Cellared Beer Reviews (2026)

Glad to hear you’re liking it aged — I’m a huge fan of many of the KBS variants, but that one was too sweet for me when I drank it fresh a few years ago!

 

I got mine — a four-pack if memory serves —retail in the Cincinnati area a few years ago. But … Cincinnati is certainly a lot closer to Grand Rapids than is Washington state.

 

It definitely wasn’t a brewery exclusive, but beyond that I can’t tell you much. And it’s always okay to ask questions, so no worries!

 

Cool, hope to see you (and Garth if available) over time either in Chicago or perhaps back in Michigan for All Stouts Day or another outing.

Happy to see straight up Ryeway to Heaven return after the past two years of variants of it. I have two of this vintage left, refrigerated since purchase from the brewery.

Revolution Brewery Ryeway to Heaven (Canned 11/20/20 @1:58:56 PM)



Link to my latest treatment of this vintage - Cellaruary 2025 on February 28. Seems a bit harsher on the barrel, but digging the base. Looks and aroma consistent with Cellaruary 2026. As I let this warm further, the barrel becomes smoother, or perhaps I just become more accustomed. Have one can left, plus three more from 2021, the first of which I will present in this thread perhaps in the next week or two as long as temps keep cool enough to enjoy BA selections.

Cheers!

 

I'd love some feedback from the crew in this thread on this beer. I'd also love to hear from @jesskidden and @patto1ro, too, if possible. Here's what I can get from looking at it:

Mansfield Gold Drop Special Ale
To commemorate the wedding of HRH Princess Anne
Minimum contents 9 2/3 fl. oz. (0.275 litres)
Brewed and Bottled in the UK by Mansfield Brewery Co Ltd.

Quick peruse of google suggests this beer could be 50+ years old. Is that accurate? I'm also curious about the style. A special ale makes me think it's something in the English Strong Ale arena, but I have no idea.

My mom has two bottles of this. She and I were thinking of opening one and trying it. What could we expect? I'm guessing flat, malt bomb, ha ha.

 

Can’t help you with any info, but I find your endeavor with this fascinating, and would love to hear the results! @Todd , if this beer is as it seems, could it possibly qualify for being the oldest beer ever reviewed on BA?

 

Had a guy bring a beer over 40 years old (He remembered that day it was given to him in Mexico, where he is from) and it wasn't even a strong ale, simply a local breweries beer brewed for an occasion.
I didn't die from drinking some of it, and there was actually some beer like flavor in it. But those may be the best attributes of the beer observed that evening.
So at least open one and let us know what it's like. For science! (and fun!)

 

Goose Island Proprietor’s Bourbon County Brand Stout (2021) . Courtesy of @FBarber in a NBS BIF. Bottled on 10/8/2021. Foamy tan head reduces to nothing pretty quickly. A lot of streaming carbonation on the glass, a bit overcarbed after sitting in my closet for 4 years. Aromas of huge strawberry jam, vanilla, cream, milk chocolate, and light coconut. Big fruit nose is amazing, barely any stout there. Taste of big lightly tart/tangy strawberry jam, milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, cream, toffee, brown sugar, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, and light coconut/char. Light-medium fruit tang/tartness; light roasted bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Medium-plus carbonation and medium-full body; balanced creamy/silky malts, fruit, bourbon/oak tannins, and light chalky roast in the mouthfeel. Lingering dryness from fruit and oak tannins after the finish. No cloying, acrid, astringent flavors. Increasing warmth and booze of 12.8% after the finish. The fruit is definitely strong and jammy, but the has a great balance with the base stout in the taste. Barely any coconut, but it really wasn't needed here anyways. Aged wonderfully despite being 2.5 years after the BB date. 4/4.5/4.25/4.25/4.25: 4.3/5


Cheers

 

Batch Brewing Dicksmasher. Amazing head retention and lacing for the ABV. No can dating, but probably from 2018. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, star anise, molasses, smoke, charcoal, toast, nuts, dark bread/crust, wood, herbal, grass, light pepper/pine, and yeast earthiness. Taste follows with big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, star anise, molasses, smoke, charcoal, toast, nuts, dark bread/crust, wood, mint, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast earthiness. Light-medium pine, woody, charred bitterness on the finish. Medium-plus carbonation and medium-full body; balanced creamy/silky malts, sticky hop, and chalky charred roast in the mouthfeel. Lingering hop/char dryness with no acrid/astringent flavors. Mild increasing warmth of 11.3% after the finish. The malt profile reminds me of Plead the 5th a lot, so more of an RIS IMO. The anise flavors compliment the rich complex malt profile perfectly. I had the rye barrel version of this beer in 2017, this was more impressive. Aged amazingly. 4.5/4.25/4.25/4.5/4.5: 4.34/5


Cheers

 

Modern Times Chaos Grid - Joy Edition. Got this from @BeerBaron666 in 2022. Canned 10/06/2021. Poor head retention and minimal lacing as expected of 13.6%. A lot of streaming carbonation on the glass. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, fudge, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, almond, coconut, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, light smoke/charcoal/yeast earth. Increasing booze in the aromas as it warms. Taste follows with big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, fudge, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, almond, coconut, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, light smoke/charcoal/yeast earth. Mild herbal/roasted bitterness, and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; very creamy/silky/velvety malt mouthfeel, with light lingering bourbon/oak tannin dryness after the finish. No cloying, acrid, astringent flavors. Mild increasing warmth and barrel booze after the finish. Very smooth sipper. Amazing rich dessert malt complexity and balanced barrel/flavor integration all around. 4/4.25/4.5/4.5/4.5: 4.41/5


Cheers

 

I need to spend about six months sitting at you feet having you teach me how to identify all those aromas and flavors!

 

Been reviewing beer for 16 years like a job . I want to do the certified cicerone test, I did the Beer Server test in 2020. Highly recommend the book Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher, it expanded my understanding of tasting notes and the words to describe characteristics, and that was in 2014. I also have homebrewed since 2011, and know all about the chemistry/biology of beer. I always start from distilled water and adjust my water profile with tap water. You can get it tested at a lab and use Excel to match the style profile with brewing salts, and a .1 gram scale. I need to ferment something again soon. I have a couple beer/mead kits I haven't used.

The flavor wheel can help you get started.


Cheers

 

Thanks, @superspak ! I have that book, love it, and clearly would benefit from reading it again (and again!).

That flavor wheel is the best, man! With appreciation to you, I’ll be referring to it frequently as I write future beer reviews!

 

11/14/19 Founders KBS Espresso. Wow this variant wins on coffee retention vs the 2019 classic I've had previously in the year. A bit of boozy barrel and 12%. Strong rich malts and bitter nutty espresso. Great barrel balance and integration. I need to check out some of the new variants from the store soon. I got more cellar drinking to do in the meantime.


Cheers

 

11/10/2016 Dark Horse Plead the 5th. Super rich dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, roasted nuts, molasses; light fudge, charcoal, wood, pepper, pine. Light pine/woody and charred malt RIS bitterness. One of the best in the style. Mild warmth of 11%. I wish I could still get this brewery. One of my favorite Russian Imperial stouts. This is tasting a lot less bitter and smoother/silkier than the 2017 bottles I had recently.


Cheers