Cellar Reviews (2024)

2016 Stone WOOTstout

Still strong carbonation and great flavor. Unsweetened chocolate, nuttiness, and char. Great body. If you've got any of these sitting around, they're drinking great right now.

 

Well I’m kinda breaking my own rule with not counting cellar beers until they are over a year old, but this one’s over 11 months so close enough. 2023 BCB Bananas Fosters Stout, bottled 27AUG23.

Pours jet black, fizzy dark tan head that’s almost soda like in color and consistency and dissipates just as quickly. Aroma is huge banana as soon as you pop the top without even having to get your nose approaching the drink. Other aromas I get are roasted malt, some cinnamon and nutty and charred oak bourbon notes. A nearly perfect aroma. Taste is much less banana, actually banana rather subtle which is a touch disappointing, but still excellent. Lots of cinnamon, lots of great base beer characters with big roastiness and nice dark cocoa. Typical BCB mouthfeel and as per usual good drinkability for the style. Overall it’s a stellar beer. Not sure if my original bottle reviewed fresh was an outlier but my notes indicate the adjuncts weren’t very strong, but they are fairly noticeable here. Still prefer the Prop OG version of this beer, mostly as I thought the banana was more prominent and shined, but this is excellent nonetheless.

4/4.75/4.5/4.5/4.5
(Original/fresh review:4/4/4.5/4.5/4.25)




Enjoy this lazy, Olympics-filled Saturday, old beer nerds!

 

Cracking open a 3 year old version of a beer released again two weeks ago. I don't have a 2021 review to compare to, but this is the link to my review of the 2018 draft version, the second overall released but the first also packaged. I refrigerated this since buying just after the June 29, 2021 canning date.

Revolution V. S. O. J. (2021)

• Appearance: Generous head and carbonation leaves no trace after a few minutes. Same color noted, bumping score from 4.25 to 4.5 for how it held up.
• Aroma: Getting the plums and slight cardboard I get sometimes after SJ and VSOJ exceed the 3 year mark. Converts to some oak plus vanilla and raisins if your patient enough to let warm further. Decreasing from 4.5 to 4.0 for this 3 year version.
• Taste: Taste still on point despite the age, sweetness typical of this and SJ, a bit more with the higher ABV. Whiskey strong, feeling an initial warmth to near burn but my body embraces after the initial sips. Slight tick downgrade from 4.5 to 4.25.
• Mouthfeel: Feels full bodied and syrupy with the sweetness and slight fizzy carbonation adding perceived depth. Drinks strong like bull from Go!. Pretty sweet at this stage, then again it is sweet like an English Barleywine vs. the hop malt American style. Suits my taste, oak, vanilla, raisin and a nice smooth whiskey after initial sips linger nicely on the finish. 4.5, down from the fresh 4.75 score.
• Overall: Like all my cans, this holds up well after three years, slightly aged and off vs. fresh, but still a great offering. Don't age intentionally, but enjoy with confidence if properly refrigerated. 4.25 vs. fresh 4.5.

Perhaps I'll pull a 2018 later this week to have a relatively close "side by side". Cheers!

 

Back as promised with the 2018 version to see how it compares to fresh draft review of the same batch/vintage, and what I experienced yesterday with the 2021 release. This was canned 10/10/18, and refrigerated this entire time.

Revolution V. S. O. J. (2018)



10/17/2018 Draft (2018 Vintage)

• Minimal quickly dissipating head.
• Aroma bourbon, vanilla, wine, sweet overall.
• Smooth whiskey malt, vanilla, balanced.
• Extremely smooth and creamy, easy drinking.
• Overall excellent pour, outstanding!

Yesterday (6/29/21 Can)

• Generous initial head, dissipates like the others.
• Plums/cardboard cold, more like fresh warm.
• Taste still on point despite the age, very sweet.
  
• Full creamy body, fizzy carbonation, sweet.
• Slightly off, but overall very good.

Today (10/10/18 Can)

• Minimal quickly dissipating head.
  
• Consistent with experience yesterday.
• Cardboard, plum, syrupy malt sweetness.
• Malty, sweet, sticky, strong whiskey.
• Still a good/solid beer, not a great beer.

Glad this held up OK, but definitely a shadow of former greatness. Glad I only have one more 2018 left. Will try to drink a fresh 2014 can later this week.

Cheers

 

From 2018

lost some carbonation but not flavor. Quite good.

 

2017 cellar pull. Not sure when or who sent this one to me but apparently it’s been a while.
This one, I hope, is better fresh than 7 years old.
Cross post with NBW and the Stout thread. The hat trick!

 

2021 DB Assassin.

Pours thick and oily black with a quickly receding thin tan lace

Aroma of choc fudge is predominant but a subtle brandy apple sweetness lingers in the background.

Mouthfeel is typical TG thick and viscous coating the hard palate w a residue that lingers with some tingling bitterness from the high abv.

Taste is smooth fudge and toffee w the apple brandy sweetness on the finish. As the beer warms the brandy hits harder.

Finish is surprisingly smooth despite the high alcohol content. You can certainly sense its foreboding presence if not mindful but certainly very well hidden overall.

Excellent beer. Lives up to hype. Haven’t had this since shortly after release and no negative effects noted to my palate from age as of yet.

 

August beer. Apologies for no pic, but I am well known as one of the world's worst photographers, and this one was bad, so... 2014 BCBS

Looks like BCBS but with no carb. It is all but still.
Dark chocolate, raisins, bourbon, vanilla, herbal bitter and booze, in a tasty aroma that beckons for that first sip.
A balanced blend of cocoa, dark chocolate, dark caramel, bourbon, vanilla, soft booze, and ends with these flavors joined by light herbal bitter, lighter char, and even lighter dark cherry. This is beyond delicious.
Thick as ever, but pillow soft on palate, no carb., but needs none, and a finish that has become such a beautiful experience of long lingering goodness I have trouble finding words to express the excellence of how age has made this magical.
Beyond a beverage, it is an experience that validates every wild hope ever wished for how we hope aged stouts to become.

 

Really glad these held up well for you @cavedave ! The pre 2015 beers were incredible fresh, and have mostly held up well over time.

At the Sheboygan gathering I shared the 2015 Rare. It dropped off a bit from the last time I tried it 4-5 years ago. Was still a solid offering. I have just under a case left from 2018-2019, and a half case from last year, mostly cellared, not refrigerated, so will be pulling for science and enjoyment this Fall and Winter.

Going to set a reminder to pull and share the results of a 2019 Parabola tomorrow.

 

Thanks! Me too, considering the sediment and off flavors of a few of the ones a bit older than this one. 2014 was probably my favorite year out of the gate.

 

While not very old, it was in my cellar for 3 years. Held up well, I think- never had it fresh. Tasty beer. More words in NBW if you are interested, otherwise, carry on!

 

Sorry not to acknowledge your kind words earlier, thank you! Definitely agree about both years '13 and '14. Am down to my last two BCBS, both '13's.

And speaking of iconic beers that hold up well (and I wish I had a few in the cellar) Stille Nacht is such a delicious treat!

 

Tonight’s cellar pull is a 2019 CBS - the last year of the BLiS barrels.

Still subtle and amazing.
Cheers!

 

I don't have a review of this particular release, but will just leave a few observations to celebrate this beer at the 5 year mark.

Firestone Walker Parabola (2019)

• No specific date, but these have been released or at least distributed here in the Fall.
• Experience pretty consistent with my first go at this via a draft pour during my original visit to Firestone Walker's Propagator in Marina Del Rey back in December 2017.
• These are in my top three in terms of BA Imperial Stouts without additives that hold up best (BCBS and Revolution's Deth's Tar the other two).
• The creamy decadent smooth silky mouthfeel of this pour is the standout this morning.

Cheers cellar dwellers!

 

Another Founder’s classic, the last batch before they went “year round”
2018 KBS

Still quite good, if anything the bourbon is more present.
Cheers!