Cellar Review Thread (2025)

While I don’t have access to this brewery’s wild ale selections, I’ve enjoyed your series and reading about what Trilliam brewed and how they held up for you over time.

Cheers!

 

Cavedave!!!!!
Hope alls well ,OG.
It was amazing. Compared to the last 2024 batch i got a case of it a little more mellow . Went down danged smooth and the last 5oz pour this morning was pure bliss.
I assume it's because the hops kinda faded a bit?
Eithereway i could drink those 2014s every day and be happy.
Thanks again @Beersnake!
I got a few things for you again but gotta source some more stuff that will tickle yer fancy

 

Excellent news, I still have one in the cellar from 2011 and I hope for similar good luck when/if I get to open it.

 

Can't even imagine how awesome your cellar is based on your photos

 

Haha it was well stocked, at one time about 350 bottles, but it's down to about 35 now as I've been drinking it down for the last 8+ years, but only one a month (or fewer) for the last 6 years due to health concerns. My second ex wanted to get the cellar put in to the divorce as an asset she valued at 4K IIRC, but she changed her mind when I lowered my offer for her share of the house by 5K. Still hope to live long enough to finish off all the rest. Final bottle will be a 2009 Super Kitty.

 

Look forward to your monthly photos.

I have confidence you will successfully finish your cellar just short of four years at the current rate. You likely have already contemplated this, but once you finish your 2009 Super Kitty, are you considering enjoying fresh or purchased/gifted new cellar beers, health permitting, once the cellar is gone?

 

Thanks for the kind and hopeful words. I def. also hope to finish the cellar, I'd say the way I feel right now at age 73 it is better than even odds I make it. I happily will accept offerings from friends, but the only real plan for buying beer is to get some Palatine Pils and whatever saison(s) is happening at that moment from Suarez. I'd be happy drinking pretty much nothing but that once a month forever.

 

2023 BCB Backyard Stout
Bottled: 14Oct2023
Reviewed: 1May2025

Cross posting with WBAYDN.

Just got home from a red eye after a week out in the desert for some work and play. As is my post red eye tradition, having a nice Bourbon County for a breakfast beer before a long (not quite) winter’s nap.




Still huge in the berry notes, perhaps even a bit too much. But it’s a lovely beer nonetheless. It’s overall mellowed, but has kept a wonderful whiskey character along with the roastiness and aforementioned adjunct berry notes.

 

4 years old counts, right?

One that tastes better now than it did when fresh. And it was pretty good then.
Cheers!

 

Pulled one of my favorite beers of all time to celebrate the first true day of Summer in Chicago (high upper 80s). Hope to hit the brewery they are building in Santa Fe later this year.

Keeping Together We Are Not The Counter Culture (2020)



Original 2020 Review Link

Cellaring conditions: Proper 50ish F underground dark basement, transferred to the refrigerator within the past two years or so until opened this morning.

Changes today vs. OG review (when applicable):

Note the biggest change in the aroma and taste components was a shift from broadly recognized flavors to a focused band of acidic, funk, Belgian yeast, and the darker fruit flavors noted in the OG review (raspberry). More saison like, at least via my previous experience to the near old ale/christmas ale blend experienced fresh.

Appearance and mouthfeel consistent beyond the absence of honey noted in 2020.

Overall, I appreciated this beer more due to the wide range of flavor sensations and expressions fresh, but really digging what is in the class, a focused solid saison that has held up well, but settled in at an older age.

Cheers!

 

Fresh Roast Brown - Rogue Ales - Newport, OR - American Brown Ale - 5.7%

I never has this fresh, but I am liking the flavor. I would guess it has held up well.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/132/96101/
3.64/5 rDev -6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
From a 22 oz bottle. Not sure of the date, but I know it's quite old.

Great hiss and a lot of smoke upon opening the bottle. This is a dark brown pouring beer with amber hues when held to the light. There's a lot of carbonation in the glass - 3 fingers, and tan colored. The head retention is decent, and very sticky lacing on the glass.
The aroma is quite faint. I am getting some malt notes in the nose. Since it is an older beer, there's hints of wet cardboard from the age on it.
The flavor is malty. I am getting some roasted malt notes in it. I am getting a nutty flavor, with roasted chocolate hints. There's hints of wet cardboard up front.
The body does seem a bit light, but not too far off the mark. There's a bit of a bubbly feeling in my throat.
I wouldn't recommend ageing this style of beer, but, I would say it has held up very well. I never had it fresh, but it does have a good flavor.

 

Silly Cybies VSOP Cognac Barrel. Bottled January 2000.
Only 186 bottles of this special edition ever made, for the Cooper's Collective. Really really mouth puckering tart, this is a sipper. Released early 2020. Cognac in the finish. Dark coloured body, still a hint in this 750 ml of carbonation.

 

Another day, another old beer I purchased on Wednesday.

Hazelnut Brown Nectar - Rogue Ales - Newport, OR - English Brown Ale - 5.6%

I am very impressed with how this beer has aged, and like the one last night, I'd gladly buy another bottle of this.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/132/1339/#navigation
3.86/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From a 22oz bottle. Not sure of how old it it, but guessing around 10 years.

There was a good hiss and wafting smoke upon opening the bottle. This beer has a nice dark brown color to it. I am surprised by the carbonation in the beer, there's a good stream of carbonation bubbles in the glass when I hold it to the light. The head is over 3 fingers in size, and actually went over the rim of the glass, but thankfully didn't spill over the sides. The head retention is quite good and there's some lace looking lacing on the glass.
There's a tone of hazelnut in this beer. Holy cow. I am also getting a faint hint of caramel from the malts that goes well with the hazelnuts. Not really getting any wet cardboard or any other bad aromas that can come with age.
The hazelnut is very strong ans shows up right away in the flavor. There's a bit of caramel malt that hits my taste buds. There's a bit of that aged wet cardboard flavor that does come through on the finish, but it does not distract from the rest of the flavor.
Decent body. Very smooth. The hazelnut does coat my throat.
I have never had it fresh, but I would say this beer has held up very well. Quite delicious

 

Yesterday, I closed down the rest of my basement cellar (36 beers - 12 unique), transferring said beers to the refrigerator.

Over the next two weeks, I will try to review one of these beers each weekday, weather and mood dependent, to document how these held up under 50ish F underground cellar conditions vs. refrigerated.

First up, one from the first Bigfoot (2020 released bottled 12/12/19) Six Pack I purchased.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (2020)



OG Review Link for this vintage performed April 11, 2021.

Comparison 2021 (score listed first) vs. 2025

• Appearance: (4.75 vs. 4.0) - Head flat and less creamy, pour not as clear, did not decant. Base murky vs. clear near 1 1/2 years old).
• Aroma: (4.0 vs. 1.5) - Oxidized, cardboard smell the lead initially and sustained after 15 minutes of warming.
• Taste: (4.5 vs. 2.0) - Bitter and mean, like that Karen in Aisle 8. I expected this to flip in the other direction from balanced to perhaps sweeter or more mellow, but this is oxidized, and the breadth of enjoyable flavors is mostly gone. Drinkable, but pairing with a blueberry muffin to make more palatable.
• Mouthfeel: (4.25 vs. 2.5) - Drinks strong and bitter, devoid of any sweetness. Cardboard from start to finish.
• Overall: (4.5 vs. 1.75) - The most disappointing cellar pull I can recall. If I was handed this as my first beer or barleywine, I likely would not return. Loved this 18 months, not writing off 0-2 year vintages, but will definately not intentionally cellar in the future.

Hopefully will pull a better selection tomorrow.

 

Sounds like tough work, but I'm certain you are the man for the job

 

It's warmer today, then getting back down to cooler. I decided to pull another 2020 and drinking it fresh out of the refrigerator, vs. letting it warm for 20-30 minutes further. It is still too malty, but much more palatable than drinking fully warmed.

@Beersnake - You probably enjoy malt flavors more than me. I am not a huge barleywine person, and when I do drink I prefer the English Barleywine, primarily Revolution selections. These are less malty, and I find the balance much more preferrred by my tastes. YMMV.

Three more to go!!!

Cheers cellar dwellers!

 

cross post with the Impy stout thread.
Last night I drank a bottle of Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout (the regular one). 2021 vintage. 14.0%, best by:17AUG26 A basement floor pull that I chilled in the fridge before drinking.

The most impressive element of this beer was the head. It was short but fine and creamy. It was very persistent leaving a nice coating of lacing with each sip.

Taste was chocolate, vanilla, with hints of brown sugar, wood, roast & toffee. I didn't really taste any dried/dark fruit. The ABV was well buried, And the barrel seemed very mild. Smooth and easy drinking. Just slightly sweet over all but had bitter elements. The mouth feel was medium, not thin or thick.

The bottle aged very well. I'm kinda impressed by this bottle. One reason for picking this beer was to see how it was holding up. Since I have other Bourbon County beers from 2020 to 2023 in the basement. I have been eyeing up the bottle of 2021 Double barrel toasted stout that's still in the sealed tube.