. A pure treat to drink.

I just don't understand the bad rep this has gotten, the one I opened two weeks or so ago was actually pretty delicious too. Glad I have one or two more buried somewhere.