Cellar Reviews (2020)

2016 DFH Olde School barleywine

Pours a dark amber, not much head, it quickly fades. Aroma is dark caramel, and heavy on the figs & dates that this beer is brewed with. Taste is similar but ends with an odd aftertaste that I can't quite identify. Not overly sweet. Medium bodied, lower carbonation. Overall a bit disapointing.

 

That’s surprising.. wonder if it was a bad bottle in one way or another. I’ve had this aged a bit longer and it was still incredible.

 

Something happened when Founders increased their barrel program because the 2019 KBS was indistinguishable from Founders Breakfast Stout imo.

 

Yes, me too, but limited experience. I had actually already planned on cracking an older bottle soon to compare, I definitely will now.

 

Haven’t been drinking as much beer lately but decided to dive into my small cellar because quarantine is a special occasion right? Decided to crack open a 2016 Old Backus Barleywine from Free State brewery.

Look: turbid brown with the faintest of off white heads

Smell: very good, a pleasant syrupy caramel at first leading to waves of dark fruit, baking spices, and maltiness.

Taste: malts lead the way with dark fruits and warm spice following the nose in the background

Feel: big and chewy, carbonation right where you want a good barleywine

Overall: exceeding expectations, I’ve got this rated slightly higher than it’s fresh variation. A bit more mellow than I remember which I think is letting some minor flavors come into their own. Poured slightly chilled so we’ll see how it warms up but I’m happy with it, seems to have really held up!

 

2015 Bell's Third Coast Old Ale

pours a cloudy very dark amber color, cream colored head that fades. aroma of caramel, toffee, the taste also has some earthy pipe tobacco and bread crust notes in there. taster is not as sweet as expected, drier finish. medium bodied, mouthfeel is a bit syrupy.

 

2015 Stone WOOT Stout

Pours down the center of the glass with about a one inch head. It's very nutty with char and a little bitterness. Still a bit of alcohol in the finish. Same slightly thin mouthfeel but very smooth. Good beer. If it wasn't a 13% large format I'd open a 2019 to compare.

 

Was not aware of this thread, thanks @Beersnake1


Been working my way through a small format/high ABV box of vintage beers I found in the cellar a couple weeks ago. Tonight’s offering is a 2014 Bell’s Expedition Stout. Nose is divine: roasty, dark chocolate, subtle coconut, an almost nutty character. Exceptional. Taste doesn’t quite live up but still very good. More herbaceous, still roasty, still some dark cocoa but it’s very subtle and only in the finish, leather and tobacco notes to round it out.

 

Second cellar dive of the night:2015 Lagunitas Brown Shugga. Nose very sweet, tons of candies sugar, some fruity phenols, caramel and molasses are prominent. Taste is exceptional. This has aged fantastic. Very sweet but not cloying, caramel and candied sugar. Very subtle bitterness and faint alcohol to balance. Drinks like an exceptional old ale or american barleywine. This is elite.

 

Damn, look at that head for that old of a beer.

 

2010 Gouden Carolus Cuvee van der Keizer

Pours dark brown, some sediment, and thick tan colored head that eventually fades. Aroma is dark malt, raisin, and herbal spice. Taste is a bit too sweet for me at this point, but still flavorful and complex - caramel, plum, fig, a bit of vanilla and wood. Decent carbonation, medium bodied. Overall I like it younger.

 

Central Waters Black Gold 2017
To be clear, I love this beer. I believe it was the 2018 Central Waters Anniversary Party where they had it on tap almost all night, & that was about all I drank. Freaking amazing. That was a good night. Next morning, not so great.

Sadly, my first experiment holding onto a bottle isn't ideal. I mean, it's still excellent, but the pounding bourbon is well faded & the layers of chocolate, vanilla, roast & vanilla have all died back to a more routine beer's level. Hasn't lost any body, nor have I lost any desire to drink a lot of this.

I have two 2018 bottles in the cellar that are now high on my target list. This is simply too good fresh for me to let it sit again.

 

Tonight’s vintage cellar dive find is this cognac BA barleywine collaboration from Westbrook and Evil Twin called The Perfect Nose. No bottle dates can be found (I believe this beer pre-dated Westbrook’s bottle dating system), but a bit of research shows this was released late 2015.

In terms of how it’s drinking, well perfect nose indeed! Aroma is essentially perfect, doesn’t even smell like a beer, but more like a hybrid cognac and fine port. Taste is fantastic with huge barrel notes, cognac and port characters remain prominent with some base beer characters including dark fruits, candied sugar, and subtle roasty notes to balance. Without exaggeration this is probably in my top 25 beers I’ve ever had. That’s not a typo, I mean ever.

 

I’ve had some old Thomas Hardy’s but no where near that old! That is super badass. I can’t believe its held up that long.