Cellar Beer Reviews: August 2014

[trxxpaxxs]

Looks like I'm the guy starting this month's reviews... so let's have at it!

Deschutes The Abyss - 2010

A: Pours pitch black with only a thin dark khaki ring of foam along the edges of the glass. The beer still has some nice legs, as it coats the glass and slowly fades from the vessel. Almost no lacing as it drinks, but that's not surprising for the age and style of the beer.

S: The nose is sweet and inviting with a bitter component hiding in its depths. I am picking up a ton of bitter dark chocolate, some licorice, and some serious caramel. This beer is still firing on all cylinders. Zero oxidation. Color me impressed.

T: Yup. Still incredible. It's got that caramel and milk chocolate sweetness as soon as it hits the taste buds. The flavors swirl on the palate and begin to take second stage to the bitters. I get that 72% dark chocolate blast mixing in with some black licorice. Really superb, even with the age.

M: This sucker is wet and coating to start, but it transitions to smooth and creamy as it finishes. Perfection.

O: Honestly... I'm pretty shocked at how well this beer is still holding up. I've been fortunate to open a bottle in each of the years since its release, and it just refuses to hit its peak. It's as good today as it was in 2010/early 2011. If you're lucky enough to have a few bottles still sitting around, let me be the one to say that these bottles still have plenty of life left in them. But DAMN... this this drinking great right now.

 

[Treebs]

Popped open a Founders Deca for my birthday.



A: Pours a semi-translucent mahogany color. Thin, wispy head. Looks like a typical American Barleywine.

S: Still some hop bit on the nice. Very mild oxidation, but drifting towards the dark fruit side as opposed to the cardboard. Light spice in the background with some pale oats and mild booze.

T: Follows the nose pretty spot on actually. A lot of dark fruit, mild cardboard and minimal hop bite. Almost piney. Bready malts, some stale oats and little booze in the finish. Nice sweetness rounds it out.

M: Sticky and sweet. Booze isn't harsh, easily drinkable.

O: I was pretty impressed at how this held up being 7 years old. Definitely aged akin to Bigfoot, but less hoppy and a lot sweeter. Overall, an enjoyable experience and a real treat.

 

[stupac2]

I've had some fun stuff that I may as well share in this thread. Here's a little kinda-sorta Cantillon Gueuze vert:

1999:

2001 (pictured w/ a Westy):

2002:

2003 (pictured with an OGV):

The 1999 was definitely the best. It was acidic but not overly so, and had a great amount of funk. This is what I hope current Cantillon will age into. The 2001 was a noticeable step down, but still delicious. I think the main difference was an increase in acidity, plus some of the mineral flavor I typically associate with 3F. The 2002 was about on par with the 2001. The 2003 was much different, very aggressively sour, to the point of detracting from the beer. It was still a good beer, but too acidic to be a great beer.

 

[matedog]

The 1999 was definitely the best.

God damn it.

 

[stupac2]

God damn it.

Why?

 

[matedog]

Why?

Just further endorsing the notion that aged gueuze can/is be superior. Kinda means I'll have to track down older/harder to find/more expensive stuff down the line. That and I'll want to hold on to what little gueuze I have for awhile and feel guilty about drinking it unless it's like 10+years old.

 

[stupac2]

Just further endorsing the notion that aged gueuze can/is be superior. Kinda means I'll have to track down older/harder to find/more expensive stuff down the line. That and I'll want to hold on to what little gueuze I have for awhile and feel guilty about drinking it unless it's like 10+years old.

You got to try that 2005 at Mikkeller, right?

 

[matedog]

You got to try that 2005 at Mikkeller, right?

Nah, just the 99 3F.

It was really great (remarkably no noticeable oxidation, still tasted very much like a gueuze), but I didn't have a newer version to reference and I hadn't had much 3F gueuze (new or old) at that point, so I couldn't rely on sketchy memories either.

*edit* My notes stated that it wasn't super sour (very nicely balanced) and had some nice earthiness.

 

[stupac2]

Nah, just the 99 3F.

It was really great (remarkably no noticeable oxidation, still tasted very much like a gueuze), but I didn't have a newer version to reference and I hadn't had much 3F gueuze (new or old) at that point, so I couldn't rely on sketchy memories either.

*edit* My notes stated that it wasn't super sour (very nicely balanced) and had some nice earthiness.

Speaking of...

This beer is incredible. We weren't initially going to get it, but teddyarrowhead joined us and splitting it 3 ways seemed reasonable. It's close to the perfect gueuze, sour, but not overly so, with incredibly complex funk and depth. Dry as a bone, perfectly carbonated, it's just amazing. I'm not certain it's the best ever (2002 OGV and Blauw are up there too), but it's close. I love it.

 

[drgarage1]

Speaking of...

This beer is incredible. We weren't initially going to get it, but teddyarrowhead joined us and splitting it 3 ways seemed reasonable. It's close to the perfect gueuze, sour, but not overly so, with incredibly complex funk and depth. Dry as a bone, perfectly carbonated, it's just amazing. I'm not certain it's the best ever (2002 OGV and Blauw are up there too), but it's close. I love it.

Yeah, I missed out on the 1998 3F at the Mikkeller opening, but I did get a bottle of the 1999, and based on what I heard from everyone, I was really lucky for that to be the only one I tried.

 

[oddapter]

It's impressive that these 3f goozies from 1999 are not oxidized! Even though it's not a gooz, the 2008 cable car had definite signs of oxidation and is 9 years younger!

 

[stupac2]

It's impressive that these 3f goozies from 1999 are not oxidized! Even though it's not a gooz, the 2008 cable car had definite signs of oxidation and is 9 years younger!

The only lambics I've had with noticeable oxidation were more than 20 years old.

 

[matedog]

It's impressive that these 3f goozies from 1999 are not oxidized! Even though it's not a gooz, the 2008 cable car had definite signs of oxidation and is 9 years younger!

I didn't get much in the 1oz taster I had of the 08, but that's hardly definitive. For me, it tasted almost watery compared to the 12.

 

[oddapter]

I didn't get much in the 1oz taster I had of the 08, but that's hardly definitive. For me, it tasted almost watery compared to the 12.

Yeah, I think when it goes down, it goes down fast. I had an 09 recently and it was amazing. Glad I didn't hold onto it for much longer!

 

[matedog]

Yeah, I think when it goes down, it goes down fast. I had an 09 recently and it was amazing. Glad I didn't hold onto it for much longer!

That was the question I was trying to ask earlier - Is the Cable Car variation due to differences that were present at inception or have they developed over time? For example, the 13 is apparently inferior to 12. That's not really a lot of time for differences to develop. I have a feeling 09 was way better than 08 from the get go. Perhaps time has exacerbated the issue.

 

[stupac2]

That was the question I was trying to ask earlier - Is the Cable Car variation due to differences that were present at inception or have they developed over time? For example, the 13 is apparently inferior to 12. That's not really a lot of time for differences to develop. I have a feeling 09 was way better than 08 from the get go. Perhaps time has exacerbated the issue.

Developed over time. The first time I had '08, in 2011 or 2012, it was amazeballs. It's nowhere near as good as it was then now, or even last year when they had the CC firesale. The only CC batch that I've heard wasn't very good when fresh was the first one. Though I guess some people thought one of them ('12?) was phenolic fresh, I never got that.

 

[lb304854]

Developed over time. The first time I had '08, in 2011 or 2012, it was amazeballs. It's nowhere near as good as it was then now, or even last year when they had the CC firesale. The only CC batch that I've heard wasn't very good when fresh was the first one. Though I guess some people thought one of them ('12?) was phenolic fresh, I never got that.

It was consensus at the hotel over the weekend CC '12 beats the holy **** out of CC '13 right now.

Did Toronado have CC '14 available for on site at T27?

 

[stupac2]

It was consensus at the hotel over the weekend CC '12 beats the holy **** out of CC '13 right now.

My group was lazy ****ers and didn't buy '13.

Did Toronado have CC '14 available for on site at T27?

Lol. That would imply that Tomme has his **** together. We'll be lucky to get it by T28.

 

[matedog]

Was the new batch of CC ever available at the Toronado anniversary party? Last years was in October, but it would make sense.

 

[drgarage1]

Was the new batch of CC ever available at the Toronado anniversary party? Last years was in October, but it would make sense.

I think they all were through 2010, then the batch of kriek that was dumped turned it into more of a Christmas beer, then last year was October. QED: Tomme Arthur.

 

[oddapter]

I think they all were through 2010, then the batch of kriek that was dumped turned it into more of a Christmas beer, then last year was October. QED: Tomme Arthur.

Yes, through 2010, but that was the last year that they were timely. 2010 they showed up the morning of the anniversary party, but we all had to suffer through 2 hours of waiting for the beer to be chilled. It was hell.

 

[drgarage1]

Yes, through 2010, but that was the last year that they were timely. 2010 they showed up the morning of the anniversary party, but we all had to suffer through 2 hours of waiting for the beer to be chilled. It was hell.

This is true. For as much crap as I give Lost Abbey, they definitely have the heaven/hell saints/sinners thing down pretty well. "Why, yes, we DO have Cable Car. THAT'S BEEN BAKING IN THE BACK OF MY CAR AT 90 DEGREES! HAHAHAHAHAHA"

 

[csano]

I can't wait until Toronado Seattle gets Cable Car.

 

[Podunkparte]

I can't wait until Toronado Seattle gets Cable Car.

First thing that came out of my mouth when I heard Bonney was opening a Toronado in Seattle: "Will they get Cable Car?"