Cellar Reviews (2020)

I had seen reports over the years of the original Very Angry Beast developing off flavors over the years, so I'd been keeping my fingers crossed about this one for a long time. Fortunately, this was still a beauty, with everything I loved about it still intact and virtually no signs of oxidation since 2013. I've always appreciated Blaecorn Unidragon, the base beer, as a RIS with some Baltic porter characteristics--influences of peat and iodine with a bit of smoke, much like an Islay whisky. This still had all of that in spades, with some bittersweet chocolate and light honey. The finish was drier than I remembered. I also got less barrel character than expected, although maybe this was from an earlier age before Clown Shoes started going really over the top with some of their hot-and-boozy barrel experiments.

The Extremely Angry Beast, however, was very different from what it used to be. The smoke from the Hammer of the Holy portion is all gone, and the rum barrel is fighting against the Unidragon and producing some green apple notes. Still good, and no signs of oxidation here either, but very tame compared to fresh. Not what originally inspired me to start hoarding this series in the first place.

 

By "new" drops, do you mean..never mind, it happens in Casper with Samael's.

 

The 2016 I had yesterday was still fabulous.

 

Tonight’s first cellar dive find is a Ballast Point Victory at Sea. Unfortunately i do not definitely know the date of this one, however the challenge’s namesake cellar find box so far has only had beers from 2014 and 2015 in it, so I feel that’s it’s pretty safe to assume this Victory at Sea is either ‘14 or ‘15.

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These are the only distinguishing bottling ID numbers, and I can’t make out a date from that. My assumption is this was shortly after they switched from bombers to 12oz format.



In terms of how it’s drinking. First off, looks amazing on the pour, like it was bottled yesterday. The aroma is nice, big coffee, bigger vanilla. Surprisingly these adjunct characters haven’t faded much on the nose. Pretty big chocolate notes and typical porter roastiness. Taste is a different story, as the adjunct flavors are present but noticeably faded. Lots of roast. More leather notes. Slightly astringent as much of the sweetness has faded. Still enjoyable but I would say it’s unquestionably past it’s prime.

 

No question about bottle dating in this one. Backwoods Bastard, bottled on 10/08/2014.




Aroma surprisingly very mild. Fusel alcohol, and some sweet malts. Peaty, Scotch-like notes to round it out. Taste is fairly unique. Tame scotch characters, caramel malts, oaky notes. The uniqueness comes in part due to a maple syrup like sweetness on the finish. It’s really quite prominent and is in sharp contrast to the rest of the flavor profile but works nicely. I am hit or miss on Backwoods Bastard fresh, I mean I like it but most of the other beers in this cellar box are amongst my favorite beers. My take on this vintage pour is similar, I like it but it doesn’t blow me away. I do think I prefer it over fresh BB though.

 

I have two from 2016 (which might be the last year they brewed it?) and was going to have the first next year at five years, but you've got me thinking I should maybe wait longer. In my notes I have the brewery says up to 10 years.

 

2013 DFH Palo Santo Marron

Black in color, tan colored head. Aroma is wood, vanilla, milk chocolate, a touch of smoke. Similar taste, long finish. Medium bodied. Smooth, more restrained in the flavors than when fresh.

 

Tonight’s vintage cellar dive is a 2015 Weyerbacher Insanity. I love this beer fresh. I’m not sure if a beer with a 93 BA rating can be considered underrated, but if that’s possible then Insanity would fit the bill. Throw a label on here from some trendy brewery, make it a once yearly brewery only release with a 2 bottle limit and this would be all the rage.

How it’s drinking with approx 4.5 years on it? Very nice and very complex sweet aromas. Layers or caramel, toffee, candied sugars. Subtle cinnamon, not a ton of barrel characters on the nose. Super faint fusel alcohol to balance. Taste follows and is great. Sweet malts up front, caramel and toffee. Long oak barrels characters on the finish, with a boubony-vanilla. Some bitterness to round out. Slight booze. Perhaps the slightest bit of oxidation starting to come though but it’s not enough to spoil the beer. Quite excellent.




Cheers, fellow old beer drinkers. Or, uh fellow drinkers of old beer? Perhaps both? Regardless, cheers!

 

Pour from the cellar, 2015 Revolution Brewing Straight Jacket! I purchased this in 2016, my first Revolution offsite purchase, on BCBS day. The store clerk stated this was one of his favorite offerings, so I grabbed one and stashed it away until today. Very glad to have pulled this out today.













Really enjoyed this over an hour and a half. Easy drinking and well masked ABV, but between the few ounces of bourbon previous and this 22 oz pour, took a nice long nap before awaking refreshed and ready to enjoy the rest of an incredible Spring day.

Compared today's pour to my review notes of a my first Straight Jacket. Took a few sips while still colder than ideal pouring temperature, smooth and sweet, no bourbon, tasted almost like a fruit beer. Let set another 10-15 minutes and from then on the sweet spot was hit. Still picked up the vanilla and toffee 5 years later, the bourbon even smoother than a fresh pour, sweetness more balanced. No oxidation or ill effects of aging, this was one outstanding pour.

Would I buy and cellar this again? Hell yes. Revolution was offering this same exact vintage a few weeks ago as a part of a to go package, will definitely take advantage of a future offering.

Loving the increased volume in this thread, likely Covid induced, and the excellent offerings and reviews featured. Looking forward to future 2020 Operation Cellar Pours from the BA Community!

 

Founders Underground Mountain Brown 08/08/2019

Hadn't really intended to age this and at slightly less than 9 months this probably doesn't qualify but someone told me in the past that anything over six months is fair game so here goes. Nothing that made this attractive when it first arrived has diminished. Had this after a barrel aged Narwhal stout and everything about the Underground Mountain Brown was still prominent from the abundent head to the aroma and taste. I doubt that sitting on this longer would improve it but that's why we experiment. But I'm happy with my results.

 

2014 Deschutes Mirror Mirror

Pours a muddy brown color, but thick layer of tan colored head. Aroma is rich caramel malt, a touch fruity. Taste is similar, but I don't really pick up any red wine flavor. Either way, good de pool th of flavor, not just a one-note sweetness. Medium bodied,very smooth feel.

 

Founder Mango Magnifico (2013)
This ended up in my cellar purely by mistake - during a gathering in early 2014, someone stuck this into my cooler. I let him know...& never saw him again. Six years earns me the (dubious) right to ownership.

This has not changed for the better. The heat is still going strong, which is impressive at its age, but the subtle mango & hops that toned it down a touch are gone. At this stage it's all heat, & that's not very interesting.

 

Tonight’s beer is a vintage Pumpking. No bottling dates, nor identification from my trusty wine marker, but everything else in the box has been 2014 or 2015 (besides the case of Blackbeerd cans which are 2016), so I think it’s safe to say this is either a ‘14 or ‘15.

Pour yields a very murky dark golden brown, with a fizzy off-white head. Aroma is huge and quite fantastic. Way better aroma than fresh. Very sweet, tons of pie crust, cinnamon, pumpkin notes holding strong, Literally smells like fresh out of the oven pumpkin pie. Taste is not as luscious as the aroma, has some of the same basic profiles as the nose, just much more muted. Not very sweet, subtle pumpkin, pretty significant bitterness, almost none of those nice pie crust and cinnamon characters from the nose. Some sweet malts like caramel on the finish. I enjoy a fresh Pumpking but don’t go crazy over it. Same could be said of it aged.

 

This is my new favorite thread. Truthfully, I’ve been out of the BA loop for years. Back in the day I was way into it, then for whatever reason I just kind of lost the taste for craft beer. My assumption is this was due to the over abundance of very mediocre (at best) craft flooding the market, coupled with the ever increasing “whalez-bro-ness” of the scene. I just essentially lost all interest and stopped drinking beer. But prior to that I had spent several years amassing a cellar collection. I never intended to age these beers this long, but here we are, and I now have a cellar full of vintage beers.

This thread has revitalized me and inspired me to start chipping away at the cellar. Will probably take me a couple of years, should be a fun ride!

 

Looking forward to your reviews, and hope this sparks a return to an enjoyment of beer.

I agree with your comments regarding the scene. I stick with brewers I like, and have set aside the fear of missing out (overpriced beers, waiting in long lines). Enjoying what I have and can get, saving money, time and grief. Plenty of great beers out there, many great posters here to help point the way.

Cheers!

 

Tonight’s beer is Lower de Boom barleywine from 21st Amendment. Small format with this one. Who cans 8.4oz of beer?

In terms of how it’s drinking: aroma is excellent. Lots of sweetness, huge caramel, candied sugar, lots of fruit phenols including prominent apple. Taste is more bitter, not as much sweetness although the caramel is there. A surprise char character on the finish that I don’t usually get on BW’s. I bought a four pack of this and have drank one every year or so since (this is my last one). At this point I’d say it’s a bit past it’s prime. Still enjoyed though.

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