October Cellar Reviews

I've had both, this one was the regular 09

 

Are we talking the BA version or regular?

 

Too bad about the Hibernation Ale. I had an '07 this spring, as part of a vertical tasting, and I actually like it the best (it was the oldest in the group). I was really surprised mine had held up.

 

I opened up a one year old Smoked Vanilla Gorilla last night. I PRAYED that it wasnt infected.
It was.

So drink em or marinate if you got em.

Cheers!

 

Joshua Norton Imperial Stout- Tap Brewing Company

3.58/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
22 oz. bottle served in a CBS snifter. Bottled in November of 2010. I got this an extra a long time ago and it just worked its way to the back of the cellar. Uncovered it during my recent move and thought I'd bust it open. Thanks for the extra Mike(gushue3)!

A: Pours a dark black color with a dark khaki head forming on the pour. The head recedes to some bubbly whisps around the collar.

S: Dark chocolate malts with some dark fruit flavors as well. Some sugar glazed prunes with a little toasted oat sweetness.

T: Definite oxidation present. Some light cardboard with some toasted grains. The finish is dark chocolate malts, prunes and some light toasted grains.

M: Medium bodied with a medium low carbonation level. Very smooth and the alcohol is well hidden.

O: For being almost two years old it wasn't bad, but it was a touch oxidized. Definitely held up though for being a tad under 10%. Solid dark chocolate and dark fruit flavors.

If you've got a guy from this bottling, I suggest drinking it now.

 

Popped open a MoaS from last year. Not noticing much of a change here. Still has a lovely bourbon and sweet dark fruit flavor. Nose isn't quite as potent. This one will hold up for a while it seems. Makes me sad I only have one left

 

I have nipples Greg, can you milk me??????

 

2010 Gouden Carolous Kaiser van Der Blau (blue)

Pours a ruddy amber, crystal clear despite cloudy chunks seen in bottle. Smallish head of beige, it falls quickly with a muted crackling. Smell is white wine, brandy, toffee and caramel. Taste follows suit, with a hint of carob and chocolate, heavy on rye and raisin bread, Chardonnay soaked figs with vanilla and tricle. Mouthfeel is medium like Jubelale, mild carbonation that borders on wild ale territory. Alcohol heat is minimum, like a Thomas Hardys or JWs that is getting out of the dumb phase and starting to head uphill. From this bottle I can tell it could go at least a decade, maybe more. I'm excited to start collecting more of these to hold onto for the years to come.

 

2009 FFF Blonde Behemoth (Baby Blue wax)

A: Poured russet with thick frothy light amber-beige 1-finger head with good retention and Christmas tree formations of lace. (4.5)

S: Not getting much hops other than some earthy herbal and mild floral tones. The maltiness is remarkable with dense toffee and nougat, fig, rum raisin, and brown sugar finished with a light roast note. (4.0)

T: Delicious with hefty caramel and toffee blasts up front. The hoppiness is there, but mainly in the bitterness and in a touch of citrus, herbal almost honeysuckle flavor. THe maltiness returns with some maple/vanilla and a light roast which helps to dry the finish. A really masterful barleywine -- I see why it is sought after and so highly regarded. The malt is prodigious without being cloying or syrupy. There is minimal to no alcohol heat -- whatever there is provides an earthy, woody presence that works well with the dense maltiness. (4.5)

M: A bit prickly, but not from alcohol heat or carbonation issues, but more from the whopping sugariness and counterpoint bitterness. The middle is slick but coats with caramelly goodness. The body is full without being too thick. Great job. (4.5)

O: Wow -- I'm glad I pulled this one because it was a joy to drink. My cellar is a little on the warm side, so I thought it would be good to take a crack at this guy. I am glad I did -- it is a malty masterpiece with a good dose of bitterness to keep this very drinkable. THe hop nuances are long gone, but that doesn't matter -- this is a superb barleywine. (4.5)

 

Weyerbacher XIV (wheatwine): A little bit of oxidation has started to creep into the taste. At this point it's just a little sherry which pairs ok with some slightly tart wheat aspects, but I don't think this will get any btter.

Founders Nemesis '09 (wheatwine): Holy crap there is a ton of sediment in this beer! It eventually settles down to the bottom, but there's still a lot. Taste is terrific. Maple is probably the predominant flavor. It's interesting because when I had this beer fresh, I thought the maple was very noticeable. It was a little more balanced with some wheat characteristics at one year, and at two years it seemed to taste like a fairly typical wheatwine. Somehow, however, the maple has muscled its way back into the forefront of the taste at three years. Very smooth but still with a strong flavor; if you haven't had a bottle of this in awhile, or even if you only have one left, I'd crack it open.

 

Interesting, I popped these both open recently, too.

Totally agree with you on the XIV. I bought/traded for a ton of this, it was so good. I've worked my way through most of them, but just cracked one open last week & thought precisely the same thing. It's starting to fall off, which makes me sad. One of the best straight-up wheatwines I've ever had.

The Nemesis I had a totally different experience on. I loved the maple, & that's faded to almost nonexistence, & the rest of the beer seemed like a rather muddled mess to me. Another beer I bought a ton of right away, & have a single four-pack left. Debating whether I want to keep these & see if they pass through this unpleasant phase, or send them off to someone who'd appreciate them.

 

In my experience, if you have a bottle of NCoast Old Ale, no matter what vintage, don't drink it -- it'll be better with more age on it.

 

I had one at Brick Store in Atlanta the other week. Fan-fucking-tastic.

 

Did a little mini-vert of North Coast Old Stock Ale 10-12 the other day. '10 was much more mellowed and complex than 11 and 12. I actually thought 12 was a bit better than 11 which was just boozy and one-note. 10 poured with very little head whereas 11 and 12 had huge fluffy heads. 10 was finally bringing out those caramel and toffee notes and the nearly 12% heat was receding. 08 is still the best I've had so I'm looking forward to the 10s in a couple years.

 

Had a Founders Imperial Stout bottled in Dec. of '11 last night. I like this beer fresh, this was the first time I'd had it with any semblance of age. It was OUTSTANDING. I think it's too hoppy and a little too coffee dominant when fresh. The 11 months of age has smoothed it out into a syrup of roasty, chocolate goodness. It was sublime. I plan on picking up like three 4-packs of the upcoming release and then forgetting I even have them. Outstanding.

On the docket for next weekend is a one-year old DFH Palo Santo. Can't wait!