Cellared Beer Reviews: March 2014

[stakem1]

This is pretty much an unorthodox entry for this discussion but I didnt know where else to post it.
(SeaWatchman feel free to lose your **** over the concept of a beer "cellared" for less than 3 months.) I know, im ashamed of myself too.

Bourbon County Proprietors

I really wanted to hold off and drink all the BCBs variants in one big tasting but it sounded like the consensus was that this guy was fading fast. I was amazed at how much coconut this had. It seemed like a typical bottle of bourbon county but completely watered down with coconut milk. Much sweeter than any other variety I have tried to date with little to none of that BCBS boozy after burn.

I cant imagine what this beer was like fresh if it is in fact fading.

TL;DR - if you are disappointed with Proprietors but have bottles, ill take them all off your hands.

 

[Rowingbrewer1]

This is pretty much an unorthodox entry for this discussion but I didnt know where else to post it.
(SeaWatchman feel free to lose your **** over the concept of a beer "cellared" for less than 3 months.) I know, im ashamed of myself too.

Bourbon County Proprietors

I really wanted to hold off and drink all the BCBs variants in one big tasting but it sounded like the consensus was that this guy was fading fast. I was amazed at how much coconut this had. It seemed like a typical bottle of bourbon county but completely watered down with coconut milk. Much sweeter than any other variety I have tried to date with little to none of that BCBS boozy after burn.

I cant imagine what this beer was like fresh if it is in fact fading.

TL;DR - if you are disappointed with Proprietors but have bottles, ill take them all off your hands.

It's ok, we all know you were just itching to be the one that started the march 2014 cellar review thread and that you would get shamed off the site if you attempted it with 2 week old nugget nectar or the most recent berliner you got.

 

[Calcifer]

This is pretty much an unorthodox entry for this discussion but I didnt know where else to post it.
(SeaWatchman feel free to lose your **** over the concept of a beer "cellared" for less than 3 months.) I know, im ashamed of myself too.

Bourbon County Proprietors

I really wanted to hold off and drink all the BCBs variants in one big tasting but it sounded like the consensus was that this guy was fading fast. I was amazed at how much coconut this had. It seemed like a typical bottle of bourbon county but completely watered down with coconut milk. Much sweeter than any other variety I have tried to date with little to none of that BCBS boozy after burn.

I cant imagine what this beer was like fresh if it is in fact fading.

TL;DR - if you are disappointed with Proprietors but have bottles, ill take them all off your hands.

Of all the old **** you surely have turding up in your cellar, you choose Proprietor's to kick off March's cellared beer reviews thread?

 

[drgarage1]

To take it another direction, opened a 2009 Cable Car with oddapter on Sunday. As has been the case all along, it remains the best vintage at every age I have had it -- third time overall (fresh, two years, and now 4.5 years). The carb remains abundant but appropriate, it's gotten extremely clear over time in the cellar, and the wine barrel character is now more apparent than when younger.

That said, I think this has reached the limits of how it might benefit from aging. I can only see it declining from here -- some strong oxidation could absolutely destroy the beauty that has build up over time.

 

[stakem1]

Of all the old **** you surely have turding up in your cellar, you choose Proprietor's to kick off March's cellared beer reviews thread?

Worry not. In this, the month of my birth, I intend to participate with many brews that will make up for this injustice. Starting Friday, ill save the real turds for you.

 

[Rowingbrewer1]

Worry not. In this, the month of my birth, I intend to participate with many brews that will make up for this injustice. Starting Friday, ill save the real turds for you.

I too was born in March, and this Saturday a few days before my birthday some friends and I will be opening quite a few rarities and harder to find lambics and american wilds
Hommage B1
Framboos 2011
Malvasia Rosso 2003
Blauw
Brabantiae
Crianza Helena
50N4E B1 and B2
Blabaer
2001 LPG
SH BRL
being the most notable.

 

[matedog]

To take it another direction, opened a 2009 Cable Car with oddapter on Sunday. As has been the case all along, it remains the best vintage at every age I have had it -- third time overall (fresh, two years, and now 4.5 years). The carb remains abundant but appropriate, it's gotten extremely clear over time in the cellar, and the wine barrel character is now more apparent than when younger.

That said, I think this has reached the limits of how it might benefit from aging. I can only see it declining from here -- some strong oxidation could absolutely destroy the beauty that has build up over time.

I had some at the CC release this last year and it was stellar. A lot of people were doing verticals as well and I remember that being the general consensus.

 

[beerandraiderfan]

Yesterday, I tailgated hard and drank a FiftyFifty BART from. . . 2012 I think? It was delicious as always. But damn if the Vanilla BART that followed it wasn't the best beer I've had in all of 2014.

Also had a bunch of 1-2 year old Central Waters barrels. Also so good, so mellow, so fresh and so clean.

Wolfpack won. Whoot!

 

[dimensionx]

I'm steadily working my way through my cellar, things are piling up down there.

Cracked a 2011 Pappy's Dark from Block 15 tonight that I had completely forgotten about. For a beer that is best fresh this vintage had held up really well, not too oxidized and still had plenty of that Pappy character that we know and love.

 

[barleywinefiend]

WTF! Let's get busy here. I bow out for a moment and this **** goes limpJust kidding...

2010 Brooklyn Black Ops. Holding its own. Of course it's very dry courtesy of the champagne yeast. It's a beast of a beer whether you like it or not. I like it. Always have. Always will. If you don't...**** off...I kid ?!. Lots of cocoa, barrel is moderate. I like it.

2009 Big Sky Olde Blue Hair. 527/1800. WOW! This has to be the best vintage yet. The barrel is just right on this. Nice and smooth. Just enough bourbon and wood to compliment the base beer with a nice cocoa and dark fruit background. Spot on!

 

[barleywinefiend]

PS. This **** was jiztastic.

 

[stakem1]

The '08 porter was pretty far gone. Smell was decent with oak, raison, molasses, etc. But the flavor was cardboard heavy with the porter attributes an afterthought.
The '09 stout was holding up much better but still showing signs of oxidation. All stout character and barrel presence felt upfront but with an oxidation really creeping in.

Holding on to these for 4+ years was pretty dumb.

 

[stakem1]

2012 (or earlier?) vintage.

This was thin and pretty linear. In a way it reminded me of Abacus. Something boozy and easy drinking but thin, lifeless and lackluster at the same time. It had a bit of dusty aftertaste.

 

[Rowingbrewer1]

Had this saturday night, plenty of carb, good head. super funky nose (barnyard, cheese, basement) with a hint of grape on the end. the flavor was similar with a huge 3F funk a little minerally with the tiniest hint of grape at the end. excellent

 

[davey101]

2009 DFH Pangaea. I remember liking this a lot more when fresh. Lost most of it's beer like qualities and is now drinking like an alcoholic ginger ale. Very thin and muted and the only real notes are ginger and some pleasant wet cardboard/malt. Drinkable and decent, but not great.

/Yes, I played Ocarina while drinking it...

2008 is still damn tasty. No, it's no 2009 or fresh BCBS. But to say it's over the hill and oxidized is an injustice.

I enjoyed this one more a year ago but man was this a good blend. Loads of caramel and bourbon.

2011 vintage. This was beyond excellent and incredibly surprising.

 

[mrk_d]

I haven't been cellaring beers for very long, and tonight I drank one of my oldest beers - a 2013 Sierra Nevada Narwhal. I decided I would keep a couple pedestrian bottles around (in addition to my lambics, which I am not worried about) so if it turned out they suck after a year, I wouldn't be too disappointed. I still think I prefer most barrel-aged beers fresh, but I see the appeal of laying down a non-BA imperial stout for a while. While fresh Narwhal is just too hoppy and bitter, but a year-ish has smoothed it out quite a bit and made it more integrated. I tend to dislike oxidized flavors, but this is nowhere near that level.

 

[PurityControl88]

2009 bottle of Avery's Mephistopheles' Stout. I think I picked this up off a store shelf about three years ago before I graduated and moved out of town. I think it was under a heating vent too. With that said, I will say this is an aging success. Imagine a boozy creme brûlée or a liquor infused brownie or something. Thick, chocolatey and nutty with a port like sweetness/heat.

 

[LukeAleTime]

WTF! Let's get busy here. I bow out for a moment and this **** goes limpJust kidding...

2010 Brooklyn Black Ops. Holding its own. Of course it's very dry courtesy of the champagne yeast. It's a beast of a beer whether you like it or not. I like it. Always have. Always will. If you don't...**** off...I kid ?!. Lots of cocoa, barrel is moderate. I like it.

I've got a 2011 Black Ops in the cellar ... I hated it fresh. Thought it was hot, sweet and all bourbon. I'm about ready to open it and really hoping it's mellowed out. Your post gives me hope that it has. Will post results when I get round to opening.

 

[shelf_turd_ferguson]

Just posted in DDT. I have some bigger beers cellaring but a bunch of other good things (BCS, Old Stock, BCBS, Bigfoot, so on). Today I opened a Great Divide Colette with 13 months on it. I reviewed one in August 2013 and now have briefly reviewed another; both reviews are below. x-post pic.

Colette
Great Divide
20140316
12oz to Duvel snifter
7.3% ABV
Farmhouse ale/saison
Bottled 2/21/2013
This is a cellar review, I last reviewed this 6 or more months ago (same 6er). It will be abbreviated because it’s more of a checkup than a physical; analogies ftw. I have not looked at the old review before starting this review.
A – A light transparent and cloudy golden. I know that’s contradictory, but I like it.
S – A nice saison smell, you get a bit of the farmhouse and dryness but also some of that Belgian bready sweetness. It’s a little sharper, hinting at oxidation, but has overall stood up well.
T – I can more easily tell in the taste there’s some oxidation, but it’s not a huge down turn. It kind of lends itself to the dry farmhouse side of the beer. It makes it a little dryer and sharper, iirc. There’s maybe a tinge of cardboard, but it’s hard to tell with the farmhouse dryness. In the aftertaste there’s a slight vegetal quality in the back of the throat, hinting at aging of the hop acids.
M – Light and dry finishing, good still.
O – This has held up quite well. I recall liking it and it’s still very good with a year on it.
I finished the review and looked up the old one. I cracked the other one about 7 months ago. I agree with what I wrote then, and would just say it has fallen off a bit. I’d say there’s no slightly high level of sweetness now, and the aftertaste is melon but a little more vegetal, maybe like a bit of the near outer rind part was in your bite. I’m happy with the numeric rating I gave.


Here's the other review:
Colette
Great Divide
20130811
12oz to Libbey Belgian
7.3% ABV
Farmhouse ale
Bottled on Feb 21 2013
A – A hazy, pretty much opaque but quite translucent yellow-golden. Has a nice glow, and bubbles are rising vigorously from the bottom. Head is eggshell white and microfine bubbles.
S – Quite nice, some fruit, flowers, sweetness, and spices. I pick up melon and a bit of citrus, like orange peel, a floralness and a bit of hay, some sugar, and some white pepper. The smells work together nicely, no one being too much or little. The melon is mostly honeydew.
T – Interesting taste, starts with some hay and orange peel, then rolls into a sweet melon note, followed by some spice and more orange. The aftertaste brings the sweetness and melon back in. The sweetness isn’t obviously Belgian, but it has some similarities, perhaps a bit of earthiness. It works nicely with the other tastes.
M – Medium bodied, and somewhat soft, yet also slightly bubbly on the tongue. Quite refreshing, but not very. Less of a mid-summer day’s work drink, more of an end of the work day drink.
D – This is a nice beer to start the day with (in my case), or end a day of work with. I’m having trouble deciding if I’d like it a little less sweet, but I know that if there was no sweetness I wouldn’t like its take on the style. I could see myself drinking it almost every day. I also think the ABV is a good number.
4.75, 4.25, 4.25, 4.25, 4.25; 4.27.

 

[jedwards]

Did this tasting last night:

A few of my notes:

Dissident: All three vintages very different. We had two 2008 bottles from different cellars and both were good, but interestingly the one we know has been in a 55-degree cellar since release was more acetic (in the good Flanders Red way, not in a vinegary way). The 2010 was probably the least favorite of the group, though in my opinion mostly by comparison to the other two vintages. It did have an odd savory thing on the nose.

Abyss: All these bottles have been in a proper cellar since release, and it shows -- even the 2006 had held up well, though it's got that bitter/roasty-forward flavor that it's always had. The 2007 continues to be my favorite, even after all these years -- flavor was subtle, but nice toffee/vanilla notes and no trace of bad oxidative qualities. I think the 2008 is falling off a bit, mouthfeel has thinned out, but really nice dark fruit stuff going on. 2010 and 2011 are doing really well, and I see why people are excited about the 2010 vintage right now. 2012 and 2013 are both in a place I don't love -- Abyss needs to be 100% fresh or a few years old to me to avoid some of that finishing bitterness/astringency. As regards the '09 bottle, it's one of the better ones I've opened, but there's no much bottle-to-bottle variation with these. This one hadn't dried out completely and didn't off some of the real off-flavors I've gotten from others, but it wasn't Abyss.

Stoic was fine but not exciting, Green Monster was genuinely terrible (very pickle-forward). This Jubel 2000 held up much better than the previous bottle I opened a few years ago, but was solidly thin & dead (no wet cardboard, though). The Jubel 2010 is really good, though given the vinous flavors I can see why many people don't enjoy it. I'm probably going to drink the rest of mine shortly and save one for 2020

This Mirror Mirror '09 wasn't badly infected, but wasn't terrific either -- some dark fruit/toffee, but quite thin. The '05 MM was fading, I think, but solidly in good barleywine territory. It was fun to open alongside the 2002 Double Bale Quail, which tasted nearly identical except for somewhat more hoppy bitterness!

The Black Buttes are all so different, but the XX & XXI are both doing well, but probably not going anywhere interesting. XXII, as usual, is my favorite of the bunch flavor-wise but does leave little greasy bits in the glass... XXIII isn't tasting great, and XXVI and XXV are both too fusel-y for me currently.

 

[stakem1]

The spirit of claaark13 was alive and well on Friday when I opened this. He shared a pour with me back at the first Voodoo barrel room collection and I was too drunk to have an opinion about it. Now, with my own bottle I was well on my way of being **** bombed but didnt care and opened it anyway. I immediately smelled acetone but it kinda faded as it breathed. Id love to drink this again on a fresh slate but for some reason we only cross paths when blood alcohol is close to .30

Also...par for the course for this timeframe; oxidation heavy to the point of cardboard and decomposing foliage.

 

[Rowingbrewer1]

The spirit of claaark13 was alive and well on Friday when I opened this. He shared a pour with me back at the first Voodoo barrel room collection and I was too drunk to have an opinion about it. Now, with my own bottle I was well on my way of being **** bombed but didnt care and opened it anyway. I immediately smelled acetone but it kinda faded as it breathed. Id love to drink this again on a fresh slate but for some reason we only cross paths when blood alcohol is close to .30

I opened this one towards the end of the night at my birthday tasting, wasn't drunk, but was definitely in an altered state of mind and don't remember the fine details on this one the way I do with the ones we had earlier in the night

 

[Podunkparte]

Bourbon has subsided quite a bit so that there's a faint flavor but no heat at all. Cocoa powder, oak, and bourbon flavors. Mouthfeel is great. Soft and velvety. Still, 2 years is too much time.

2005 vintage. Nose is sweet caramel. Not much oxidation in the nose or in the flavor. More sweet caramel tasting it with a bit of stale fading hops. Nice, but also past where I'd prefer

 

[quirkzoo1]

Circa late 2010, early 2011, purchased spring-summer of 2011 not sure as to the exact
date which rubbed off the label.

Wonderful beer, everything has fallen into line nicely. This is a nearly perfect barrel aged stout (despite the "Black Ale" on the label. Layers of chocolate, roast, bourbon, malt. Mouthfeel is big but not too thick. Carbonation is just light enough to make it drinkable. Wonderful alcohol warmth without a hint of burn. I just wish I had more, time to refill at the store.

 

[matedog]

So about 2-3 years ago, I thought aging quads/BSDAs was the thing to do. I'm looking to clear out the cellar a bit, so I decided to crack this Monk's Mistress, bottled April 2011, cellared in October 2011. Nice sherry notes indicating mild oxidation. This one weighs in at 11% or so, so it has a nice richness to balance that out. There was some faint hints of rubbing alcohol that weren't too pleasant. I'm glad I opened this when I did, a pretty low risk aging experiment.

 

[quirkzoo1]

Picked this one up for a trade but got home and realized it had recently passed its best by date

So I figured it would be worth an experiment. "Bine to kettle in less than six hours" to a store for 6 months then 3 years in my cellar.

Overall not a bad beer smells exactly like Bigfoot taste is a little bit sweet and light, just tastes like an old pale, wish I had saved it for a blind BIF.

 

[jedwards]

Spent the last two days hosting/participating in pretty much the best beer experience of my life -- as complete a De Dolle tasting as I think it's possible to put together:

Full list is here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jedwards/13519304783/

Oerbier Reservas: the 2002 bottle was really nice, and is still one of my favorites (but very different from the "standard" OR) - - much mellower sourness the the rest, lots of oak. The 2004 bottle was not great, and had a prominent musty/mushroom-y nose (I've also gotten this from the Stille Nacht Reserva 2005, bottled in the same year.. not sure if there's any connection there). The 2005 was my favorite of the bunch, big tart sourness, lots of wine/sherry flavors. I've only had 2005 once before & don't remember much about it, so I can't say if that’s a fluke. 2006 has been a previous favorite of mine but this one seemed like it may have been on the downhill -- more leathery/musty flavors. I'm probably going to pop a couple more of these over the next few months and see if that's consistent. The 2007 was quite nice, good balance of malty sweetness & tartness, but the 2008 was just terrific — thicker body than the '05, exactly the balance between the initial flavors this beer gets with age (slight leather, sherry/vinous), the already-wine-like sourness, and the sweetness of the beer. Perfect beer. The 2009 we opened was on the thinner side, which made me a bit nervous as to how it's aging, but I see no reason not to continue to age it at this point. The 2010 and 2012 were both on the young side, still unbalanced in the direction of residual sugar.

We also opened two bottles of single-wine-barrel Oerbier Reserva, 2002 and 2004 (they will sometimes fill freshly emptied red wine barrels with Oerbier and bottle them, though as far as I know they've never been sold). They were very different, which was expected -- the 2002 was extremely wine-forward (the barrel apparently still had a couple gallons of wine left in it), quite tannic, and very unusual. The 2004 was a much better synthesis of the wine & OR flavors, and was a favorite of the evening.

Stille Nacht Reservas: The 2000 was incredible. I know some people have had bottles with some cardboard flavors in the past few years, but this one had no trace of destructive oxidation and had that perfect balance of sweetness, light wine flavor, and perception of sourness without acidity that's always made it great. Beautiful bottle. Here’s a picture of the cap and top half of the cork:

The SNR2005 always has issues with mustiness, and the first bottle we opened was no exception, I think the descriptor we finally ended up with was grass clipping spread out on a wet dirt floor until they grew mushrooms. We brought spares, though... and the second bottle was fortunately excellent. It's a very different beer from any of the other SNRs, much less tartness and a pronounced caramel note. Not my favorite of the group, but quite delicious. The SNR2008 is a great beer and I think the closest to SNR2000 in overall flavor profile, though we were all able to detect some oxidation in the palate which makes me concerned about aging this one long-term. We also opened a special bottling of SNR2008 "with extra sour bugs added" which was exactly as advertised, and balanced the sweetness of the SNR quite well. claaark13 selected our SNR2010 based on his supernatural understanding of which bottles are the best, and picked a great one, maybe a touch of acetone on the nose that quickly dissipated, tons of wine flavor, nice balance on the sweetness and beginnings of tartness. I maintain that it's going to age really well, and likely won't be opening any of my remaining bottles for a few years at least.

We did the 2005 (last of the unsoured years), 2006 (first of the modern soured years), and SPEC BREW 2005 (test soured batch) of regular Stille Nacht, and the SPEC is maintaining as one of my favorite beers De Dolle has ever bottled. The 2006 is definitely developing that sour quality we all love, and is a serious improvement on the cloying sweetness that remains in the 2005. I remain pretty comfortable with my plan of cellaring Stille Nacht 10-15 years.

I have notes for the rest of them that I'll write up eventually, but those are probably the main points for this thread.

 

[LukeAleTime]

That's an amazing lineup.

We also opened two bottles of single-wine-barrel Oerbier Reserva, 2002 and 2004 (they will sometimes fill freshly emptied red wine barrels with Oerbier and bottle them, though as far as I know they've never been sold)... big tart sourness, lots of wine/sherry flavors

I was lucky enough to get samples from his various barrels. He keeps one just for blending. I can't remember the details of which we tasted, nor the barrel he uses for blending (I really wish I'd taken notes as it was a little overwhelming... but who wants to take notes in such a situation).

The blending barrel was something like a 1970s bordeuax barrel which he keeps topping up. Check out the airlock:





Here's his regular barrels:

 

[drgarage1]

That's an amazing lineup.



I was lucky enough to get samples from his various barrels. He keeps one just for blending. I can't remember the details of which we tasted, nor the barrel he uses for blending (I really wish I'd taken notes as it was a little overwhelming... but who wants to take notes in such a situation).

The blending barrel was something like a 1970s bordeuax barrel which he keeps topping up. Check out the airlock:





Here's his regular barrels:

ISO: De Dolle fruit flies.

 

[LukeAleTime]

ISO: De Dolle fruit flies.

They needed about 2 or 3 years before they would be good. Gave me too much of a buzz fresh...

 

[Number45]

This will fall short of the last few posts here, but had a Palo Santo that I'd been keeping since Nov. 2011. It was past its prime. I really enjoy this beer with like 12-18 months on it, but this one at like 30 months was very muted. Oxidation starting to set it in giving everything a dull taste. It was still good and very easy to drink, especially for the ABV, but it wasn't ideal. I don't care for Palo Sano fresh and will continue to enjoy in the 12-18 month range going forward. Always a good beer to buy a random bottle or two of and stash away for a chilly night.

 

[matedog]

Busted this out while working on the house. Batch 007 (October 2011) Consecration. Currants seem to have dissipated. The fruitiness seems far less rich than a fresh batch. Interestingly, there was a grassiness that I had never noticed before as well as even occasional hints of vanilla that I had never detected. Still drinking great, but noticeably different from my memory of fresh Cons.