Cellared Beer Reviews

[kzeon]

None of the boxes were notched.

bleh, that blows. All of mines are

 

[MooseLang]

Time for another one of my Quarterly "Drink a Vertical from my Cellar because it's just collecting dust and really can't be that good anymore" beer review. 1Q18 edition.

Over the next couple weeks, I'll be drinking through 2010-17 Parabola. Opened B1 last night, and it was still holding up well. A lot of barrel and vanilla up front at first, but as it opened up, it sort of faded into that generic "sweet, raisin, sherry" thing that I feel 99% of aged stouts turn into.

Extremely drinkable, but I still prefer fresher stouts. I need a little more heat/roast/barrell to cut through the sweetness. Excited to see what the next 7 have in store.

 

[matedog]

B1 Lee Kriek from around July 2014. Looks still but had light prickly gueuze-ish carb. Holding up well, Flanders notes hitting pretty hard with no signs of acetic acid. Hasn't really improved, but hasn't fallen off either.

 

[Treebs]

I dark an old barleywine. It was nice. Leather and tobacco for days, mild soy creeping in. No cardboard oxidation to speak of yet. Some sherry notes as well. Ages with the best of them.

 

[KevSal]

I dark an old barleywine. It was nice. Leather and tobacco for days, mild soy creeping in. No cardboard oxidation to speak of yet. Some sherry notes as well. Ages with the best of them.

damn!! and even proppered with the right vintage glass!

 

[PHBoiler]

Really brief scattershot of cellared beers drinking with college buddies a few weekends ago after Purdue-Nebraska:
2011 Dark Lord: my first taste of pre-2013 Dark Lord when supposedly the recipe was different and I know at least the coffee was different. Sweetness was tamed a bit. Got a hint more coffee than on more recent batches. Dry finish. Only a little oxidation. Some flat Dr Pepper or root beer notes. Fairly enjoyable.
Bramble Rye: no longer jam-tastic but quite tasty. Very smooth. More tannic berry/barrel combination than bold fruit flavors. Only a hint of sweetness. Minimal heat.
2015 Black Gold: now is the time. Still some vanilla, oak, and bourbon character. Base beer is fading. This is 1414 so that base beer doesn't have much left.
2014 Damnation/Redemption/Sanctification: the first two had a little more pronounced Belgian character and a hint of dryness but not much else added from aging. Sanctification was quite tasty. Grassy Brett character. Crisp apple. Some pear notes.

 

[skrip]

anyone ever see this bottle before? or know anything about it?
it was surprisingly very drinkable! still carbed and very chocolatey

 

[joshruffin84]

We were playing cards at the same time so I don't have pics, but we finally dug into my Bells Expedition Stout library for a 5-year vertical. Quick thoughts:

2017 - Very rich, full and thick texture. Fudgy, with some piney hops that really popped when you went back to it after the older bottles.

2016 - Much the same, with a slight, predictable hop fade. Very bitter chocolate bar, some medium roast coffee.

2015 - This was the sweet spot for most of us. Not much hop bite to speak of. Begins to take on that liquid brownie batter sort of flavor. Still some firm bitterness, retains that full texture.

2014 - I think this might be my favorite. Much like the 2015, with just a touch of wine-like oxidation. Starting to get that plum/fig winter-fruit thing going on.

2013 - Oxidation is noticeable but not much to the beer's detriment. More obviously sherry-like, no cardboard. Lots of chocolate still, coffee, blackberry.

I still have a couple bottles each of the 2013/2014 batches, and I'm going to hold onto them indefinitely for, y'know, science. But as far as future intent goes, I'd drink these between 2-3 years.

 

[stakem1]

Raison, caramel, molasses and a dusty grain sort of oxidation creeping in. Really enjoyed it but the oxidation it is already displaying makes it feel like its older than only 4 years.

Similar era, think this is ~5 years old. I remember not liking this one at all when it was fresh.
It has aged into a thing of beauty. Smells like boilo - boozy raison, orange and spice.
Taste is orange marmalade riddled with alcohol and a dusty grain aftertaste.

2011 buffalo trace eclipse...******* jaw dropping good but almost too sweet. This might be the only bottle of eclipse ive ever had where it seed like they said **** it, pasteurized the beer and then added a cup of honey right into the bottle and topped it off with the beer.

Pretty firm black licorice character to the nose along with roasted earthy grain smelling like coffee. Taste was bold with honey sweetness the minorly fruity/raisony with a touch of oak and mineral finish.

2012 rebel yell eclipse. Again, really sweet and malty but with almost a milk chocoate sweetness instead of straight honey like the prior years BT iteration was. Same licorice, raison and coffee familiarity but with a neutral sort of woodiness in the finish somewhat exaggerated by mild oxidative character (which is interesting because this bottle shows more oxidation than the older bottle I drank along side this one and both were stored together since release.)

 

[PHILIPPE1]

We were playing cards at the same time so I don't have pics, but we finally dug into my Bells Expedition Stout library for a 5-year vertical. Quick thoughts:

2017 - Very rich, full and thick texture. Fudgy, with some piney hops that really popped when you went back to it after the older bottles.

2016 - Much the same, with a slight, predictable hop fade. Very bitter chocolate bar, some medium roast coffee.

2015 - This was the sweet spot for most of us. Not much hop bite to speak of. Begins to take on that liquid brownie batter sort of flavor. Still some firm bitterness, retains that full texture.

2014 - I think this might be my favorite. Much like the 2015, with just a touch of wine-like oxidation. Starting to get that plum/fig winter-fruit thing going on.

2013 - Oxidation is noticeable but not much to the beer's detriment. More obviously sherry-like, no cardboard. Lots of chocolate still, coffee, blackberry.

I still have a couple bottles each of the 2013/2014 batches, and I'm going to hold onto them indefinitely for, y'know, science. But as far as future intent goes, I'd drink these between 2-3 years.

I have been doing a version myself this week; Monday 2017, Tuesday 2016 Wednesday 2015. All have been amazing and incredibly rich, its hard to imagine the body being any thicker while not being too syrupy. This beer is just perfect. Cracking my 2014 tonight, glad to hear its aging really well.

 

[matedog]

2014-06-17 bottle date

From GoatLeg 's cellar via the amazing Fire Disaster Relief Raffle. This hits all the bright, in my face lambic notes that I seek. Per usual, plums contribute some sweetness, but not overt fruit flavor. Either way, about four years hasn't mellowed this one out and it was top tier for my personal lambic tastes.

 

[JBP]

Blend 2 Nocturn Chrysalis, April 2014. Holding up great. Very wine-like, tons of berry but not jammy-sweet, Welch’s juice, back end spice, subdued funk. Winner.

 

[matedog]

Did a mini-Westy vert with stupac2 and others (not sure if they are on TB): 17, 15, 11, and 07.

• 17 had a lot of your typical distinct big quad flavors and a more bitter than expected finish.
• 15 started to integrate the flavors a bit with the bitterness largely subsided
• 11 was even more rounded and I got notes of sherry in the nose (though not the actual taste). *side note - this was the last bottle from my very first beer pilgrimage in 2011 where I traded Russian River bottles for Westys because I thought that was the only way you could obtain Westy then. It was a very 2011 experience.
• 07 was a weird one for me. I still didn't get much oxidation, but there was a big musty basement smell/taste. Like I actually was trying to remember which childhood friend's basement it reminded me of. I believe others used the quasi-euphemism "cobwebs." It was honestly not particularly appealing to me, but very interesting nonetheless.

Haven't had a ton of experience with older quads, so this was fun and illuminating. I'm not sure how often they go in the old basement direction, but if they do, I might need to start making my way through the older quads I'm sitting on.

 

[stupac2]

Did a mini-Westy vert with stupac2 and others (not sure if they are on TB): 17, 15, 11, and 07.

• 17 had a lot of your typical distinct big quad flavors and a more bitter than expected finish.
• 15 started to integrate the flavors a bit with the bitterness largely subsided
• 11 was even more rounded and I got notes of sherry in the nose (though not the actual taste). *side note - this was the last bottle from my very first beer pilgrimage in 2011 where I traded Russian River bottles for Westys because I thought that was the only way you could obtain Westy then. It was a very 2011 experience.
• 07 was a weird one for me. I still didn't get much oxidation, but there was a big musty basement smell/taste. Like I actually was trying to remember which childhood friend's basement it reminded me of. I believe others used the quasi-euphemism "cobwebs." It was honestly not particularly appealing to me, but very interesting nonetheless.

Haven't had a ton of experience with older quads, so this was fun and illuminating. I'm not sure how often they go in the old basement direction, but if they do, I might need to start making my way through the older quads I'm sitting on.

That '07 was atypical, I don't think I've gotten that much straight cobweb from a Westy before and I've had much older ones than that one. That said, once you get to a certain point old beer is just a gamble. Also at this tasting we had a 2003 Goudenband and it had nothing like that, buuuut it was dead flat. There's usually something wrong with any old beer, often something disastrously wrong, but when they're on... *******.
That '07 was atypical, I don't think I've gotten that much straight cobweb from a Westy before and I've had much older ones than that one. That said, once you get to a certain point old beer is just a gamble. Also at this tasting we had a 2003 Goudenband and it had nothing like that, buuuut it was dead flat. There's usually something wrong with any old beer, often something disastrously wrong, but when they're on... *******.

 

[matedog]

That '07 was atypical, I don't think I've gotten that much straight cobweb from a Westy before and I've had much older ones than that one. That said, once you get to a certain point old beer is just a gamble. Also at this tasting we had a 2003 Goudenband and it had nothing like that, buuuut it was dead flat. There's usually something wrong with any old beer, often something disastrously wrong, but when they're on... *******.

You mean the rauchbier?

 

[Gonzoillini1]

2012 Bourbon County Brand Stout

Chocolate. Viscous. Bourbon. Rich.

Still have a few bottles left of the 2012 vintage, so what better time than a random Monday in January to see how it's holding on. Judging by this bottle, the answer is very well.

Rich decadent chocolate and bourbon in the aroma and flavor, with a rich viscous mouthfeel, low carbonation, but appropriate given the style and age of the beer. Just a light hint of oxidation in the aroma, with more a little bit of alcohol burn on the finish. Not sure it will get much better than this, but it is tasting delicious tonight.

 

[Phin1]

Had a 2014 Sebago BA Barleywine, this was the last year it was in bombers, before switching to 12oz cans (sold in 2 packs)

Medium brown in color with minimal head. The aroma was oak, malts, faint bourbon. It had quite a bit of dark fruit in the taste. There was some caramel, toffee, but not too sweet. Burnt hops, oak and some of the bourbon linger. It's mouthfeel is a little thin, one of It's shortfalls. Also would have guessed this was 2+ years older had I tasted this blind, a mellow tasting 13.5% beer.

Overall, a very good beer, though I recall a 2015 can of it, that I had 4 months ago was more enjoyable. If you've never had this beer, you should try it out. For a beer that generally sits on the shelf for a couple months or years, it is damn good.

Sorry about the lack of a photo

 

[davey101]

2013 B1 Rum King thanks to Fingolfin and Minnesotaryan. Opens with a fizz. Pours with decent head and some foam that sticks around for a while. Nose is very rum forward with some chocolate and oxidation. Taste is fairly flat and one dimensional. Boozy rum in the front with some generic aged stout notes to round it out. Minimal carbonation. It's definitely over the hill but still has some life left in it thanks to the huge rum presence. Thanks for the treat fellas!

 

[Minnesotaryan]

2013 B1 Rum King thanks to Fingolfin and Minnesotaryan. Opens with a fizz. Pours with decent head and some foam that sticks around for a while. Nose is very rum forward with some chocolate and oxidation. Taste is fairly flat and one dimensional. Boozy rum in the front with some generic aged stout notes to round it out. Minimal carbonation. It's definitely over the hill but still has some life left in it thanks to the huge rum presence. Thanks for the treat fellas!

Not infected? Amazing!

 

[davey101]

Not infected? Amazing!

Not even in the slightest! Getting better as it warms up too.

 

[davey101]

Working through another Fingolfin beer and proper glassware. 2012 vintage. Cap rusting a bit under the wax. Nose and taste is just awesome smoke and chocolate with some lingering licorice. Not as intense as Alaskan's porter making it really drinkable. Super smooth and drinking so great right now. I really dig this beer!

 

[davey101]

Fingolfin again! The GOAT smoked beer. I've only had this beer fresh to about two years old. I love how genuine and complex the smoke always is in this beer, it's not just a generic smoke flavor. Nose is smoked meats, sweet fruit, and roasted malts. Taste is a lot milder then fresher bottles with the smoked tamed down quite a bit and some nuttiness and sweeter fruity notes peaking through. Ends with some lingering ash and porter chocolate/coffee and some brightness. Zero oxidation and drinks so easily. Such a perfect beer.

 

[jdd419]

I like this beer fresh, not a lot going on but very clean and sour. TRB had some sour patch kids beers for a few years, this was not and still isn't. Big fan of this while grilling on a 33° day

 

[user 305963]

2012 BN, stored in my non-conditioned basement cellar.

At opening, nose was all licorice and cardboard. As it sat after about 5 min, is typical BN, licorice, oak and bourbon

First few sips had some oxidation, but like the nose, it went away after sitting for a few minutes. Still has a hint of oxidation. Mouthfeel seems to have thinned out as well. Something similar I see with aged Expo, there's always some sludge settled at the bottom. Very smooth bourbon finish, and still a great supper. But I don't see these getting any better. YMMV.

 

[user 311355]

2011 Old Stock Brandy Barrel so released in 2013 I believe.

Don't ask me why but I bought a case of these at the time because Pennsylvania. Never had a ton of carb but is pretty much still at this point. Barely made a sound when I pulled the cork. Smell is still amazing boozy raisins/plums. Delicious but almost too sweet for my palate right now. Maybe dropping off a bit from the last one I drank 6-8 months ago.

 

[PurityControl88]

Best before end of 13’ per the label. Another cellar dweller I was a little afraid of opening. Tootsie rolls w a pleasent spice. Prickly carbonation. I wouldn’t say it improved w age, but whatever the yeast is doing I’m definitely a fan of.

 

[PrinceCasual]

2011 Old Stock Brandy Barrel so released in 2013 I believe.

Don't ask me why but I bought a case of these at the time because Pennsylvania. Never had a ton of carb but is pretty much still at this point. Barely made a sound when I pulled the cork. Smell is still amazing boozy raisins/plums. Delicious but almost too sweet for my palate right now. Maybe dropping off a bit from the last one I drank 6-8 months ago.

That must have set you back a couple of ducats! I have a couple of those floating around too, I should probably check in on one of them while it's still chilly out. Do they even make that beer anymore (the BA ones I mean)? I NEVER see them anywhere that has BA Rasputin.

 

[iong516]

I see Bourbon Old Stock 2013 in bottle shops pretty regularly

 

[CommanderofAwesome]

2012 Narwhal

Lot of meaty roasty-ness. Less chocolate than fresh batches. Pretty solid for ~6 yr old beer, but like most aged beers I prefer fresh.

 

[Gaseous Clay]

2011 (right) vs 2014 (left) golden blend. 2014 still tasting youthful and bright; tons of green apple on the palate with a soft carbonation. 2011 was really fantastic. Tons of minerality and oak with signature aged 3F funk. Surprisingly still very well carbonated! What a treat to do them side by side.

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