Cellar Reviews (2022)

Cross posted on Celluary

2020 Lagunitas Willetized Coffe Stout Aged in Rye Oak Barrels



Last of this four pack, or was it a sixer? Coffee is still present but blending nicely with the rye. Cellaring hasn't hurt this one iota. Still the best barrel aged value around. Are they still brewing this (I've been out of touch for a while)?

 

Damn, thanks for posting this! Excellent review, you painted quite a picture. It sounds truly amazing.

 

Cross posted from the Cellaruary thread:

Bottled 2016, part of a case that’s been in my cellar for the past 5 years. This is the third bottle I’ve consumed, but the first since 2017. These obviously hold up nicely and I don’t have much to add that hasn’t already been said. Just wish these would reappear in my neck of the woods…Rochefort 10 was around for a while and I did stock up on that, but Chimay is the only Trappist Quad I currently have access to.

It’s nice to have an excuse to pull one of these “just because” and enjoy it over the course of a few episodes of Shetland.

 

Cross posted from the Cellaruary thread.

Well with the announcement today from Hair of the Dog, had to open up on of their bottles from the cellar. 2015 Doggie Claws

The bottle opens with just a small hiss, mild carbonation. Aroma is pretty vinous, a lot of grape and raisin, along with a bit of vanilla, oak, and a whiff of wildflowers. Taste is similarly complex, alternates between sweet and dry on the tongue. slick mouthfeel

 

Another side by side for me, this time bottles of Trappistes Rochefort 10.

The left bottle has been in my cellar since 2010, dated best by 8/2015. The right bottle I just purchased, it was brewed in 2021, best by 9/2026. So roughly a 11.5 year old bottle and 6 month old bottle.

The look of the beers are quite different. 2010 is much darker, and clear (there is a layer of sediment left at the bottom of the bottle), which just a thin ring of head. The 2021 is lighter and color and a bit cloudier. thick creamy head, with amazing head retention, sticks until the bottom of the glass, leaving nice lacing. Aroma and taste on the 2010 is more complex - dark brown sugar, dates, a touch of herbal clove and plum. Similar flavors in the taste, a touch sweet. 2021 has milder notes of all those same flavors, and has a much drier finish. 2010 mouthfeel is a touch thinner, still nicely carbonated. 2021 has a much creamier and softer mouthfeel.

 

Opened this bad boy up on his 10th birthday. Zero oxidation, light carbonation. Still some roasty toastiness. Barrel is still present. Probably won’t hold on to another one of these for that long, but fun experiment nonetheless.

 

2013 Stone Old Guardian Barleywine

First pour is clear, second pour bring sediment that settles to the bottom of the glass. Aroma is a mix of caramel and toffee flavors and then both fruity grapefruit zest and earthy pine resin hops. Taste is similar, the malt sweetness is balanced by underlying bitterness. Long finish. Mouthfeel is both a touch oily and also a bit sticky. Overall still quite enjoyable at 9 years of age.

 

Haha, no rush! I ordered another box so I'll be chiming in here over the coming months.

 

JW Lees used to be shelf turds, you could always get them and often multiple vintages and/or variants would be available at a single store. Now I feel like it’s been literal years since I’ve seen one. Is that just a me thing? I also feel like at least occasionally I see a Thomas Hardy on a shelf and that’s been years too.

 

Jw lees is relatively regularly available around here, I don't think I've ever seen a Thomas Hardys though

 

cross posted from Cellaruary thread

2011 Weyerbacher Quad - dated 11/10/11, best by 11/10/16. In my cellar since fresh.

Weyerbacher's big beers of yore were typically pretty boozy and "hot" and definitely improved from aging at least a few years. Quad was no different.

Pours a dark amber in color, I held back the last inch of beer with sediment to drink separately. Thin layer of head fades to a ring of fine bubbles around the edge of the glass. Aroma is still a touch boozy - heavy on fermented fruit, raisin, and toffee. Similar flavors in the taste, starts a bit sweet but finishes dry. medium bodied, moderate carbonation. Overall an enjoyable beer to drink

 

Cross posted at the celluary thread

2020 Three Floyds Pillar of Beasts



This was a pleasant surprise when I initially picked this up in 2020 on a whim. So nice that I returned to the bottle house the next day to cellar one. Age hasn't diminished this at all but also didn't add anything like I was hoping it would; specifically further enhancing the tobacco and leather hint on the finish. Oh well, that's why we experiment. Still a damn fine English style barleywine.

 

cross posted from the Cellaruary thread

Another local beer, this time from Free Will Brewing (Perkasie, PA). They used to do annual releases of both Ella and Ralphius, both barrel aged high abv beers, Quad and RIS respectively, and named after one of the owner's dogs. They used to do a few different variations of each, but the last few years they've focused just on Ralphius. The first few years, both of these beers were a bit too hot...but they've since dialed in their process for Ralphius resulting in some outstanding beers.

My original BA review of the regular Ella in 2016: "cloudy brown in color, white head. very boozy caramel apple aroma. taste is caramel malt and alcohol burn. thinner bodied. overall a bit too hot." In 2018 I also thought it was a bit too boozy, so I stocked away a can in cellar for a few years of aging. So here we are about 3.5 years later

Pours a clear dark chestnut brown color, thin head that fades. Aroma is heavy on booze soaked granny smith apples and dark caramel malt flavors. similar flavors, with some raisin and plum from the rich malt. Sticky mouthfeel, it's a sipper. Overall, much smoother and hides the almost 15% abv much better now.

 

cross posted from the Cellaruary thread

2017 St. Bernardus Prior 8 - the (5) year best before date is 11 07 22

Poured at cellar temperature into goblet, clear dark brown in color with thick cap of creamy khaki colored head. When held up to the light, ruby highlights come through the glass. Excellent head retention. Pleasant aroma of toasted bread, light toffee, fig, a touch of earthy spice. Similar taste, nice balance of the dark malty flavors and the Belgian yeast. Good balance, not too sweet nor too dry. Medium bodied, but amazingly smooth mouthfeel, perfect carbonation level. Overall extremely enjoyable - definitely one of the strong dark Belgian ales that is best between 3-5 years old.

 

cross posted from the Cellaruary thread

2010 La Trappe Quadrupel, 750 ml corked and caged bottle. In my cellar since that year.

pours a clear dark brown with thin cream colored head. when held up to the light, brilliant garnet color in the edges of the glass. pretty decent head retention for a 12 year old beer, a thin covering remains as I drink. aroma of candy sugar and light molasses with fruity undertones - peach, berry, fig. taste is similar, a touch of earthy spice, presumably from the yeast. flavors are deep yet very smoothed out. starts a little sweet but fairly dry finish. medium bodied, soft carbonation.