Cellared Beer Reviews: March 2015

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matedog

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Tried a Cascade Kriek 08 last night for shits and giggles:
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I was pleasantly surprised. There was solid carb, very minimal vinegary oxidation, and the cherries actually seemed more prominent than recent versions I've had.
 
Thanks to stakem for this one. Shared with my brother in law and father in law who like this brewery (since it's now local to them in DE)



Huge boozy smell upon opening. Super smooth, no hints of booze on the mouth, tons of tobacco and figs, really enjoyable. Faint oak on the finish. Not much in terms of oxidation. I wish could have tried fresh but this was a nice gem. Thanks buddy!
 
Tried a Cascade Kriek 08 last night for shits and giggles:
d7eff6c7f87e7375405ab333b07082ff_640x640.jpg


I was pleasantly surprised. There was solid carb, very minimal vinegary oxidation, and the cherries actually seemed more prominent than recent versions I've had.
Was the bottle a cap? IIRC, 2008 was the best year for ALL Cascade fruited beers - I say this having been to a tasting of all bottled Cascade beers in 2013. After this, the beers seemed single noted on the undercurrent with their respective fruits appropriately represented. There was just so much depth to the 2008.
 
Was the bottle a cap? IIRC, 2008 was the best year for ALL Cascade fruited beers - I say this having been to a tasting of all bottled Cascade beers in 2013. After this, the beers seemed single noted on the undercurrent with their respective fruits appropriately represented. There was just so much depth to the 2008.
Hmm, I want to say it was cork/cage, I remember seeing the cork pop and being relieved since that meant there was still carb (I got it at City Beer in SF, they were trying to hock 2014 LPK for $90, so the $45 for an 08 seemed relatively reasonable).

It did seem noticeably more fruity and interesting than the newer versions I had had.
 
2012 Dissident

Man, I go back and forth on this beer. 2008 was really awesome, and at my last sampling (2013) was still doing really well. 2010 was just malt, booze and poorly executed Flanders. 2012 was more balanced, but still boozy.

Here is how I feel tonight: Pours red hued amber with a short lived tan top. Smells of cherry, cola, malt, mild malt. Flavor is tart, cherry, acetic acid, some Bing (like) cherry juice, raisin, mildly sweet still. Alcohol has died down. Medium bodied with reserved carb and an off dry finish. I like it tonight.
 
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2014 Crooked Stave Persica (Batch 1)

We had this at a share on March 1. I got this in a trade a few weeks back so I won't speak on how it's been stored but I have faith it was properly handled.

The nose on this bottle was amazing. As soon as I opened it the smell of peaches hit me in the face. The beer itself is thin and watery and the taste isn't especially complex. It's slightly sour, tart and dry and has a good amount of peach left. Even being thin it is very enjoyable. Would pound again.
 


the 2012 flavors were more melded together and actually had more body than the 2013, the 2013 seemed a bit too hot for me and thinner body, i've noticed some slight variation in each batch so i dont think it had anything to do with getting better with age, but just slightly different each year, i'm no longer cellaring this one anymore cause it just didnt change much which isnt a bad thing, the flavors just arent there for me and just doesnt seem worth it anymore with so much else out there to choose from, will put the money towards something else
 
Cracked a 2010 Founders Imperial Stout tonight. For my palate, it's only ok at this point. It's still showing roasted malts and chocolate with just a bit of the aged stout dark fruit coming in the backend. I think I'll stick to this being freshish or 6+yrs.
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2009 Cellar Reserve Old Stock *Bourbon ballls

Well, it's alright. Seems a little oxidized. Lacks the sweet caramels that were in here previously. I'm guessing these beers are best within 3 years of release. I've had this every year (at least once) since release and am certain this is 100% correct objective evidence.
 
1985 Courage Imperial Russian Stout

jedwards gave this to me about a year ago. My best guess is that he got it from some really crazy international trade and isn't sure of the storage conditions leading up to him having it, but if that's different he can clear the air. I'm sure it's been well-held since he's had it, and it's been upright in a temp-controlled cellar since I've had it.

Bottle opened with no sound whatsoever. Pours pitch black, no carbonation. The aroma is fantastic, I could smell it for days. Sweet chocolates, slightest tart cherry note that hides in the background, oxidation shows by competing with some port-like notes, licorice emerges at the very end of each smell as well. The taste is along the same lines as the aroma, but the tartness is clearly more evident, as are the wine-like influences. The immediate chocolate flavor is quickly bitten through (yes, that's what it feels like) on the tongue by a light tartness, which brings the fruit and slight dryness as each sip dissipates. The nonexistent carbonation fits in perfectly, giving a slicker mouthfeel.

This is really fantastic. I have a final bottle of 1993 that I now will age a little longer to see if it comes together a bit more. I recall the last two bottles from that year being more aggressive and less perfectly transitional in the flavors. Thanks again for the beer man, this one is awesome.

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Do not trade for 2013 vintage Coffee Abraxas and if you're still sitting on one I have some bad news. Bottle we opened last night had a strong tartness and super thinned out body with over the top green peppers. Didn't gush though. Pretty bad at this point. Super dissapointing, the '13 bottle I opened in January 2014 a couple months after bottling was in my top ten beers ever. If you've got a '14 vintage drink it now!
 
Speaking of Abraxas, has anyone recently had a BA Abraxas b1 to discuss how it has held up?
 
2012 Olde Hickory Irish Walker.

Got this as an awesome extra. Had never heard of it and didn't even realize it was a 2012 until I was opening the bottle. It poured a very dark brown, no transparency, with a thick deep tan head. A good amount of bubbles rising lazily through the thick liquid. Smells of molasses, brown sugar, a bit of vanilla. Taste is much of the same. This beer had a ton of flavor, no booze burn and no signs of oxidation. The mouthfeel was so thick. Fantastic stuff.
 
2009 Cellar Reserve Old Stock *Bourbon ballls

Well, it's alright. Seems a little oxidized. Lacks the sweet caramels that were in here previously. I'm guessing these beers are best within 3 years of release. I've had this every year (at least once) since release and am certain this is 100% correct objective evidence.
Damn. I really enjoyed that bottle when I opened one at the begining of last year. Sucks that it has fallen off.
 
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Left is a 2011 Rochefort 10 that I've been cellaring for 2 years. Right is a 2013 that I picked up about a year ago off. Note the label differences. The 2011 has one small strip, while the 2013 has a backside label as well. I am doing this as a "blind" tasting to see which I prefer. I'm also going to guess which is which.

Rochefort #1- oxidized sherry/hint of wet cardboard. dark fruits, especially raisins and plums. lots of sediment. I actually guessed this was the older bottle because of the wet cardboard I picked up on. I was wrong. Apparently this is the 2013 bottle.



Rochefort #2- Nose & Taste: None of the flavors I found in the first beer are here. It just tastes like a bland belgian ale. I can really taste the alcohol strength on the finish. This is apparently the 2011 according to my assistant.

My assistant also preferred the 2013 bottle. #forscience
 
About a year ago I decided to purchase a case of 750s of St. Bernardus Abt 12. I always enjoyed this beer and consider it one of the best quads easily available and figured this would be fun to age and see what it does over the long haul. The date on the cap is 6.2.19 which is February 6, 2019. From my research the best by date is five years from the bottle on date so that mean it was bottled February 6, 2014. Recently I popped open the first bottle from the case. The results were quite delicious. I’m sure many of you out there have had this beer, but I must say this was probably the best one I have ever had of the Abt 12. The flavors were so well integrated, there was minimal alcohol burn, usually this can be a bit hot, and it was just so buttery smooth I probably could have chugged it. I was just so surprised how well it was drinking and how much better it was than anything I previously had. My theory on why this was so good is because it was properly aged. As soon as I got the case I put it in my cellar which is my basement that is usually 65 degrees year round and left it untouched. Each time I have purchased this bottle in the past has been off the store shelf and honestly I did not pay attention to the date on the cap or most times it was illegible. Since then I have checked bottle dates in the stores and some have a best by date of 2018, so bottled in 2013 which isn’t that old. We all know quads hold up very well so it shouldn’t really matter, but I can only speculate with these sitting on store shelves or at the distributor not in the proper condition has affected the flavors. Maybe this quad is more sensitive than others? I have no idea. All I do know is that with one year on this in the right cellar conditions is amazing and I couldn’t be happier. I will probably try another one in about six months to see what is going on with it and share my findings, I don’t think I can wait another year.

Cheers
 
About a year ago I decided to purchase a case of 750s of St. Bernardus Abt 12. I always enjoyed this beer and consider it one of the best quads easily available and figured this would be fun to age and see what it does over the long haul. The date on the cap is 6.2.19 which is February 6, 2019. From my research the best by date is five years from the bottle on date so that mean it was bottled February 6, 2014. Recently I popped open the first bottle from the case. The results were quite delicious. I’m sure many of you out there have had this beer, but I must say this was probably the best one I have ever had of the Abt 12. The flavors were so well integrated, there was minimal alcohol burn, usually this can be a bit hot, and it was just so buttery smooth I probably could have chugged it. I was just so surprised how well it was drinking and how much better it was than anything I previously had. My theory on why this was so good is because it was properly aged. As soon as I got the case I put it in my cellar which is my basement that is usually 65 degrees year round and left it untouched. Each time I have purchased this bottle in the past has been off the store shelf and honestly I did not pay attention to the date on the cap or most times it was illegible. Since then I have checked bottle dates in the stores and some have a best by date of 2018, so bottled in 2013 which isn’t that old. We all know quads hold up very well so it shouldn’t really matter, but I can only speculate with these sitting on store shelves or at the distributor not in the proper condition has affected the flavors. Maybe this quad is more sensitive than others? I have no idea. All I do know is that with one year on this in the right cellar conditions is amazing and I couldn’t be happier. I will probably try another one in about six months to see what is going on with it and share my findings, I don’t think I can wait another year.

Cheers
Paragraphs dude.

Paragraphs.

Good info though.
 
2012 Olde Hickory Irish Walker.

Got this as an awesome extra. Had never heard of it and didn't even realize it was a 2012 until I was opening the bottle. It poured a very dark brown, no transparency, with a thick deep tan head. A good amount of bubbles rising lazily through the thick liquid. Smells of molasses, brown sugar, a bit of vanilla. Taste is much of the same. This beer had a ton of flavor, no booze burn and no signs of oxidation. The mouthfeel was so thick. Fantastic stuff.
Irish Walker is dynamite.
 
Deschutes Conflux No 1 - collab with HOTD

Noice. Still have 15.

To the haters: this beer is really doing well. Slightly tart, complex spirit components, some leather, some plums. It it's turding your shelves still, give it another go. This is a sophisticated beer.

Just opened this beer tonight. I'm loving where this is at right now. Spot on description. Hoping I can still find more of this turding around.
 
****, I was building a vertical from 2011. Anyone else have any Arctic Devil experience?
I had a 2013 about 1.5 months back. It was very damn good. The first hints of oxidation were showing, and that contributed a touch of complexity to a tasty and balanced beer.
 
It's most likely the only thing wrong is my mouth, not the beer. Keep the faith man, keep the faith.
Ended up opening the 2011. It was towards the end of the tasting, so I wasn't exactly in the best shape for picking up nuances, but it didn't taste bad, just thinner and less scrumptious.
 
2012 Olde Hickory Irish Walker.

Got this as an awesome extra. Had never heard of it and didn't even realize it was a 2012 until I was opening the bottle. It poured a very dark brown, no transparency, with a thick deep tan head. A good amount of bubbles rising lazily through the thick liquid. Smells of molasses, brown sugar, a bit of vanilla. Taste is much of the same. This beer had a ton of flavor, no booze burn and no signs of oxidation. The mouthfeel was so thick. Fantastic stuff.

There's a bottle shop in Asheville that I think has a complete vertical of this on shelf.
 
Cracked a 2010 Founders Imperial Stout tonight. For my palate, it's only ok at this point. It's still showing roasted malts and chocolate with just a bit of the aged stout dark fruit coming in the backend. I think I'll stick to this being freshish or 6+yrs.
JXL1xMS.png

I had an '09 and an '11 a couple months ago. I definitely recommend drinking these beers fresh. It tasted almost like a quad but with more roast behind it.
 
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