Brandy Barrel Old Stock Cellar Reserve

I might be mistaken, but I believe my bottle shop still has some. It is very good but fairly pricey. It was distributed, I think similarly to Old Rasputin Anniversary. I think the price is similar $20-25 for the 500ml, which is why it tends to sit around. I have not had one in a while so i cannot comment on how it is aging

 

Drank an '09 a few months ago and it was brilliant. Still have one bottle left. I believe they were each ~$18-20. Found them at a NC bottle shop.

 

You're thinking of the Bourbon Barrel, not the Brandy.

The Brandy hasn't been released in many, many years....last vintage was a "2005".

THIS: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/112/37114

NOT THIS: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/112/37113

 

ooops, I must be thinking of that too. Disregard my statements.

 

I opened one up a few weeks ago. Drinking wonderfully. Not boozy at all, just the slightest hint of oxidation. It oxidized in a nice way though. Tons of fig and date flavors, hints of leather, brown sugar, caramel and toffee. Booze was well hidden. I didn't enjoy it as much as the '09 Bourbon Cellar Reserve, but it was still very good.

 

To add a little information that I think is accurate...

The brandy and bourbon old stocks were originally released in 2007. They were brewery only (with maybe a few trickling out to stores) but back then I think you could order them on North Coast's website and have them shipped (maybe only to California).

I think they were $12 a 375ml but maybe it was $10 or $15 which at the time seemed pricey for a 375ml bottle (crazy how the times have changed).

I traded some Short's Imperial Series bottles to a trade partner out in Cali back in 07 for 1 of each. Sure wish I would have traded for more (especially the brandy).

I've tried it twice...once in 09 at a tasting with Wooden Hell, M, BA Numbskull, Mother of all Storms, etc... and it was on par with M and I liked it quite a bit more than the rest. Probably in my top 5/10 favorite beers of all time. Cracked my bottle in late 2011 with the bourbon and it was still amazing. The bourbon is really good but the brandy is better all around.

Hope you're able to track down a bottle.

 

I think it was about a year ago I opened my bottle, everyone enjoyed it of course. I love any old stock with some age on it, this was just a step up. Despite its age the brandy barrel was still noticable, it must have been very barrel heavy at release? I hope you can nab a bottle, probably very very hard to land! Maybe offer up a 15 ?

 

I had one at a tasting around a year ago and it was preposterously good. Best non sour beer I've ever had.

I tried pretty hard for a while after that to trade for another and only ever came up with ones and which fell through. Very few people still have this it seems, and those that do are mostly set on drinking them I'd guess considering how good it is.

 

I'ts going to be pretty hard to land... unless Old Stock is your favorite beer or something I would just settle for the readily available Bourbon version. Had both from the old batch a couple years back and they weren't too much different.