Cellared Beer Reviews

[theredflame2]

I just got mine. May open one this week.

If you crack it, would love to hear what you think of it.

 

[trickytunadicky]

If you crack it, would love to hear what you think of it.

I'll try to slide one on the docket for tomorrow.

 

[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.

Right barrel, wrong beer. Losing my touch considering I tried really hard to get this for like a week. Anyway, as for the beer I do have, Avery Islay is drinking super. But not Dark Lord.

 

[wuntrikpony]

I have a bad habit of cellaring AWAs too long. After hearing that American Solera Money Blend b1 hadn't carbed up properly at release, I buried it deep in a closet and forgot about it. It's really falling apart now...the oxidation isn't horrible, but it's bringing raisin notes in that shouldn't be there. Acidty was still well balanced, but carb never came up to an appropriate level.

 

[beerandraiderfan]

I have been slacking. Gonna work backwards.

Anyways, this drank and looked like like an older, softer bottle of Consecration blended with an older, softer bottle of Oude Tart. Tons of red wine notes. Cabernet for days like Consecration, same with the abv. That leather, old cherry and old oak feel you get from Oude Tart. Oxidation wasn't really a factor. Carbonation held nicely. still had good head retention. Beer was between 5-7 years old I believe.

 

[furley]

2014 Narwhal that a guy at the office found in his basement. said he thought it wasn't going to be good anymore.. so he gave me a 4-pack.

eta: review to come later if i'm not dead drunk

 

[furley]

 

[stakem1]

Fiftyfifty concentrated evil.

I think this is circa 09? Didnt even bother taking a picture because 90% of the bottle went into my sink. Not infected or anything just not enjoyable.

Neutral fruit/alcohol coupled with slight vinous character, cardboard and stale grain. Im sure this beer was better 8 years ago...it had to.

 

[nhindian1]

2015 Mocha Wednesday - still boozy

 

[CommanderofAwesome]

Bois - Brandy

Been a while since I've dove into this one. I consider Bois & Sucre to be the pennacle of Bruery's Anny lineup and among their 5 best beers they have ever made. Brandy is my favorite of the Bois variants and time has been kind to this one. Still very vibrant rich dark fruits, enough alcohol burn to give the illusion of a bit of balance.

Still ******* awesome.

 

[anteater1]

Bois - Brandy

Been a while since I've dove into this one. I consider Bois & Sucre to be the pennacle of Bruery's Anny lineup and among their 5 best beers they have ever made. Brandy is my favorite of the Bois variants and time has been kind to this one. Still very vibrant rich dark fruits, enough alcohol burn to give the illusion of a bit of balance.

Still ******* awesome.

This just made me so excited to open mine! Never had it before, just won a Brandy, Bourbon, Rye and New Oak Bois set at Brews for New Avenues.

 

[matedog]

Forgot I had this one:

(excuse the ****** focus)
OG Cosmic Dust (2014). They don't bottle this anymore because the hibiscus color fades so dramatically.
This is what it looks like fresh:

Anyway, beyond the obvious color change, there wasn't much going on with this. Some green apple and nice mild vanilla notes, but sourness and funk have dissipated dramatically. Tastes distinctly year 1 Rare Barrel. I think I held on to this one only because the wife loves the bottle label.

 

[CommanderofAwesome]

Doing some closet clean up last night came across a 2014 GM I had hanging out in the back. Cracked it last night for a 3 oz nightcap and still heat AF. Reminds me of the better BT days, hint of Hazelnut but confirms my experiences with GM. Drink it fast as the hazelnut fades quickly, even 6 months from fresh you can tell a difference. Still solid, but if you're holding on to one this old other than E-Peen or some GM vert for some god forsaken reason open it already.

 

[matedog]

X posted in Bay Area thread:
Did side by side with last three batches of Beat last night.

(13, 15, 17 left to right)
13 was the clear winner for me. Green apples for days with a nice depth to the funk. 17 was way too carbed and almost astringent relative to 13. 15 seemed to be the transition between the two suggesting maybe it and 17 will develop towards 13’s profile (I hope).

 

[iong516]

2015 HF George was just awful. Flat, almost flavorless... bad cap? acurtis said another bottle a month ago was better.

 

[CyberMonk1]

Held Tasting Party v3.0 feature a bunch of beer from The Rare Barrel, the last we'll be having in this apartment before moving to our new house--which also means there are 30 fewer bottles I'll need to lug up the hill come moving time Some highlights follow:

• Soliloquy 2014: A crowd favorite, with the rose and orange character still very much present and playing off each other nicely. A really delicious and easy drinking sour.
• Map of the Moon 2016: no surprise here, perhaps, but tasting amazing. Still a ton of fruit, which really amped up the sourness while providing for a really nice, fruity finish.
• Forces Unseen 2014: I may be the only one who got excited about this beer, but I've always loved how complex and tasty this blend is, and the 2014 batch has held up wonderfully. Mild, lots of fruit-like character despite no adjuncts, and a really quaffable beer.
• Afterlight 2016: this was the first beer I tried, and after the initial sour shock wore off I really enjoyed it. There were a couple Bordeaux-aged beers featured, and both had a lot of barrel character that worked well.
• Becoming 2015: another crowd favorite, the boysenberry character doing all the right things and creating a tasty fruit-forward sour.
• Home Sour Home 2015: I've heard this beer is polarizing, but I love it, and it may be even better with a little age on it. The adjuncts mellowed a bit, but that delicious cobbler profile is still there.

I'll stop myself there because there were honestly very few beers that weren't tasting great; everything held up really well. Not to mention I didn't feel totally zonked at the end, given all the beers were only 4-6% (a pleasant change coming off the Bruery and Firestone tasting parties).

P.S. Opening a bunch of waxed Rare Barrel bottles made me realize I really hate the Bruery wax jobs. This wax was so much easier to get through with a peg-style bottle opener.

 

[iong516]

CW16 is still tasting good, but it's showing age and isn't better than fresh ~Xmas 2013 or about 2 years ago. Still some nice coffee presence and barrel, getting oxidized.

Only took a pic of the geuze I guess, but I love the 16 label.

 

[Ol_Johnny_Skippelwicky]

2013. Gold to ruby color. Vanilla and caramel nose. Sweet, caramel, vanilla, oak, vague cardboard flavors.

 

[Tlo4sho]

Xpost

Aged Bernice >>>fresh IMO. This is batch 8(+/- 1) rustic cap funk. Smooth, milky, and lots-o lemony funk. Even when you lick your lips it tastes like lemon rind. Some citrusy chardonnay grape barrel qualities going on in the background. 3+ years of aging and this still could cellar for a few years! There is something magical about these old Sante beers: More rustic and not as “clean.” Practically formed a pellicle in my glass. All the Brett, hay, grass, saison bliss.

 

[maximum12]

I loved Weyerbacher's anniversary beers. This was the 2009 version, a tasty-as-hell wheatwine. Haven't had one in a while & eager to see where it's gone. And sorry...tinypic is being a bitch, & I can't get the damn thing to rotate.

Right off, thing is close to still, which isn't much change from the original. The smell has morphed into plum-wine-like sweetness, & the taste follows suit(e). Candied sugar, dark fruits, honey. The alcohol punch has dimmed from hot to merely insistent - another seven years & this might be relatively tame. Oxidation is just starting to creep in. Thick & heavy, & by now, there's no trace of visible carbonation. Luckily, I have no where to be tonight.

Once divine, this is on a slow downhill slide, & now is merely excellent; this is how you build a beer for the long-term. I'm going to get my remaining bottles in the fridge pronto & take them down soon.

 

[iong516]

Xpost

Aged Bernice >>>fresh IMO. This is batch 8(+/- 1) rustic cap funk. Smooth, milky, and lots-o lemony funk. Even when you lick your lips it tastes like lemon rind. Some citrusy chardonnay grape barrel qualities going on in the background. 3+ years of aging and this still could cellar for a few years! There is something magical about these old Sante beers: More rustic and not as “clean.” Practically formed a pellicle in my glass. All the Brett, hay, grass, saison bliss.

So much want.

 

[landrewg]

Xpost from the BAG thread.

Had a small tasting with a couple of friends and this was definitively the highlight.
2006 Angel's Share from bigstrunso
Very little carb but that didn't matter. Delicious raisin, fig, english barleywineish flavors. So smooth!
Thanks, Chad, for this special treat!



Sorry for the drunk **** pic

 

[stakem1]

Xpost from the BAG thread.

Had a small tasting with a couple of friends and this was definitively the highlight.
2006 Angel's Share from bigstrunso
Very little carb but that didn't matter. Delicious raisin, fig, english barleywineish flavors. So smooth!
Thanks, Chad, for this special treat!



Sorry for the drunk **** pic

Regardless of carbonation, I have always enjoyed angel's share and their other big alcohol/big sweetness brews. I just wish they wernt so freaking expensive.

Not sure if it was 06 or 09 but I recall years ago when a shop here in PA had cases of this stuff and noone would buy it because it was overpriced and flat. They put it on clearance for $3 a 750ml and my friend bought every single one of them. He gave me one that I have not yet drank.... I should dig it up and toss it back this weekend.

 

[jedwards]

Regardless of carbonation, I have always enjoyed angel's share and their other big alcohol/big sweetness brews. I just wish they wernt so freaking expensive.

Not sure if it was 06 or 09 but I recall years ago when a shop here in PA had cases of this stuff and noone would buy it because it was overpriced and flat. They put it on clearance for $3 a 750ml and my friend bought every single one of them. He gave me one that I have not yet drank.... I should dig it up and toss it back this weekend.

Probably the '09 Brandy -- I still have a couple of them. They're incredible. They are nicer with a little carb -- last one I opened I just picked up a fresh AS and mixed a little in as I went.

 

[user 305963]

'13 Third Coast Ale, sweet caramel, leather, tobacco and dark fruits. Nose has a slight alcohol burn. Good sipper

 

[Ol_Johnny_Skippelwicky]

Batch 4. Motor oil black with a tall mocha head. Lots of carb but settled eventually. Thick, sweet, coats the mouth. Chocolate leather nose. Flavors of bootstrap molasses, caramel, chocolate, tobacco, leather, alcohol. Impressive lacing. Overall very nice

 

[stakem1]

For years ive been reading people's comments about how bourbon county falls off and isnt that good after a couple years aging. I decided last night to pull a bottle for science. This was a screw top cap I purchased off the shelf back when it was freshly released. It has sat undisturbed for nearly 8 years in my basement. Surely this is gonna suck and be an aged mess like so many before me have proclaimed.

Man...this **** is so much better than any bourbon county ive had the last 3-4 years. Opened at cellar temp, this was downright chuggable bourbon infused chocolate with a splash of coconut, vanilla and caramel. Aftertaste had a little raison and black licorice. This bottle was so good I contemplated intiharing a bomber of the 09 too but decided I better save and share it with the local guys.

 

[danbanana]

For years ive been reading people's comments about how bourbon county falls off and isnt that good after a couple years aging. I decided last night to pull a bottle for science. This was a screw top cap I purchased off the shelf back when it was freshly released. It has sat undisturbed for nearly 8 years in my basement. Surely this is gonna suck and be an aged mess like so many before me have proclaimed.

Man...this **** is so much better than any bourbon county ive had the last 3-4 years. Opened at cellar temp, this was downright chuggable bourbon infused chocolate with a splash of coconut, vanilla and caramel. Aftertaste had a little raison and black licorice. This bottle was so good I contemplated intiharing a bomber of the 09 too but decided I better save and share it with the local guys.

I fully believe that the stuff brewed in 2008ish that was released in 2009/2010 (as OG Rare) was peak BCBS. The two best beers I've ever had were Rare with about 6 months on it and an '09 bomber with a couple years. I still love that beer but something about that period was perfect.

 

[PurityControl88]

Leinenkugel Big Eddy 2012
I've got so much beer I'm trying to get through I've been having the wife just pour random bottles for me and then I try to figure out what it is. This was a unique surprise. My guess was that it was some kind of cellared bottle of barrel aged barleywine with the barrels previously holding a stout. Notes of toasted cinnamon bread, fig jam, port wine, nutty oxidation and chocolate syrup. My guess was way off but regardless I really enjoyed this bottle, even though I was dreading having to get through it. Glad to see it aged so well.

 

[Tlo4sho]

For years ive been reading people's comments about how bourbon county falls off and isnt that good after a couple years aging. I decided last night to pull a bottle for science. This was a screw top cap I purchased off the shelf back when it was freshly released. It has sat undisturbed for nearly 8 years in my basement. Surely this is gonna suck and be an aged mess like so many before me have proclaimed.

Man...this **** is so much better than any bourbon county ive had the last 3-4 years. Opened at cellar temp, this was downright chuggable bourbon infused chocolate with a splash of coconut, vanilla and caramel. Aftertaste had a little raison and black licorice. This bottle was so good I contemplated intiharing a bomber of the 09 too but decided I better save and share it with the local guys.

I fully believe that the stuff brewed in 2008ish that was released in 2009/2010 (as OG Rare) was peak BCBS. The two best beers I've ever had were Rare with about 6 months on it and an '09 bomber with a couple years. I still love that beer but something about that period was perfect.

The ‘08 I had a few months ago was incredible.
Maple, prunes, raisins, charred oak, thick, insane. Solid head retention. Just unbelievable.