Old Stock Cellar Reserve (Aged In Wheat Whiskey Barrels)
North Coast Brewing Co.

 

 

Drank this beer while watching Fist Full of Dollars for the first time!

Poured from a recently purchased bottle into a small snifter. Ruby brown color with a nice beige effervescent initial head with minimal lacing. Pleasant smell of caramel, toffee and oak. The taste includes these as well as dark raisins, dates and figs. Nicely sweet and warming. Very enjoyable beer for a lazy evening.

500mL corked and caged bottle poured into a snifter. Pours a deep ruby-mahogany color with no head to speak of. Very rich and complex malt aroma. Toffee, vanilla, maple, raisins, bourbon. Taste mostly follows, although it lands a little flat. Don't know if it's just the age or something else but it seems to disguise the nearly 15% ABV well. Medium-full bodied and chewy. Nicely layered and rich.

2014 vintage reviewed in 2022.

Pours a deep, rich mahogany color with a finger of light khaki head that went away quickly.

Wonderful aroma. Caramel, toffee, burnt brown sugar, brown bread, raisin, date, slight nuttiness, slight maple, bourbon, light oak, some sherry from the oxidation. Happy that the barrel is still coming through nicely.

Taste brings waves of caramel, Sugar Daddy candy, raisin bread, some maple, some crème brulee, toffee, slight nuttiness, date, slight fig, some star anise, vanillin, bourbon, oak tannin. Like the aroma, oxidation presents some sherry notes, but it isn't off-putting at all and adds another layer to an already complex beer. Warming as it goes down. The oak tannin and bourbon spirit heat on the finish dry out the beer nicely.

Medium body. Light carbonation, slick, oily, sticky. Could use a bit more body and carb, but I'm sure it's age has a lot to do with that. Age has done this well though in terms of drinkability, quite smooth for 14.5%.

I had pretty high expectations for this beer because I love Old Stock Ale, but I also had reservations due to it's age. This exceeded everything. Extremely complex. The age has, from what I'm guessing, smoothed this one out quite a bit, but it also still retains a good amount of the wheated bourbon barrel character.

 

 

 

2014 bottle, drank on 06.10.21 out of a tulip - spectacular. Beautiful aging, nice wheat whiskey bite, just a great beer.

Tasted in a Rastal Teku glass from a 500 mL bottle on February 11, 2021.

L:. Pours a dark brown Amber with hints of purple with no head or lacing.

S:. Lots of notes of whiskey, notes of caramel and toffee, boozy with lots of oak and vanilla, this smells like a boozy treat.

T:. Lots of booze, notes of caramel, strong oak and vanilla, the whiskey is very strong in this one. I like the aroma better than the taste.

F:. Higher carbonation, bigger body.

O:. Solid beer, but this is a boozy beast, we aged this one for 6 years and still got a lot of booze.

2015 bottle

Cork has a tobacco, whiskey and oak booziness. Pours a caramel, turbid deep amber. Little fizzy head. Upfront nose of grainy whiskey, leather and tobacco. Mellow malt and sweet molasses on the low rounded it out. Full, dark malt foundation supports a serious whiskey heat and dark fruits. Very intense, some boozy bite, warming, somewhat smooth, medium-full body and a slight drying. Mostly tobacco-laced stickiness. Well worth a try, nice to sit and sip with during some r&r.

2014, wow! Can't wait.

This beer pours dark soft brown with essentially no head - just a thin khaki-colored film of carbonation and bubbles.

The smell consists of whiskey and raisins mostly. Brown sugar and vanilla appear too.

The flavor is a little syrupy and medicinal, but not overly so. The prominent flavors are raisin bread, cherry, rye, whiskey, and caramel. Burnt sugar, vanilla, and orange peel appear. There's an old fashioned flavor throughout.

The consistency is a little syrupy but has a light carb. The finish is more whiskey and raisin bread.

Overall, I expected good things, and this just about meets those expectations. It's not a phenomenal beer, but it's a very good beer. I suspect that the age took away some of the mouth-feel characteristics, but the flavors really shine here. It follows a classic English old ale profile, but with the added extra of wheat whiskey.

 

 

2015 version poured into a tulip glass. A dark brown with ruby highlights, with no head or lace. Aroma is dark fruit, fig, whiskey, mild chocolate and vanilla. The taste is glorious ( cue Will Farrell voice) , in line with the nose but with amped up sweetness and a touch of heat. Barrel and vanilla fig forward. Carbonation low, the feel is medium heavy. An excellent slow sipper. May want to share.

This is an Old English Ale Aged in Wheat Whiskey Barrels for two years, ABV 14.50%. It is tasty, it has a relatively

light body, but it is strong stuff so watch out.


Look: dark brown with a finger thick mocca colored head

Aroma: dark bread and whiskey.

Taste: The flavor is raisin bread, caramel, and lots of whiskey. It is a great sipping beer, not for chugging.

Body/Overall: medium body, relatively easy drinking

 

 

 

 

Bottle. Poured out a semi-opaque, amber color with a small, off white head of foam that quickly dissipated. It smelled of rye, booziness and malt. Sweet and boozy with a toffee backbone.

 

2014 vintage, 14.44% ABV. Very distinctive from the 'regular' Old Stock releases, with a much softer feel and a very strong wheated presence from the barrel treatment. Let it warm to open up more of the classic old ale notes, so that it best competes with the oak and spirits.

A - Pours a murky dark brown with a one finger off white head. The head dissapates quickly leaving some very light spotty lacing.

S - Aroma is vanilla, caramel and whiskey.

T - The taste is huge whiskey, caramel, raisins, brown sugar and vanilla.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Soft mouthfeel with a dry finish.

O - Very well done. The whiskey dominates the flavor. Definetly a slow sipper.

Tawny brown body; thin yet lasting head (not bad for a high ABV beer). Aroma of brown sugar and dark pitted fruits; honey and molassas. Heavy, boozy caramel flavors; cinammon spice; black licorice. Heavy body; thick and syrupy; sticky; warm.

Another knockout old stock ale from North Coast. Dense and spirited with notes of raisins and figs with an ass-kicking alcohol presence lurking close by.

 

Let's keep this short and sweet this beer is definitely a world-class beer and it's definitely sipper it is very boozy let me repeat it is very boozy

 

 

Cage and cork bottle from my local shop.

L: extremely lively and fast dissipating head. The color is a very hazy orange and brown that flattens out and shows almost no carbonation after the initial pour. The liveliness at first is somewhat of a surprise.

S: I was immediately hit by the sour scent of the whiskey barrel. It smelled of a fine charred barrel that contained quality wheat whiskey. Under the whiskey is a bready scent and a balanced hearty oak and subtle fig/fruit notes.

T: Phenomenal whiskey flavor at first that gives way to a softer warmer flavor that just eases its way across your palette. After a few sips the bready and fruity nature starts to cone forward. Really exceptionally easy to drink and yet provides enormous depth of character to be explored.

F: Given the burst of initial carbonation and then the relative flat appearance afterwards, I was expecting a boozy drink that ovetpowered the palatte. Instead, this pleasing drink is incredibly light. The alcohol is well hidden behind the amazing flavors. This is an EXCEPTIONAL experience. I really have never found any other beers capable of combining these flavors with the delicacy that this beer presents.

O: Exceptional and world class beer with a tiny little hitch..... that hitch is that you better enjoy whiskey. This pulls no punches on the whiskey front. I happen to love it, but i can see how others might feel it is a bit overwhelming.

 

If this isn't how a cellared beer is supposed to taste after 4 years I'll kiss your ass.

Found a 2015 bottle laying around in a store in Houston.

A: Pours a dark amber/brown color. At first a two finger beige head forms, but recedes to nothing in about the same amount of time. Though what I find interesting are the whiskey "legs" that are left behind.
S: Alcohol up front, but quickly changes to milk chocolate. Big barrel and wood aromas with toffee and raisins. This is a big malty boozer and I love it.
T: Follows the nose, but I think everything comes together better. Warming alcohol, barrel and wood. Big chocolate flavors, toffee, figs and raisins. Love it.
M/O: A full body and still has some lively carbonation. Though becomes thick and chewy in the best way after a while. A wonderful warming beer to sip on throughout the night.

No signs of oxidation at all here, just really well put together. With that great big booze and malt character. This really has to be sipped like a Whiskey, but very much spot on. I have always loved the base Old Stock, and has always been great with the barrel treatment. Hugh and warming in the best way. North Coast still nails it.

 

A- Muddy Brown with a touch of amber & a khaki head that fades quickly. Looks like an old ale aged in whiskey barrels.

S- Malted milk balls, Generic licorice bark, toffee, smooth whiskey, & a touch of cherry. A very malty brew for sure.

T/M/O- Sweet & boozy with more licorice & dark chocolate. Something like a chocolate covered cherry cordial overwhelms the palate for a second before being assaulted by booze & butterscotch. The mouthfeel seems thin but brootish... like a barley wine with no hop bitterness.

While this is excessively alcoholic, it doesn't do much for me after the nose. At the same time, this beer gives me exactly what it said it would. In my opinion this is a perfect example of a clean old ale aged in wheat whiskey barrels.

500 ml bottle into snifter, 2015 vintage bottling. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy dark reddish brown color with a 1-2 finger foamy off white head with solid retention, that reduced to a thin ring of lace that lingers. Minimal spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big caramel, toffee, raisin, plum, prune, fig, date, apricot, cherry, red apple, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, whiskey, toasted oak, brown bread, coconut, and almonds; with light notes of chocolate, cocoa, butterscotch, leather, tobacco, smoke, and yeast/oak earthiness. Some increasing booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and whiskey barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge caramel, toffee, raisin, plum, prune, fig, date, apricot, cherry, red apple, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, whiskey, toasted oak, brown bread, coconut, and almonds; with light notes of chocolate, cocoa, butterscotch, leather, tobacco, smoke, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light whiskey/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, toffee, dark fruit, apricot, cherry, red apple, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, whiskey, toasted oak, brown bread, coconut, almonds, light chocolate/butterscotch, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and whiskey barrel flavors; with a great malt and whiskey/oak tannin spiciness balance; with zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Very slight oak tannin dryness. Light-medium carbonation and very full bodied; with a very smooth, creamy, silky, velvety, and rich mouthfeel that is fantastic. Lightly slick, syrupy, and tannic. Light-moderate increasing warmth of 14.5%, with very mild booze lingering after the finish. Overall this is an amazing barrel aged old ale! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and whiskey barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV. Perfectly balanced between rich malts, wheat whiskey barrels, and fruity English yeast. Amazing silky mouthfeel from the barrels. I love the base beer after similar age, but this is a completely different experience altogether. Very similar to the bourbon barrel version, but a bit more boozy. One of the smoothest sipping 14% beers I've had, as with the bourbon barrel version. A really amazing offering, and spot on style example.