June 2015 Cellar Reviews

Yeah, that beer was absolutely putrid. Maybe I'll have one of my remaining Insanity tonight; the infection in Heresy was detectable probably a year ago, but Insanity was still tasting fine much more recently. Will report back.

 

Insanity definitely isn't infected, and even though my review isn't entirely favorable, this also may not have been cellared properly over the entire 18 month life. Point being, maybe don't give up on Weyerbacher entirely (though I'll almost certainly never try Heresy again... that experience was too unpleasant).

 

2010 Boulevard BBQ. This thing is wonderful. Still nice bourbon kick. Cherry. Nice quad stone fruits. I like the BBQ since 10 but I feel like there dialed them down since then to appeal to a wider audience. They just don't seem to hold up the way this one does. Great bee and highly recommended.

 

We haven't made any drastic recipe changes for Bourbon Barrel Quad. I'd be interested in hearing more if you'd like to email me at [email protected].

 

Probably a bit obscure, since there aren't likely to be many bottles of this left, but just had Telegraph's Sanus Spiritibus. Telegraph continues to impress the absolute shit out of me with their small batch offerings. This is one of my top beers of the year (and some of the others were had at Telegraph's recent event), and would not be at all out of place beside the best offerings out of Barrelworks or The Rare Barrel. Full review here.

 

Rusted cap and past it's prime.

 

2000. Peaking...yeah..peaking. So good! All dark fruit and wine barrel now.

 

Bottle #1452 was pretty tasty. Going strong. Lots of barrel and caramel.

 

A year later and it's still probably one of the finest damn barley aka brownywines ever...sorry K13...IMO of course

 

2008 is amazing!

 

Holy shart. Booze and caramel covered raisins. Magnificent.

 

Peaked.

 

Maybe it's just year variation. I've mainly been drinking ones from 13 but found a 10 I didn't know I had. Just had quite a bit more bourbon to it. I feel the newer ones don't have that but that could just be the other elements receding and letting the bourbon shine.

 

Blackout Stout best-by dated 3/14/14 (oops), which I'm guessing makes this a 2012. 12oz bottle into a snifter at cellar temp. Pours a little thin with minimal head. Smell is flat Dr. Pepper, wet cardboard, cherries, dark chocolate. Taste is sweet chocolate-covered cherries, a bit of roast in the middle, and a fairly obvious oxidized note late. No alcohol, not much spirits. Feel is a bit thin and fairly drying. Overall, likely past its prime (as suggested by the brewers).

 

2012 BA Blackout Stout, cellar temp into snifter. Now I understand the lack of barrel presence in the last one, which was the non-BA version. This one pours thicker, again with no head. Obvious strong bourbon on the nose, and maybe a hint of cherry underneath. Taste is bourbon, roast, licorice, oak. Much stronger alcohol presence despite the mere 0.5% difference in abv. Feel is less thin and much less dry, but still has a sort of thin, sudsy thing going on. Overall, good but a definite step behind the best of the class.

 

You're absolutely right. The '10 had a pronounced bourbon kick that I never found in later years, where I found much less bourbon & much more tartness (some cherry, some clearly not). The '10 was sublime fresh, glad to hear it's still holding on.

 

Tonight I am enjoying a 2011 Weyerbacher Heresy.



Pours with as much vigour as a fresh one, producing the beauty head that you see here.

So far my only knock is that I get some cardboard in the nose amongst the rather docile whisky smell.

Taste starts and finishes with a more drinkable whisky taste as compared to when it's hot and fresh. In between I get faint molasses, a touch of tart and something slightly earthy before dark chocolate drives it all off.

Not too shabby with four years on it.

 

FW Feral Vinifera, 375ml at cellar temp into a Teku. Pours fizzy as all get out but with zero head retention. Nice cloudy lemon yellow, still fizzing like mad after five minutes. Smell is white wine, lemongrass, a hint of confectioner's sugar. Taste is bright sweet honey up front, with lemon and then white wine quickly rushing in. Not a white wine connoisseur, but I get pear, something like dill, honeydew, lemon pepper. Finishes with a wallop of oak and then just a faint lingering of lemonade. Feel is medium, well carbed, and not too dry. Overall, still holding up well after a year. My original notes leave a lot to be desired, but I think this is a bit more well integrated than it was fresh. 4.3/5.

 

Very helpful. I am sitting on a few and thought about how they were doing just yesterday...

 

1994. Cereal. Dark fruits. Toffee. Brown sugar. Chocolate.