Cellared Beer Reviews

[trickytunadicky]

Opened this abomination last night.

1997 SA Triple Bock.

The cork was a nightmare - black, crumbly, smelly, awful. Poured through a coffee filter to get out the cork particles, the sickly brown liquid had no carbonation whatsoever. The smell was putrid vegetal matter, wet dog, sopping cardboard, and shame. Somehow, the taste was even worse than I was expecting given the lead up: spoiled food, excrement, maggoty garbage. I can safely say this is the worst thing I have ever tasted. I just got chills writing the description because it reminded me of the experience. Two sips and I was done.

That's backfat's favorite beer. I am sure you are shocked.

 

[lazerviking]

That's backfat's favorite beer. I am sure you are shocked.

Ive had bottles of this that have been great. This one was trash.

 

[trickytunadicky]

I have had bottles of 97 that make great soy sauce. And not in that way that people joke Dark Lord makes great soy sauce (though 2007 DL was pretty soy saucy)

 

[furley]

what a ******* great glass

 

[matedog]

Held on to this (#1) and FR #3 thinking they'd be interesting to open at a share but then realized no one probably cares and they are just taking up space in the cellar.

This has held up well. Good carb, the grape/plum flavors are still there, but a bit muddled (though I doubt they were ever that prominent). Not sure the age has done much as it still has that Almanac sour thing going on similar to fresh ones. Better than expected and enjoyable, but not upset I didn't save for a special occasion.

 

[stupac2]

Had a bunch of cellared beer today.

'05 OGV: Really nice. Mostly what you'd expect, a little less funk, a little more acid, but still classic OGV.

'13 Hommage. Just not very good. Flat, extremely acetic, no fruit, unless you count olives. These are hit-or-miss and this was one a big miss.

Southern Sunrise: It's a SARA fruited saison, it's held up fine.

HotD Putin ('15?): Bad, but in an amusing way given the namesake: flat, thin, boozy as ****, otherwise flavorless. Terrible beer, amusing metaphor.

B1 Westly: See above. Held up pretty okay, still fruit, pretty sour.

'11 LPK: Good not great year of LPK.

'14 Cherry AftW: Also flat, would be decent if it were carbed. Oh, HotD...

'16 Dwarven Power Bottom: What the **** is wrong with FFF? It's like they're trying to come up with the stupidest, least relevant names. Good beer, but jesus christ...

'11 Iris: Iris isn't my thing. Even when it's 6 years old.

The best "beer" wasn't beer and wasn't >1 year old, that Schramm's Apple Reserve was ******* amazing. Dear god. It's ridiculous that after all this time they continue to floor me.

 

[stakem1]

I drank a bottle of Bruery Pinotlambicus over the weekend. What a ******* amazing brew that was. Such a shame what the Bruery bottled acid program has turned into verse what they were capable of making at one time.

In every aspect it felt what lambic with a grape addition should be. Sour, but not overly so. Earthen with a heavy brett character akin to the typical flavor Lindemans displays. Lactic and mildly vinous. So good.

 

[trickytunadicky]

Had a bunch of cellared beer today.

'05 OGV: Really nice. Mostly what you'd expect, a little less funk, a little more acid, but still classic OGV.

'13 Hommage. Just not very good. Flat, extremely acetic, no fruit, unless you count olives. These are hit-or-miss and this was one a big miss.

Southern Sunrise: It's a SARA fruited saison, it's held up fine.

HotD Putin ('15?): Bad, but in an amusing way given the namesake: flat, thin, boozy as ****, otherwise flavorless. Terrible beer, amusing metaphor.

B1 Westly: See above. Held up pretty okay, still fruit, pretty sour.

'11 LPK: Good not great year of LPK.

'14 Cherry AftW: Also flat, would be decent if it were carbed. Oh, HotD...

'16 Dwarven Power Bottom: What the **** is wrong with FFF? It's like they're trying to come up with the stupidest, least relevant names. Good beer, but jesus christ...

'11 Iris: Iris isn't my thing. Even when it's 6 years old.

The best "beer" wasn't beer and wasn't >1 year old, that Schramm's Apple Reserve was ******* amazing. Dear god. It's ridiculous that after all this time they continue to floor me.

If it makes you feel better about your choice, I believe Apple reserve is typically a year old at release, and if I recall correctly, that batch had a blend of the previous year's yield as well, so it is more vintage than the release date lets on.

 

[stupac2]

If it makes you feel better about your choice, I believe Apple reserve is typically a year old at release, and if I recall correctly, that batch had a blend of the previous year's yield as well, so it is more vintage than the release date lets on.

I don't feel bad about it, well except insofar as I don't have more of it to drink...

 

[jdhende]

2014 still nacht. This beer ages incredibly well. Tons of dark fruit. Very well nuanced and does not drink like 12% at all. Tons of caramel sweetness and raisins. A really decadent beer that toes the perfect line of sweetness. Love that this is continually slept on by most.

 

[davey101]

2010. Probably a year too old but still great. Tons of raisins and caramel and all that good stuff. Just a touch of ash and oxidation. Nice and warming but hides the abv really well. I still maintain that this beer is incredible at 5 years old.

 

[drgarage1]

2010. Probably a year too old but still great. Tons of raisins and caramel and all that good stuff. Just a touch of ash and oxidation. Nice and warming but hides the abv really well. I still maintain that this beer is incredible at 5 years old.

Yeah, it's their best beer at 5 years.

 

[davey101]

2015 is pretty tasty right now. Like a founders IS with some extra sweetness. Tons of roast. I remember not digging a bottle with several years on it, so this seems like a nice sweet spot. Really prefer it fresh though.

 

[MooseLang]

As I did a few months ago with several vintages of Abyss, I'm going to gradually drink another vertical I have in my cellar. I can never find a good opportunity to open these, so I figure I may as well enjoy them before they taste like a cardboard box dipped in soy sauce.

This time, I'm going to work my way through the entire Abacus / Sucaba series. This bottle of Abacus has been with me for two moves and lots of time in an regular ol' closet. Given the fact that FW beers supposedly fall off quickly, I assumed this was going to be terrible.

It's actually stellar. I remember this being a toffee bomb when it was fresh, and it tastes like it has barely fallen off. Loads of toffee, nougat, and vanilla. Barrel is still upfront. Other than the color being noticeably darker, there is almost no hint of oxidation.

I am anti-aging beer 99% of the time, but this is that 1% that made me look like a damn fool. What a great beer.

 

[FTowne1]

As I did a few months ago with several vintages of Abyss, I'm going to gradually drink another vertical I have in my cellar. I can never find a good opportunity to open these, so I figure I may as well enjoy them before they taste like a cardboard box dipped in soy sauce.

This time, I'm going to work my way through the entire Abacus / Sucaba series. This bottle of Abacus has been with me for two moves and lots of time in an regular ol' closet. Given the fact that FW beers supposedly fall off quickly, I assumed this was going to be terrible.

It's actually stellar. I remember this being a toffee bomb when it was fresh, and it tastes like it has barely fallen off. Loads of toffee, nougat, and vanilla. Barrel is still upfront. Other than the color being noticeably darker, there is almost no hint of oxidation.

I am anti-aging beer 99% of the time, but this is that 1% that made me look like a damn fool. What a great beer.

BIL

 

[PHBoiler]

2013-there is a ton of coconut coming off the front end. Some hints of vanilla mixed in. The bourbon is more pronounced when it's colder. As it warms it is more like a rum raisin sort of flavor. Fairly sweet and relatively easy drinking. It is still near the highest level of barleywine you can find. It sort of seemed like it's at the back end of its peak. It's holding on but I'm not sure how much longer it'll be at this level. I think I've got 3 bottles left, and I'll likely move 2 to the back of the fridge for safe keeping and maybe leave one for science.

 

[user 305963]

2012, stored in my basement, not temp controlled

Nose has some bourbon and cocoa. Flavors are faded, mouthfeel has thinned out. A couple years ago this was brownie batter; rich and thick. Still good, no off flavors whatsoever, but a shell.

 

[CyberMonk1]

Tasting Party v2.0 went down earlier this evening, this time featuring beer from Firestone Walker. I opened all but a couple bottles of my FWB collection, but hey, at least that leaves a mostly empty shelf to put more beer on! Some of the standouts were:

• Firestone 14 Anniversary Ale (2010): this thing held up amazingly and was better than 15 through 18 (19 and 20, while distinct and fresher, were also quite good). Awesome roasted character, lots of chocolate, and what little oxidation was there really played nicely into the overall profile.
• PNC (2013): one of the first to kick, this one was was subtle but delicious. Tequila aspects have faded away compared to fresh, but a really balanced malt and barrel flavor remained.
• Parabola (2010 and 2012): a tossup between which of these two bottles was better, though all the Parabolas were great (though I still think the 2017 is a bit hot). Especially for the 2010, was amazed at how little oxidation was evident.
• Stickee Monkee (2014): was surprised I liked this one as much as I did. One of the sweeter beers of the evening but not at all sickly, really counterbalanced the more stout-forward beers present. A really pleasant supper.
• All the sours were also good, but I only had a baby sip of each before they kicked (small format and all).

 

[CommanderofAwesome]

Nice, I also have a couple of 14's from Ledgers from 2014.

 

[matedog]

Batch 2 per my notes. Picked up around 3 years ago. Strawberry is still there, funk hasn't developed in a particularly interesting way. Still dang tasty, but I'm not sure I'd sit on any more of these as I'm not sure age does much to these.

Another cellar clearing beer. This one was a lot more interesting than the other Farmer's Reserve I was holding onto. Notably, the citrus character was very prominent. Not straight lemon, but probably rounded out by the oranges and Buddha's Hand Citrons (I have no idea what these taste like, hence the "probably").

 

[davey101]

2014 batch. Pumpkin is fading but there is tons of chocolate, roast, spice and bourbon notes. Finishes on a really nice and smooth caramel/all spice flavor. Not as boozy as the abv would have you believe. Really solid, glad I held onto it.

 

[Jnorton00]

Had a bunch of cellared beer today.

'16 Dwarven Power Bottom: What the **** is wrong with FFF? It's like they're trying to come up with the stupidest, least relevant names. Good beer, but jesus christ...
.

Not relevant names? Is this not a J. Wakefield collaboration?

 

[AndresR]

2014 Peche n Brett.

I recall this beer slaying when I first had it fresh in '13. I sat on a '14 for 3 years. I didnt have a '14 fresh, but this has a bit of bitterness on the back end. Guessing the Brett took a slight turn somewhere. Still lots of Brett funk and peach though.

I enjoyed it, bit towards the end of the 750ml the odd bitterness for rough.

In the future I'm aiming for maybe 1 year on these. And no more.

 

[TheBus]

It's been a long while since I had one of the 2013 original 12oz pours. I miss this bottle size from Pipeworks.

This beer has taken on a raisin meets peppermint patty profile. It's odd and I'm sure past its prime but I'm enjoying it.

 

[wuntrikpony]

Drank a 1989 Alexander this past Saturday it was still carbonated but the best way to describe it...it was cherry sugar water. No complexity at all. The only thing going for it was the cool factor

Have any old Alexander FT?

 

[user 305963]

OG No Rules (2015, green ball). Kept in cellar, not temp controlled. Just a touch of oxidation creeping in, super sweet and syrupy. Can still detect maple and coconut. No other off flavors. Can't see it getting any better. Drink 'em if you got 'em

 

[flexabull]

Firestone 11 (2007 I believe)

Decent head. Nutty aromas, smells oxidized a bit as well. Taste is much better than I expected. Notes of cocoa, nuts, cream, alcohol, and oak. Mouthfeel is hanging in there pretty well, snappy and boozy finish.

This beer has been my favorite of the anniversary beers. It's certainly past it's prime, but it is hanging in there better than I expected.

 

[davey101]

2010. Probably a year too old but still great. Tons of raisins and caramel and all that good stuff. Just a touch of ash and oxidation. Nice and warming but hides the abv really well. I still maintain that this beer is incredible at 5 years old.

2011>2010. Dark fruits all a bit more present and a tad less oxidation. Just love this beer aged.

 

[theredflame2]

Anyone crack a dia oscuro recently? Not sure 5 months count as cellaring, but was wondering if this is worth trading for as a scotch fan.

 

[trickytunadicky]

Anyone crack a dia oscuro recently? Not sure 5 months count as cellaring, but was wondering if this is worth trading for as a scotch fan.

I just got mine. May open one this week.