November Cellar Reviews

Totally agree on the 2010. Did a blind next to an 08 and picked the 08 over the 10. A year ago it was unbelievable but seems to have dropped off quite a bit since then.

 

Had the 2010 within the last 10 days. Thought it was awesome--as good as when I had it 1.5 years ago. If I had another, I'd drink it now because it's top-notch. No sign of falling off IMO.

 

Bourbon County Vanilla is drinking really well right now. More raw vanilla flavour than I remember 4 months ago, just as creamy and decadent.

 

I drank a bottle of Cuir last night. I thought the alcohol has definitely faded a bit since it was fresh, making it more drinkable, and it still has a lot of sweet dark fruits.

While it is a little bit better, it is no where near as good as the 100% BBA Cuir, Fruet, and Bois/Bois variants. I have one bottle of Cuir left I will either hold onto for another 1-2 years, or look to trade if there is interest since I like the newer versions better.

 

I made a mistake. (Oh, wait, first I was supposed to say that I'm not sure if this is the right forum, but not sure where else to "share" so hope 'sokay.) I specialist shop owner that I semi-trust (has led me well quite often, sometimes I have to indulge him a bit) suggested a Chimay red from 2010. I know, not the pick of the litter for aging, and the brewery suggests drinking within the year (but labels it with a four-year best-by date). It started great -- still lively with carbonation, color perhaps lightened slightly from the fresh version (had one a few nights prior), say from amber to brass, but with lots more sediment. It was looking a 3.5, mainly brought down by the sediment. Then the nose was fabulous -- port, cream sherry, oak aromas, grapes, raisins -- I'd call it 4.0 though it blew off and diminished as I drank. But then the taste was depressingly tamped down, little hop remaining but some herbal notes, flavors of white grapes, some caramel, a bit of yellow fruits like apricot and key lime, but oddly flat on the palate. A sacrilegious (but generous) 2.75. Good creamy feel remained, neither drying or cloying, call it a 3.0 for that and, generously, overall.

 

1 year old HotD Adam and Fred - both were awesome, both slightly improved.

6 month old Lost Abbey Sede Vacante - so friggin amazing right now.

1 year old Old Schoolhouse Imperial Stout - hadn't had this fresh (it said best after a year), but it's really damn good right now. Super smooth thick mouthfeel, just right roasty stout flavor.

 

2008 Speedway Stout
Deliciously smooth, a bit phenolic, and a bit hot, as the malt fades. I'm looking for the coffee, and honestly I'm surprised to say I think's still there, a little caramel latte. Fairly firm bitterness lingers on the finish. Opened too early to really get much of a transformation (beyond what I would have expected after a year or 2). I've got another, this one was 5, I'll wait until the 10-20 range for the next one.

 

2009 Rodenbach Grand Cru

Not sure why I aged this. Improved maybe 1%. Meh, just as good fresh.

 

2011 Plead the 5th

I enjoy this beer fresh, but holy sh*t do I love it with a few years on it. Pours like motor oil, with a minimal dark tan head. Beautiful lacing - really sticks to the glass when I give it a good swirl. Nose is predominantly dark fruit (tart cherry?) with some roast and bitter chocolate as well. Taste starts with the dark fruits but quickly shifts to baker's chocolate and vanilla. Really thick and chewy, with a lingering, sweet, fudge-y finish.

Two more in the cellar - opinions on life expectancy?

 

Interesting. I love Plead the 5th fresh, it's really good with one year on it. We did a three year vertical last year & the 2 year old was fading IMHO & the 3 year old beer was just done, thin, ashy. Interesting you liked it with two years on it, I won't keep any around even that long anymore.

 

I wonder how much of our differing experiences are personal preference vs. year-to-year batch variation? If your vertical was last year, the 1-year old bottle you liked would have been the 2011 then? Could be that the 2011 was just a good year? Either way, I'll probably drink the remaining two sooner than later, although I'd be interested to see if the 2011 does hold up for another year...cellaring is all about experimenting, right? And hey, we're in the same town, I'd be happy to share...

 

I believe cellaring has a ton to do with personal preference; for example, there are very few barleywines I cellar because oxidation makes me want to scrub my tongue with steel wool, & that style seems to invite it faster than others I've put down. I've never noted any year-to-year variation fresh in Plead the 5th, but it's certainly possible. And I'm always up for drinking!

After a number of years of cellaring I'm squarely in the middle of the debate: there are a bunch of beers I felt went downhill, several that maintain, & some that get better. I've winnowed what I have to the latter & watch happily as my cellar has started to shrink...very slowly.

 

Couple of new ones:

2 year old Orval - compared to a (relatively) fresh bottle. Still quite heady, but not as obnoxious as the fresh. Pretty different taste. More watery, more tea taste. Less brett. Overall about the same quality.

1 year old Old Viscosity - surprisingly, this one didn't seem to hold up too well. I wasn't in love with it fresh, but it seemed to have gone downhill a bit in a year.

 

2011 DF Burton Baton......10/18/11 bottle date, was noticeably infected with brett by accident. Cracked a bottle last year from the same 4 pack that was similar. Surprisingly it drank great! More complexities, funk complimented the oak aged IPA. This would be a sweet variation....Brett Baton. Drink now if you have a bottle with the same date.

 

Had a Firestone XVI last night. The coconut notes that were once there are almost all gone, but so is the little bit of heat there was when fresh. Smoothed out really nicely. Still lots of barrel character. Looking forward to where this one goes in another year.

 

I don't usually post here, lads, but I chanced across a 2005 Anchor Old Foghorn at a local bottle shop earlier today and figured I'd post the bulk of my review here:

A: No bubble show forms as it's poured.

Pours a half finger khaki colour headd of above average thickness. Recedes to a ring within 20 seconds, but the ring is strong and thick and holds for an additional 3 minutes - not too shabby for a beer with nearly 9 years on it. Good consistency and complexion.

Body colour is rich and dark; a very dark auburn or copper perhaps. Quasitranslucent if you count the reflection lighting on the bottom of the glass. Nontransparent. No yeast particles are visible.

Overall, it's looking pretty standard for the style and quite good for its age. It's impressive it's held up this well; if I didn't know in advance it wasn't fresh I doubt I'd suspect anything based on the appearance alone.

3.5

Sm: The powerful aromatics were the first thing I noticed upon opening. The aroma fills the room - wonderfully rich toffee and caramel notes, plentiful residual sugars, and an indistinct fruitiness. When I bring the glass a bit closer, I pick up faint traces of the beginnings of oxidation - a hint of cardboard and a dab of stale malts. Somewhat tannic. A kiss of port wine. There's still plenty of sweetness too - I get a lot of English brown malt and biscuit malt. Toasty character. Faded brown sugar. Any hop profile has melded into the malts. The fruit is half exquisite, half muted. Faint cherries, grape, and hints of stonefruit. Sticky rum. Sugarcane. Bread crust and bready malts.

No yeast character is detectable. Some alcohol warmth is noticeable.

It's a good aroma for a barleywine, but I fear oxidation may hold it back. I also suspect the balance has fallen apart a bit. It seems a bit off-peak, but I'll find out once I taste it. Certainly English in character.

An inoffensive, rich aroma of deceptively high strength.

3.5

T: Hm. Oxidation has definitely begun, but it hasn't deteriorated all that much - especially compared to other barleywines I've had at or around this age (see my reviews for Sierra Nevada Bigfoot). It has come apart a bit, but it's still fairly approachable for an aged barleywine. Faint hints of wet cardboard and stale malts are present throughout.

It's got a syrupy brown malt body with lots of sweet English biscuit malt. Toffee and caramel are strong here. Bready malts. Crust. Vague fruit - stonefruit, depleted cherry, over-fermented plum skin. Some light sugarcane/rum notes. A bit of marshmallow. Molasses. Raisin. Brandy notes.

No (dead) yeast character or hop character comes through. Alcohol is noticeable but not distracting.

No, the balance isn't ideal. It's a bit past-peak, but still enjoyable. Not cloying, but too sweet. Good depth of flavour. Above average duration and intensity of flavour. Once this warms up a bit, its nuance really emerges. Nice complexity and some pretty good subtlety. A cohesive build, but not a gestalt one.

3.25

Mf: The mouthfeel of an aged barleywine can ruin it. Luckily, this isn't too syrupy, dry, stale, rough, or astringent. It is a bit too thick, and is slightly rubbery on the backend. Good carbonation - especially for its age. Thank God it's not flat. A bit dry to style. Good smoothness/coarseness. Has some alcohol warmth. It's done well with time.

Not oily, gushed, or boozy.

3.25

Dr: I stand by my general rule of not aging a beer more than 5 years, but this was a nice treat for the night. I won't go back to the store for the 3 or 4 other bottles they have at $2.99, but I'm glad I tried this once. I'd like to try it fresh, and I do think I'd like it better fresh. I'm not sure what that says about aging it. In any case, I definitely prefer it to Bigfoot and I'd like to try it with less than 5 years on it - ideally 3. Anchor's brought out an interesting barleywine with a build that is now seemingly the standard. Definitely a heavy brew to bring out during the cold winter months. This sipper will take some time for me to take down alone. I certainly wouldn't want a second in the same night (or even the same week) - it's an acquired taste. Barleywine newcomers should look elsewhere for an introduction to the style.

This really develops once it gets a bit warmer. Serve chilled and let warm.

The soaky rum was a standout note for me, and the marshmallow was a pleasant surprise.

Drinks quite well from a whisky tumbler.

3

High C+ cold. Low B- at room temperature.

(3.26 Overall)

 

2009 North Coast Old Rasputin XII Barrel Aged Stout

Opens with lower carbonation than the XV I had a few weeks ago. Black and maybe 1/4" tan head. No lacing. 4.25/5

Smell is dark fruit, sherry, high proof brandy, tons of booze. 4.75/5

Taste is very oxidized sherry and watery stout. the bourbon is lost and hints of apple, dates, figs, apricots, and raisins overwhelm the senses. Very dry. 3.25/5

Mouthfeel is watery and quite thin. The carbonation is present, but barely- not much different mouthfeel from the 1955 Orval I opened with friends. I think once you get to this oxidation level, the carbonation can't save you. 2.5/5

Overall, It kind of warms on you. Not nearly as balanced or delicious as fresh, but different in an equally intriguing way- the smell is intoxicating with fermented fruits, brandy, and tawny port. The flavor declines as the complexity increases. For pouring by yourself, fresher is better. For pouring with friends, the book is still out.

4.3/5

 

Damn, I need to start reading your reviews. Also, you should definitely continue to contribute to these cellar review threads.

 

Whoa! Any notes on this one?