Cellared Beer Reviews: February 2014

[maximum12]

What better to do on a Saturday night than drink Blackout Stout & watch Silence of the Lambs? BA Blackout is one of my favorite beers to age, but the standard hasn't seemed to do so well in the past...so I just pulled the last one out from late 2011/early 2012 for kicks & giggles.

Drink Fresh by 5/5/12 – At two years & a bit this has morphed into smooth brownie batter with a thick, viscous mouthfeel most brews would kill for. Wow. The best of the bunch, & after having it around one year, this was the only one I’ve aged. Sad face. A/A+

Drink Fresh by 4/28/13 – At a year plus, Blackout has hit a blah spot. Roasty, sweet, but all a bit muted. Not bad, but not as good as fresh or aged more. B-/B

Drink Fresh by 3/14/14 - Tons of roast in the nose & dominates the taste as well. Nice shot of mid-palate hops balances the sweetness, touch of chocolate. This is a big-stout standard bearer. A-/A

 

[drgarage1]

Had Adam batches 82 (early 2011) and batch 90 (mid-2013?) on Saturday night.

Batch 90: Basically fresh, heavy on the leather and smoke at a young age. Already drinkable, and properly carbed (always good to find those batches for the cellar).

Batch 82: Smooth, sweet, and complex. Dominated by dark fruits. Perfect carb. Basically as good as Adam can get. Drink it now if you got it.

 

[Ihyphy_SF]

North Coast Old Stock Ale 2009 Cellar Reserve

Medium cork pop noise when it came off.

Carbonation was a little flat but the mouthfeel was super sticky. Taste was currants and dark raisin forward with the bourbon flavor still the star of this. I would drink these sooner than later i am not sure if I would enjoy it if it had no carbonation left.

 

[claaark13]

jedwards , Forgetfu

I'd like to first thank csano for helping me procure more of these. Now, for the review....

This is a "2004" bottle from Bottleworks, laid in my cellar for at least a year without my dumb hand touching it. Spicy old hops and some light, dried fruits on the nose. Does not smell like a mis-bottled Reserva.

Tast starts as the aroma, but an undeniable skunky flavor comes about. Lightly penetrating light fruits and a moderate skunk flavor. Dammit. Well, what the **** did I expect? Heaven...so I'm an idiot. The musty, skunky flavor starts to be less inhibiting as the sips go on, and some green apple starts to come through with the already light fruit. I was able to get some more of these recently (wink wink, nudge nudge), but with the exception of one bottle, I'll be putting them away for AT LEAST 5yrs.

Takeaway - if you have bottles on hand that have been stored without light and you know are not at all skunked, you're probably in a happy place from a consumption standpoint. If not, age those bottles or send them to ******** like myself.

Thanks to those already mentioned and sorry MordorMongo for not waiting for your happyass to help me drink.

 

[csano]

I'd like to first thank csano for helping me procure more of these.

My pleasure, my friend. Let me know if you want me to keep an eye out for other De Dolle bottles.

 

[PurityControl88]

One of the first beers I put down in my cellar. 2012 bottle. Heavy sweet malts, boozy plums, dates, molasses and leather. A stand out butterscotch note and a surprising hop bite. I wish I had gotten more than one!

 

[stakem1]

Cross post from proper thread.

My last bottle... **** did this beer ever develope into something great. At release time it was a train wreck...all plastic phenolics, bitter roast, slight wild tang. A year later it was lemony lacto sour with hardly any remaining phenolics. This bottle 3 years later was straight lacto tartness with a faint coffee roast lingering aftertaste... wow, pristine for what I think a black saison should be.

 

[AZN Sensation]

Had this last night (old pic). The other one of these i tried was back in early 2012. I would say that the apple characteristics had faded a little but it's so much smoother now. Maybe a wee bit of oxidation in the beer but i didn't mind it. I also cracked a 2013 vintage next to this and the difference is pretty crazy, the newer is much more potent on the alcohol. If i had to say the best time for me to drink a Matt, i'd probably open one about 3 years after bottling, somewhere in between.

 

[csano]

Had this last night (old pic). The other one of these i tried was back in early 2012. I would say that the apple characteristics had faded a little but it's so much smoother now. Maybe a wee bit of oxidation in the beer but i didn't mind it. I also cracked a 2013 vintage next to this and the difference is pretty crazy, the newer is much more potent on the alcohol. If i had to say the best time for me to drink a Matt, i'd probably open one about 3 years after bottling, somewhere in between.

I liked the '13 better than the '10. It's been a while since I had the '10, but I thought the dark fruits, particularly what I perceived to be plums, were a little bit too prominent. The '13, while boozy, was more balanced.

 

[stakem1]

How could I forget to post this gem from the weekend...

Shorts Anniversary Ale 2007 Part 1 - 15% Triple Mashed, Triple Hopped, Triple Boiled, Triple Let Down (IPA?)

Obligatory lol an ipa thats aged 7 years turns into a barleywine...well in this case, maybe? Still boozy as balls but in a strange place collectively. It kinda reminds me of Stonewall which I didnt totally care for. Malt profile is dusty and oxidized, too boozy for its own good and while not excessively bitter, its bitter enough to give off slight fruity/floral notes under that morning wood booze boner.

Sorry, was channeling my inner dontdrinkbeer with that last line.

 

[aml42000]

Batch 1 Anchorage The Tide & it's Takers Oct 2011-

Opened carefully as I was ready for the gushing. Thankfully didn't happen. Smelling great. A good mix of the Brett, some pineapple/tropical aromatics & woody notes. This still showed some booziness to counter the Brett/funk/yeast. The pronounced barrel tannins on the back of the palate really added an extra layer. Like pretty much every beer I've had from Anchorage, this got more and more interesting as it warmed and is one to savor & enjoy fully.

Would recommend cellaring this to anyone as they pick them up, but buy a couple as it drinks great fresh as well.

 

[PurityControl88]

Batch 1 Anchorage The Tide & it's Takers Oct 2011-

Opened carefully as I was ready for the gushing. Thankfully didn't happen. Smelling great. A good mix of the Brett, some pineapple/tropical aromatics & woody notes. This still showed some booziness to counter the Brett/funk/yeast. The pronounced barrel tannins on the back of the palate really added an extra layer. Like pretty much every beer I've had from Anchorage, this got more and more interesting as it warmed and is one to savor & enjoy fully.

Would recommend cellaring this to anyone as they pick them up, but buy a couple as it drinks great fresh as well.

I've seen a couple Anchorage bottles around though I've never picked one up. You've made me curious...

 

[aml42000]

I've seen a couple Anchorage bottles around though I've never picked one up. You've made me curious...

I recommend them as highly as any brewery around, with the caveat being that you must like Brett in beer as I believe he has used it in pretty much everything.

 

[PurityControl88]

I recommend them as highly as any brewery around, with the caveat being that you must like Brett in beer as I believe he has used it in pretty much everything.

I'm always up for a nice brett IPA. I'll look next time I'm at that shop but I think I once saw a brett IPA by them.

 

[drgarage1]

I'm always up for a nice brett IPA. I'll look next time I'm at that shop but I think I once saw a brett IPA by them.

They've got two. One is Galaxy White IPA, which is continually released, the other is Bitter Monk Double IPA, which comes out in the late summer and is pretty much the best beer that exists. And the brett preserves the hops quite well -- at least up to a point, I hear Galaxy White can get disgusting if it's more than 6 months old.

 

[PurityControl88]

They've got two. One is Galaxy White IPA, which is continually released, the other is Bitter Monk Double IPA, which comes out in the late summer and is pretty much the best beer that exists. And the brett preserves the hops quite well -- at least up to a point, I hear Galaxy White can get disgusting if it's more than 6 months old.

Just found out it's Galaxy White IPA. I might split the bottle with a friend since it's been there for a while. I'm weary of those "baby diaper" brett IPAs.

 

[blue_bleeder]

Love, love, love the Galaxy White. Perfect use of brett IMHO.

 

[Snarf1]

They've got two. One is Galaxy White IPA, which is continually released, the other is Bitter Monk Double IPA, which comes out in the late summer and is pretty much the best beer that exists. And the brett preserves the hops quite well -- at least up to a point, I hear Galaxy White can get disgusting if it's more than 6 months old.

I really like Galaxy with some age. Opened a batch 2 back in October and it was funktastic. Still have one I've been holding on to.

 

[PeelBacks]

They've got two. One is Galaxy White IPA, which is continually released, the other is Bitter Monk Double IPA, which comes out in the late summer and is pretty much the best beer that exists. And the brett preserves the hops quite well -- at least up to a point, I hear Galaxy White can get disgusting if it's more than 6 months old.

+1 for Bitter Monk

 

[Max]

2008 Schlafly Reserve

got this in a BA BIF like 3-4 years ago and just found it a few weeks ago. threw it in the fridge, opened it today while paging through the cookbook looking for what to make for dinner; the wife has a 7-7 shift today so the cooking duties fall to me.

aroma is great.. lots of bourbon, vanilla, etc... maybe even a hint of slight sour-y presence. taste is sweet, bourbon, not much typical stouty choc/coffee characteristics. has a bit of a bite still which is surprising since it's 6 years old. this has held up pretty well. i had a 2013 reserve last year and this has aged pretty well!

 

[Snarf1]

+1 for Bitter Monk

Opened galaxy b2 and slightly newer bitter monk today. The bitter monk was subtler, the galaxy was funtasktic.

Also had 2013 Jolly Pumpkin IO after loving 2012 recently. Should have waited another year. 2012 was complex, layered, and very funky. '13 was mostly tart, oddly spicy.

 

[Podunkparte]

Popped a bottle of Anchor Old Foghorn Barleywine and the bottle code is 3M7. I'm not sure of the dating based on that but I'd go with somewhere around 1 year or a little more based on when I bought it.

I love this beer with a few years on it. Nice and sweet with that old American BW mustiness to it. At this age though, it's still sweet but the hops haven't quite fallen out completely and they leave a sort of hand soap floweriness. There's no chemical flavor or anything, just a mix of fruity and flowery that gives off a reminder of "fake" the way aromas in soaps do.

I'm to lazy to look it up but if anyone knows the corresponding date to the 3M7 code and is sitting on any Old Foghorn, give it a little longer.

 

[PurityControl88]

2008 Schlafly Reserve

got this in a BA BIF like 3-4 years ago and just found it a few weeks ago. threw it in the fridge, opened it today while paging through the cookbook looking for what to make for dinner; the wife has a 7-7 shift today so the cooking duties fall to me.

aroma is great.. lots of bourbon, vanilla, etc... maybe even a hint of slight sour-y presence. taste is sweet, bourbon, not much typical stouty choc/coffee characteristics. has a bit of a bite still which is surprising since it's 6 years old. this has held up pretty well. i had a 2013 reserve last year and this has aged pretty well!

I'm a big fan of this brew. Glad to hear it aged so well!

 

[Jonada]

Much better than I remember this being fresh. The brett is really starting to come out. Now I'm kinda wishing I had another one to age a little longer.

 

[BobSmooth]

I'm a big fan of this brew. Glad to hear it aged so well!

If you're ever in need for some hit me up. I've got 2 08's each of the BW and IS. I've also got 1 '10 and 3 11's of the IS. I have been trying to cut back on both the cellar and my consumption. I figure the less in the house the better...

 

[PurityControl88]

Much better than I remember this being fresh. The brett is really starting to come out. Now I'm kinda wishing I had another one to age a little longer.

This is also good to hear. I have a bottle of this guy and of Terra Incognita that I'm going to hold for a stupid long time in hopes of something fun happening. Time heals all wounds right?

 

[flexabull]

Much better than I remember this being fresh. The brett is really starting to come out. Now I'm kinda wishing I had another one to age a little longer.

There are literally cases of this beer at my local liquor store, maybe I should grab one next time I'm there.

 

[drgarage1]

There are literally cases of this beer at my local liquor store, maybe I should grab one next time I'm there.

Nope. Not unless they discount it to below $10.

 

[flexabull]

Nope. Not unless they discount it to below $10.

Not yet, I'll give it some time because they probably will drop it under $10 eventually.

I was one if the few people that enjoyed it fresh, but it certainly wasn't worth the price they were/are charging.

 

[Jonada]

There are literally cases of this beer at my local liquor store, maybe I should grab one next time I'm there.

If you can find it cheap, I'd say go for it.

 

[Rowingbrewer1]

If you want a cheap Brett beer pick up victory Helios and sit on it a few months. $4 Brett saison

 

[Thickfreakness]

I've seen a couple Anchorage bottles around though I've never picked one up. You've made me curious...

Fantastic stuff! Galaxy White IPA is crazy good as well!

 

[Skittle34]

If you want a cheap Brett beer pick up victory Helios and sit on it a few months. $4 Brett saison

I can attest to this statement, it's quite tasty

 

[Thickfreakness]

I bought a ton of this amazing brew back in early 2004. The last one I drank was in 2010 before I moved from LI to Saratoga Springs and it was one of the best beers I've ever had! Four years later on it's 10 year Anniversary however... good, not great! I opened this with my beautiful wife on Valentine's Day. HUGE chocolate nose fills the room as soon as the cap is popped! Lovely dark fruit and cocoa in the nose. We both enjoyed, but this certainly has fallen off! Still tasty as hell, but the dark fruit and mustiness have taken over. I think I'll drink my last 2008 sooner rather than later.