Cellar Reviews (2020)

I was in Lake Tahoe in 2015 or 2016 for a conference and randomly came across their taproom. I was impressed by their sour program and took a few bottles home with me. I haven’t heard much about them since then, unfortunately their Instagram account has been inactive for a couple years. Too bad ; whoever was making those sours was pretty talented.

 

Tonight’s beer is a special one in honor of what should have been a very special occasion. 2014 COAST Old Nuptial, a bourbon barrel aged American Barleywine by an exceptionally under rated and under the radar brewery from Charleston, SC. Originally brewed for friend of the brewery and co-owner of Charleston Beer Exchange, (which later developed into the terrific Edmunds Oast....shout out to the charcuterie game) Scott’s wedding. The original batch was brewed in 2009 for the wedding, a portion was drank and the rest was sent to bourbon barrels where it aged for 18 months in Buffalo Trace and Jack Daniels barrels. They then released a portion of the batch for the initial public release in 2011, and bottled and released the remainder of the batch in 2014. So although bottled in 2014, this beer was actually brewed in 2009 which probably makes it the oldest beer I’ve ever drank to date. Now, onto why I chose today to pop the bottle.

Well this weekend (12/12/20) was supposed to be my wedding day, however, we were forced to postpone due to Covid. It was a tough decision although definitely the right one, but still kinda sucks. So I decided to drain my sorrows by cracking one of my remaining two bottles in honor of this would be wedding day. The second bottle will have to wait until 12/11/21!

Pours a dark mahogany with a nice dense 1 fingers width of tan head that has good retention, especially for the age. No signs of being worse for wear on the pour. Aroma is huge toffee, huge dark fruits, caramel. Reminiscent of sticky toffee pudding. There are also big whiskey notes with an oaky bourbon, vanilla, charred wood, and a super subtle peat character. Some fusel ethanol to round it out. Just phenomenal. Taste is quite different than the nose, it’s dark fruits, unsweetened cocoa, and wood. But it’s way less sweet, almost no toffee/caramel, More bitterness than I anticipated. Unfortunately I think there are some signs of oxidation creeping in, as there’s a metallic character that wasn’t there fresh. It doesn’t destroy the beer but it definitely detracts substantially. Other characters I get are fusel alcohol, not many barrel characters just some raw oak. Mouthfeel is good with no carb issues from the time in the bottle, drinkability is actually quite good. Overall, a fun trip down memory lane, but it’s unquestionably past it’s prime. This was a truly elite beer fresh and doesn’t live up to that now. Still glad I saved it for the occasion though, and will pop the last one on my new wedding day to share with loved ones.

Cheers BA’s!

4.75/5/4/4.5/4.25
(Original/fresh review: 3.5/5/4.5/4/4.5; of note original review was prior to BAs 0.25 intervals)

 

Awesome story and review @zac16125 ! Sorry you had to postpone your wedding, but it will go off great next year and you'll have generational stories to tell down the line about the experience.

 

Tonight’s beer is a 2016 Westbrook Cabernet Barrel Aged 5th Anniversary. When these beers were released they did a Bourbon barrel variant and a Cabernet barrel variant, I certainly preferred the Cab version fresh. I fairly recently had the Bourbon one and thought it was good but that barrel characters were super faded (as is expected I guess). So we’ll see how the cab one has held up.

Pours a viscous black with a very very dark mocha colored head that’s a bit fuzzy and dissipates quickly. Damn this beer smells good, interesting and very lovely red wine characters right off the bat; probably more barrel characters on the first sniff than was present in the entire vintage bourbon variant I recently had. Raspberry is huge, and is balanced by rich chocolate fudge. Some roasted malt and oak to round it out. I get almost no vanilla, in stark contrast to the bourbon variant in which I felt it was one of the most prominent characters, but doesn’t really matter cause this nose is fantastic. Taste is super strong raspberry, interestingly it’s mostly tart raspberry as opposed to sweet raspberry jam. Chocolate is def present, but it’s less fudge and more dark cocoa, mostly on the finish. Bigger bitterness than I’d prefer, and wine barrel characters are nearly non-existent in the taste, just a bit of oak. It’s faded for sure, it’s less luscious then fresh but it’s still quite good. Mouthfeel is appropriate and drinkability is pretty good. Overall, this is good but was certainly better fresh.

4.25/4.75/4.25/4.25/4.25
(Original/fresh review: 4.5/4.75/4.5/4.25/4.5)

 

I've been continuing to plumb the depths of one of my locals stash of old European beer.

Today's selection is Zumbi Imperial Porter from White Pony in Belgium


My reading of the label tells me it was brewed in 2015, and the brewer recommended drinking by about a month ago, 11/11/2020



Pours a nice deep.brown with a thin and short lived head.
Nose is a bit musty with prominent raisin, fig, and date notes. A bit of bakers chocolate in there as well.
Taste follows with raisin big and up front. Some stale chocolate notes, a bit of funky dusty shed type of thing (possibly from Brett?) And a burnt bitterness. It all plays together much better than it sounds when I try to break it out and the bitter note lingers pleasantly. As I sip through it there is a sort of rum or brandy note that is rising up.
Mouthfeel is thin and a bit chalky.

Having never tried this one fresh, I suspect its a little over the hill. While still really nice it has a bit of that chalky, shallow character of a beer that has sat for too long. It reminds me of imperial stouts of a decade and a half ago, roasty, bitter, not overly thick. I'd love to try this one fresh.

I have a fantasy that as I help them work through their old stock they'll resupply with fresh stuff. Unfortunately it appears that once the old stuff is gone they are (wisely, as a business) not restocking the weird stuff that has been sitting for years. I may grab another one of these in the future but I'll probably focus on continuing to wander around their cellar.

I've got a Stingo up next that I couldn't figure out how to age. Anyone know if Samuel Smith has date codes?

 

Tonight’s beer is a 2019 Marshal Zhukov. Probably favorite “regular” imperial stout, meaning non-barrel aged/non-adjunct. I barely consider this a true “cellar pull” with only a year on it, but I plan to open some older ones over the next couple of weeks so wanted to start here to remind the palate what it tastes like (relatively) fresh.

Pour jet black, head doesn’t seem as dark as it’s been in previous vintages, maybe it’s the lighting (?) but it’s dense with decent retention. Aroma is dark fruits up front followed by a very prominent strong roastiness. Rich pipe tobacco, and a bit of char. Slightly herbaceous with woody tree bark. Subtle molasses. Wonderful. Taste is even roastier (don’t think that’s a word but you get it). Huge roasted malt, big leather and fine tobacco. It’s sweeter than I remember it typically being fresh, some batch variation perhaps (or some palate variation), with fairly prominent molasses. Decent amount of bitterness, with a bitter black coffee on the finish. Unsweetened bakers chocolate rounds it out. Lovely. Mouthfeel is full bodied, thick and chewy in a good way, ABV exceptionally well masked and drinkability is surprisingly good considering the boldness of this brew. Overall, a phenomenal beer as always. I typically prefer this with age on it, but this 2019 vintage is drinking mighty fine right now!

4.5/4.75/4.5/4.75/4.5

 

Only have had this once... fresh... and loved it... in fact making the comment that this was cellar worthy.

Aged versions of just straight up RIS’s are my jam!

 

Oh man, I love the fact that you can scour your local beer store and find 5 year old porters and other vintage imports!

 

My first beer for the BA Christmas Beer Online Tasting Event is a beer I purchased in September 2019 from a bottle shop which was unfortunately closing. Bottles were $50 for 12, and I picked up a bunch of BA Stouts and other vintage offerings, including several from Prairie Artisan.

This beer did not have a bottle date, so I am not sure of the release year. I'm estimating the bottle to be 3-5 years old, but it's just a guess at this point.

Prairie Artisan Christmas Bomb



Below is a comparison to my original review notes of this beer.

Appearance: Primary difference is that this is a flat pour, lacking head or any lacing, though I am not surprised. (Fresh 4.25 vs. Now 3.75)

Aroma: This has held on well over time, a nice mix of cinnamon, chocolate, and peppers. Pepper aroma consistent with the fresher version I rated, so no noted change on my end. Very nice. (Fresh 4.00 vs. Now 4.25)

Taste: The coffee taste noted in my original review (and not noted in the aroma section of said review) is sadly completely gone, but not unexpected. This beer is sweeter than the original, the chili pepper leading the way last time was overtaken by a nice pleasant cinnamon. Getting some vanilla as well. Was more neutral last time, but the sweetness now is manageable. Mostly a pleasant surprise, wished the nice fresh coffee aroma could have stuck around, but that was/is wishful thinking. (Fresh 4.75 vs. Now 4.0)

Mouthful: This was noted as thin but very smooth in my original review. Find it the same now, but creamy, perhaps unchanged and just not noted, with the thinness a reflection of comparisons with most imperial stouts. Faint carbonation remains, though it wasn't much stronger fresh. No loss from aging here. (Fresh 4.25 vs. Now 4.5)

Overall: This remains an excellent spiced imperial stout. The major change overtime was the drop off in coffee, and emergence of a sweeter taste vs. the pepper/coffee lead while fresh. While I prefer the former, the later works well. Only noting a slight drop off in my overall rating, primarily due to a drop off in complexity (Fresh 4.5 vs. Now 4.25).

Am I glad I pulled this beer today? Strong yes!
Would I age these in the future? No, I would drink these fresh to retain the coffee which I really appreciated during my first pour.

Hope this helps with your consideration of aging this beer. I have several other Prairie Artisans from the same sale, will try to tackle these soon to retain their original greatness as best as possible.

Cheers!

 

Oh another BA online testing event...IN.

Unfortunately i’ve been working my way through most of my Christmas beers since Thanksgiving , but I should be able to pull out a couple more (don’t think I have time to restock with the online tasting being this weekend).

Alternatively, if I put a bow on a Bourbon County Caramella does that count as a “Christmas Beer”?

 

Hello everyone,
Just found this thread and very happy about it. I’ve been cellaring for 11 years now, with some great results and some real bombs, as expected. I’ll post a few pics and reviews soon (it’s a good season for drinking some special things), but for now a couple questions:
Any strong feelings about the sweet spot for my 2016 Double Bastard Double Magnum? Now? 5 years? 7?
And what about a 2018 Anchor Christmas Ale Magnum? 3 years? More?
Thanks and thanks for all the excellent posts above! Cheers!

 

I'd drink that Anchor this year if you have help. I think it's best fresh to 1 year personally. Next year at the most. As for Double Bastard, I've only had it up to 3 years, which was marvelous. I have one more bottle of 2016. I don't know when I'll have it since it may be the last time I ever have one of my favorite beers.

 

Thanks! I had a 5-year-old DB, in a 22oz, that was absolutely amazing. The seal on the double magnum is different though... why would I need help with the Anchor? Heh.

 

Sipping a 2016 SN Bigfoot, which as a fun fact, was bottled Dec 2015.

Pours translucent with beautiful ruby hues when held to light (or when allowing Christmas lights to rest behind it). Nice tan head with decent retention. Aromas of fruit phenols, notable apple, caramel malts, a bit of herbaceous maybe even floral. A bit metallic which concerns for oxidation, which is strange as these typically age wonderfully and I haven’t done anything different with this bottles than others. Taste is big caramel and candied sugar upfront, with balancing hoppy bitterness and raw oak on the back end. Burnt sugar and surprisingly big floral notes are prominent. No signs of oxidation on the taste, phew. As anticipated this mellows with time and is quite smooth at think point with good drinkability. An enjoyable treat as always. I’ve never met a Bigfoot I didn’t enjoy, and this is no exception.

4.75/4.25/4.5/4.5/4.25

 

Cross posting with the 2020 Christmas Beer Tasting thread. Let’s get in the holiday spirit cellar dwellers!

Today I am doing a fun little experiment with probably my favorite Chirstmas beer (I know I know, here’s a guy with a lot of different “favorites”; but I think this is the one Chirstmas beer I’ve had every single year for probably close to a decade, so I think it can be put in the “favorites” category). Anyways, I decided to do a little side by side with a 2015 bottle compared to this years 2020 bottle. You may see the best by dates and think these are 2014 and 2019 vintages since the regular Abt 12 best by dates are 5 year, but I am fairly certain the Christmas Ale is best by 4 years from bottling; this would also be consistent with my personal dating of the cellar bottle and the “new” bottle as I purchased it just a couple of weeks ago. Sipping and comparing these while we decorate the Christmas tree.

Look: Pours are similar with the fresh one being slightly lighter in color and with a slight larger head. 2015 a bit murkier. Both have good retention, surprising for the vintage one.

Smell: 2020 is lots of doughy yeast up front, then tons of spice and some more subtle caramel. A bit of booze. 2015 is much sweeter, with more faded spice. Tons of nice dark fruits, subtle vinegar, toffee, and sweet bread like a fruitcake. Definitely prefer the nose on the 2015.

Taste: 2020 is yeasty, dough, huge spice with white pepper, subtle cardamom, a “holiday” spice that I can’t exactly pinpoint; fairly big caramel and toffee on the finish. 2015 flavors are more barleywine or old ale like. Dark fruits, cocoa, some herbaceous woody notes, brown sugar. Toffee and caramel on the finish. Almost no spice. Completely different palate profiles here. Both are great in their own right, but I lean the 2015

M/D: Carbonation massive on the 2020, almost gave me the hiccups after too aggressive a first sip. It’s a bit too carbonated actually, which I’ve never really noticed prior to this side by side. 2015 is a bit smoother but also the flavors are a bit bolder so the drinkability is about the same, albeit the 15 I would give the edge in mouthfeel.

O: An exceptional beer that is an excellent offering for this type of fresh vs vintage side by side. This beer has completely changed to the point that I am certain if one was fully blinded they would not have guessed it was the same beer. I love this beer fresh and I love it more aged. If doing this again I would throw a 2 year old vintage in there as that tends to be my personal favorite “sweet spot” for belgian quads including regular Abt 12.

2020: 4.75/4.25/4.5/4.25/4.5
2015: 4.5/4.5/4.5/4.5/4.5

 

I certainly wasn’t planning on aging this one for 5 years but a few things added up including a fairly long beer hiatus and so here we are. Mainly drinking this one now as an excuse to post in the 2020 Online Christmas Beer Tasting.

Pours translucent mahogany color with a fingers width of bright white head which has decent retention. Aroma is caramel, doughy yeast, and nutty. Label says it’s a Biere de Garde but aroma suggests a well done Dubbel. Taste is nutty, toffee, caramel. Quite sweet by not cloying. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, carbonation a touch low but hell it’s a nearly 6 year old beer, drinkability is average. All in all, expectations were quite low but this was much better than I anticipated. Very pleasant surprise here.

4.25/4.25/4/4/4.25

 

Sipping a 2015 Marshal Zhukov tonight as I continue my experiment with different vintages. 2019 was drinking stellar the other night, expectations are high for this ‘15 vintage.

Pours motor oil think and Zhukov black (trademark pending) with a dense very dark mocha colored head. Perhaps one of the prettiest looking stouts out there. Aroma is massive leather, big tobacco, and a slight smokiness. Like a classy cigar lounge. Some musty wood notes, and very subtle dark fruits. Taste is a medley of roasted malt, dark chocolate, espresso and leather. More dark fruits are present than on the nose. I also get oak, some sweeter fudge notes, faint vanilla, molasses like sweetness to balance it out. Huge lingering roast coffee on the finish. Just a terrific conglomeration of flavors and so much going on. Mouthfeel is thick and chewy but silky smooth. Overall this 5 year old beer has developed quite wonderfully. It gets more complex as it ages and I can pretty confidently say it hasn’t faded in a negative way at all.

4.75/4.5/4.75/4.75/4.5
(recent 2019 review: 4.5/4.75/4.5/4.75/4.5)





(Christmas tree reflection with the photo bomb)