February 2017 Cellar Reviews

Pretty Things Fumapapa, December 2015.

The last Pretty Things release, if I recall correctly. Black as night, minimal head. Still retains it's amazing creamy velvety body. Quite sweet, tons of chocolate naturally, more milk chocolate than dark or cocoa. Doesn't seem to be quite as smokey as I remember it being fresh. Some subtle, interesting nutty and vanilla notes rounding things out.

Might be in a bit of an "awkward phase" right now, still delicious though. I have at least a couple more of these stashed away, can't wait to see how they develop over the next few years.

 

rochefort 10 best before 10/17/2020, so just under 17 months.

smells wonderful. a lot of candy. grape jelly. candied strawberries. alcohol-soaked dried fruit. so far my favorite Belgian quad, I think because the prune profile that is common among them, which is a big turn-off to me, is restrained here, or at least there is more else going on so it integrates better. sweetness up front, caramel melds into dark cherries and grapes and raisin, then onto the pits of said cherries, bitter almond, marzipan. candy sugar lingers. I've had many 10%+ beers but this seems among the more boozier. a staple for the cellar

 

Stone Matt's Burning Rosids, an imperial cherrywood-smoked saison. It was a one-time release in 2014. Previous bottles I had were January 2014, so I'll assume this was kegged around the same time.

I loved this beer each time I had it, most recently January 2016. I thought with two years it was wonderful. When I visited my local Dry Ground Brewing, I was delighted to find it on tap.

Pours a beautiful golden orange, with a solid head, even after three years. Bubbles linger til the end, with a bit of lacing. Scent is a bit fruity. Taste is a delightful mixture of a bit of sweetness, a bit of tartness, and a bit of booziness. Wine-like. Fruity, but not like like a tripel or quad. More like dried apricots. The saison yeast flavor that was slightly noticeable a year ago is not present, nor is the wood (remnants of the smoked malt, I would assume). Finish is fruity and just a bit tart.

I think it was a tad better a year ago because of the wood/smoked malt that was still present. However, this is still a complex, delicious beer.

 

FW XVIII. Bomber at cellar temp into a Duvel tulip. I liked this beer the several previous times I've had it, but it has developed to a new level since I last cracked a bottle. Fudge, tobacco, molasses, date/fig, concord grape, nutmeg, vanilla... Amazingly good. On par with some of my all-time favorite beers (like FW's Maltose Falcons, or NC's Old Stock Cellar Reserve 2011). (4.72/5.00)

 

(Also posted in the WBAYDN thread, but it's relevant.)

Sunday is the perfect time for a side-by-side comparison of Weyerbacher's 2016 and 2017 batches of Sunday Morning Stout.

(2016 on left, 2017 on right 11.3 and 12.7 ABV, respectively)

Appearance- The 2016 poured with a MUCH more lively, frothy head that lingered around forever, but the head on the 2017 version faded to nothing within one minute, after a fairly vigorous pour. This is somewhat to be expected, considering that the 2017 batch is considerably higher in ABV, but I'm surprised that the 2016 has more carbonation than I remember, even after a full year. Also, the 2016 looked like it had a darker head, if only slightly, but doesn't appear that way so much in the picture.

Aroma- The 2017 batch smells much more sweet than the 2016, which smells mostly of extremely bitter coffee grounds. Again, it's very odd, but I get MORE coffee aroma in the 2016, whereas the 2017 smells of sweet bourbon, molasses, chocolate syrup, and basically a dessert in a glass. I can smell more vanilla in the 2017, but more oak in the 2016. Alcohol is more noticeable in the nose on the 2016, which was very hot upon release, and why I tried cellaring it for a year.

Taste- My god, the 2017 tastes like absolute chocolatey, fudgey bliss. Very sweet, amazingly smooth with very little bite, and basically everything I was getting in the nose for this one is coming out tenfold. The coffee isn't so strong, but it's definitely there. Not a ton of oak, but the vanilla notes of the bourbon blend perfectly with the chocolate, syrupy sweetness. The 2016 is much more bitter, focusing again on the bitter, roasty coffee, and the oaky characteristics of the barrel. Alcohol is more noticeable, but it's just about perfectly balanced to coincide with the barrel characteristics. Still very sweet, with tons of chocolate and caramelized sugar tastes, but they're more on the back-end.

Feel- Just about identical. Both are extremely thick and syrupy, pouring like motor oil and staining the glass.

Overall- Well, this is just about the complete opposite of what I expected aging to do for this beer. Sure, there are significant formula differences between the two batches, but the massive amount of coffee and oak in the 2016 was a shocker. Both of these beers are what I would claim to be the very best coffee stout that has ever graced my lips, but they are both amazing for different reasons. For those who want something a little more balanced between bitter coffee and chocolate sweetness, the 2016 is the superior batch. For those who want something dangerously drinkable (really, this drinks way too easily for the ABV) that will satisfy your cravings for chocolate cake in a glass, the 2017 version should be your next purchase, while you can still get it!

 

Was there meant to be a reply here?

 

I had the 2016 version last night and I agree with your comments. The alcohol was definitely present as were the barrel characteristics.

 

I had the 2016 version last night and I agree with your comments. The alcohol was definitely present as were the barrel characteristics.

 

Samichlaus Limited Edition 2009, malt liquor/eisbock, waxed bottle from purchase

Pours effervescent bright copper with no head/lacing, but ample carbonation roiling the thick surface. Smells of molasses heavily, noticeable honey notes, with a toffee fruitiness to finish. Taste is extremely balanced and smooth for 14%- molases with hints of bitter chocolate, honey, with some sweet sugarcane picked up on the sides of the tongue. Mouthfeel is thick, smooth, very well balanced, carbonation is present and carries the sweetness well. This is a rare beer in that all of the flavors play beautifully and overall this beer is well balanced and very complex.

I wish I had more bottles of this, but alas it was a one-off brewing. I must admit, I was concerned about the "malt liquor" title on BA, and remember fresh it was not very bueno, but this ~8 year old 14% bruiser has mellowed out beautifully by now.

 

Prairie Apple Brandy Barrel Noir
Bottled 1/21/15

I remember drinking this fresh and thinking it incredible, but VERY hot and in need of time to mellow.

After having a run of apparently poor decisions coming from my cellar, this was a welcome change in pattern.

Slow-to-form and quick-to-recede brownish head on a deep chocolate beer.

An almost shiny nose (I imagine creme brûlée). It still carries a strong aroma of apple brandy barrels along with a hint of something sweet.

A touch of heat on the tongue brings in a fully integrated taste of rich, slick, and a bit fluffy (perhaps some sharpness from carbonation, but not overly so) caramel apple. The bottle should have a stick coming out of it... Tastes exactly like 12% ought to. Not overly sweet. Perhaps on the thinner side, but what I consider to be typical of Prairie beers in this style.

Really smashing. Can't imagine better timing.

FWIW, it's I nteresting to have revisited this after recently trying a fresh Matt (from HotD, also spent time in apple brandy barrels, I think). Matt is of course a very different style. Fun to experience such different expressions of barrels.

 

Actually the Limited Editions are aged 18 months before bottling, rather than the usual 10 months for the regular stuff.

Other than that I don't know of any other differences between the two.

Still a good beer aged.

 

1993 verse 2012

The "new" version is wretched in comparison to how lovely the old is.

The '93 is still and dominated by brett giving it a mild tartness and wonderful port flavors overtop a roasted base of chocolate, leather, tobacco and even some cedar-like spiciness.

The newer, 5 year old bottle tastes like a raisony mineral mess.

 

• 2007 330 ml Samichlaus Helles. I found a single bottle in Cardiff by the Sea liquor store ($6.99) and was a bit nervous about the condition - but it turned out to be great. Pours a pretty orange with virtually no head. Sweet fruity aroma. Excellent apricot fruit and vinous flavor. So smooth, sweet but less so and not as sticky as as fresher versions I've had. Really an excellent beer with a lot of time on it.

 

Great to hear as i still have two XVIII's left in the wine fridge! Cheers!

 

Ive got one bottle of this left, think Im gonna crack it soon, looking forward to it even more now.

Edit: Mine is a lowly 2012 Limited Edition. Sure it will be fantastic, but maybe Ill go ahead and sit on it a little longer.