Cellar Reviews (2024)

I have some bottles as old as 2013 and I wonder how they’ve held up. Anyone open one ten plus years old recently?

 

FW 14 Anniversary Blend

13 years since release? No fucking way. This has become next level. Review in NBS
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-weekend-215.678329/page-5#post-8041210

 

When you win the 50-50 raffle. This beer is either absolutely incredible or a complete flat dud. 2009 Fond Gueuze Bierpallieters.

Amazing pop w the cork (it Is at this point you know you have a good bottle)

Pours an apricot orange color with a lively frothy head

aroma is just so funky it permeates the nares quickly with mushroom, wet grass and earthy barnyard.

taste is so funky. Such a well-done gueuze, just the right amount of acidity. No oxidization at all with this bottle.

Reminds me a bit of a slightly funkier A&T

 

Sometimes you've got to find the morbid joy in finding the useful life of a bottle. Definitely miss this one being on the shelves

 

Cool overnight so pulled this bottle just over five years old (bottled 8/22/19). Doubt I'll see $6.99 four packs anymore, will compare to my review of this same batch February 7, 2022.

North Coast Old Rasputin (2019)



February 7, 2022 Review Link

This sat in my refrigerator for the past 2 1/2 years. What has changed since?

• Appearance: Head looks a little darker and a little less generous this go. Would knock this 1/4 point. (4.75 2/7/22 vs. 4.5 today)
• Aroma: Getting some cardboard notes at this stage, though the bakers chocolate still there. Will knock this further than the appearance. (4.25 vs. 3.5)
• Taste: This held up much better than the aroma. Pretty much bakers chocolate, the bitter hops held up very well but still a bit lighter than my earlier notes indicate. Wouldn't say this is like BCBS as my original take laid out. Very sold, but not 4.5 worthy. (4.5 vs. 4.0).
• Mouthfeel: Feels heavier than the OG review. Dry and still retaining a nice bitterness. Light fizzy carbonation still here, this held up well. No Change (4.5 vs. 4.5)
• Overall: This held up well for a five year non barrel aged beer. The flavor I enjoy has held on best across the metrics. Overall, I am enjoying, but will only buy what I can drink within 0-2 years in the future, though at 2 1/2 years it was excellent. (4.5 vs. 4.0)

Will try to get one or two more reviews in before month end, plus hopefully a couple of pours while I'm in Vegas at a few good spots for aged beer.

 

Cheers to @LehighAce06 for this Superbowl Squares goody from 2014.




Still has legs, loads of dark fruit, some red grapes, leafy hops, cola notes & a little carob. Booze presence even now. Nose is great, some carbonation & dark chocolate late

 

Just drank a 2016 bottle of Clown Shoes Bluegrass Billionaire:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22951/218609/?ba=morimech#review
was my initial review.

Had it today and I expected the worse but it held up very well. Just a slight hint of oxidation but otherwise great. The one critical aspect in my initial review was that it was overcarbonated but this bottle was perfectly carbonated and I would rate it higher today but back in those days there was a lot more competition for barrel-aged barleywines.

 

Such a great beer.

 

I’ve never tried keeping one that long, but I sure wouldn’t hesitate to open one and at least try to drink it all (can’t waste good beer ya know!)
Not sure if it was Koz or the owners at the time but unlike Bell’s they didn’t dare put “unlimited” in relation to shelf life on anything I ever saw, but I also doubt that Founder’s, even in 2010, had at least as good a bottling system that Bell’s had.
So I recommend trying it. And if you don’t want to, send it to me and I’ll try it for you!
Cheers!

 

One from the weekend:


Bourbon County Brand Special #4 Cellar
Bottled: 10Sept2020
Reviewed: 15Sept2024

Pours opaque black, no real lacing just a thin rim of mocha colored head that dissipates almost instantly. Looks a touch thin on the pour for a BCB stout. Aroma is huge coffee, maybe more pronounced than fresh even. A nice roastiness , some dark cocoa. I get no maple syrup and only subtle bourbon barrel notes on the nose. Taste is dark fruits, big roasted malt, some herbaceous characters, moderate amount of bitter black coffee on the finish. Mouthfeel is fuller side of medium bodied with no hint of the ABV and good drinkability. Overall still a tasty beer, cant say it’s gotten better with age but probably hasn’t gotten notably worse.

3.5/4.25/4.25/4.5/4.25

 

Then one for tonight:


No review because I’ve reviewed DFH 120min at 2 years many times. But in brief, it’s fucking delicious. I really need to stock up on 120 next time I see four packs.

 

I haven’t seen any around here for about 3 years now. Hopefully that changes soon.

 

the one I post was my last 2022. I don’t know if they stopped brewing them, but that was the last vintage I have seen. It lasted on the shelves for a while but I haven’t seen any for at least a year I would guess .

 

2016 via my Superbowl squares haul via @LehighAce06 Cheers!



Some nose, dark fruit, a little oxidation that spills over into the taste. Some booze, plenty of dark fruit & woody hops. No carbonation left, not bad, but time hasn't been real kind to this

 

Well, Avery hasn't been in my market is a very long time, I have no clue to how old this beer is, but I'm guessing quite old.

Hog Heaven - Imperial Red Ale - 9.2%

I have never had it fresh, so no comparison. This beer to me is a huge rye bomb. Good hit of caramel. There's still a ton of hops that make a slight pine flavor plus a nice bitterness on the back. I am so glad I bought all the bottles left at the store.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30/1490/
4.07/5 rDev +3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
From a 22oz bottle. No date on it, but, since Avery hasn't been in this market in a long time, it's old. Local purchase.

There's a great hiss and some smoke upon opening the bottle. This is a dark and clear amber pouring beer. I have no idea how old this beer is, but it has got an amazing head. 3 fingers, off white, and very long lasting. Some beautiful sticky lacing on the glass as the head finally dissipates.
The aroma is quite malty. Now, I'm assuming fresh, this would be a hop bomb. The beer has a ton of caramel notes to it, a great rye bread like aroma, toffee. Slight earthy aroma that's the only indication of hops in this beer.
Ok, in the flavor I do get some hops still, and the hop effect does linger. It is a piney hop flavor. I do get a metric bleep ton of rye bread in the flavor. I get a good caramel hit. There's a strong, but pleasing bitterness in this beer from the hops, and this bitterness does cling and stick in my throat.
The body is so sticky feeling. It is quite full. There's a smooth alcohol burn, not harsh, but smooth.
Like I said, I have no clue how old this beer is, so I have no comparison on how it is fresh. I can say that this aged version is quite tasty, and I'm glad I bought all the bottles of it at the store.

 

I have 2 bottles that I bought in the Twin Cities metro back in June. There's no date on the bottles, but there's a code that says, I think:
D07441259 11
I have no clue to as what it means, and to how old it is. They do say it's "only" 15.5%.

My local DFH distributor Rep. thinks it's no longer made, but who knows. I've told him that if 120, and WWS come locally, we want it at the store.

 

NFL Sunday Funday cellar beer of the day. Back to the BCBSs which is somewhat of the tradition. 2021 BCB Cherrywood Stout. Very nice, probably underrated BCBS variant. Was really solid fresh, and as expected is developing wonderfully. Not immensely different than the base beer, but doesn’t have to be to be great. Substantial dark fruits, a plethora of chocolate characters, lots of varying woody notes, roasted malts as per usual. Bourbon notes are moderate. Mouthfeel is silly smooth with a great drinkability. This beer is excellent and is at a wonderful age.





Cheers!

 

yeah I have no clue about those bottling numbers but fairly certain they aren’t dates. DFH does bottle date, with a stamp on the bottle , unfortunately the ink or whatever they use for the dating is one of the most prone to wear off (I’ve often gotten new bottles where it was already illegible). Because of that I always just write the bottle dates on my 120 Min bottles if I’m going to cellar.

 

Bottled: 07AUG19
Reviewed: 06OCT24

Happy NFL Sunday Funday! Alreadynonto my second breakfast of the day, so figured a breakfast beer was essential. 2019 BCB Cafe de Olla Stout.

I enjoyed this one fresh, as I do most BCB stouts; however felt it was in the lower half (at best) of BCB stout variants. Let’s see if 5 years in the cellar changed my opinion.

Pours jet black, minimal head just a small fizzy, dark mocha colored ring. Aroma smells of stale dark fruits, a bit herbaceous, some nice port wine notes, mild roastiness. Taste is notably better than the aroma. Tons of chocolate, which is admittedly completely surprising, and lots of nice dark fruit and port wine notes. The chocolate, along with a subtle coffee flavor, lingers for ages after each sip. The cinnamon is subtle yet compared to my notes is actually more noticeable than when fresh, the orange is nearly absent, coffee subtle but is present. Barrel characters light for a BCB stout. Roastiness to balance it all out. Mouth is silky smooth, no hint of the ABV and drinkability good. Overall, this beer has unquestionably gotten better with age. Complex, balanced, mellow yet bold. The last of this variant for me, and it was a good one.




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

Cheers old beer nerds!