Cellar Review Thread (2025)

Just re-read your review. Amazing that harvest year 2018, which I just had, cellared from release in my too cool cellar, held up so perfectly and you had a different experience. Just shows how uncertain results can be with our ongoing experiments in both making and cellaring great beer.

 

right that. Wont stop me from getting more suarez

 

Just popped my last (I think) 2022 Lagunitas Willetized and after 32 months, it STILL has more bourbon barrel evidence than any of the last few years since 2017-18 of (takes a deep breath) ANY New Holland Dragons Milk variants, ANY Epic Big Bad Baptist variants, most Prairie Artisan variants (except the recently released Caramel Puft), etc.

All that sed, the only breweries that are putting out BA beers that I can still taste the as advertised barrel aging.....as I've sed many times before.... are (& this doesn't count the great area/regional breweries that are absolutely phenominal at putting out barrel-aged beers for years now, blowing away the larger, "macro" craft breweries)....

Firestone Walker.....any variant of any barrel aged brew....all of the time.

Goose Island but only (almost) all of the Bourbon County Brand Stout variants year after year....almost all of the time...

Boulevard.....most of the old, 'regular' BA brews, less than half of all the newer, supposedly BA brews from the last 7-8 years or so.

Lagunitas Willetized but it's such a shadow of what it used to be to my tastebuds that I'm questioning listing it here.

Likewise, Founders KBS (or especially any of the variants over the last decade or so) that again, instead of always picking up a 4 pack of every new KBS variant, now I'll get one bottle as a taste, period.

The old Oskar Blues BA Ten Fidy and some of the excellent Avery BA gold-foil wrapped toppers were excellent but I haven't seen those for years now, along with the excellent Destihl Dosvidanya BA variants we used to get.

In short and to wit, I'm a LOT more selective on $pending the big buck$ on anything $uppo$edly barrel aged anymore, ta$tebud$, unte$ted......

 

And I haven't been too impressed with the last umpteen years of Sierra Nevada (supposedly) barrel-aged Narwhal neither......

 

2022 Fourth Dimension BA Toffee Edition Rated 3.89

Yes its on the sweet side, sugar over malt complexity. Still a good drinker. Thickens the mouthfeel. Nose of toffee, worth seeking out. Robust from the cellar.

 

Suarez Merkel Harvest year 2022. Bottled August, 2022. Ranked 4.04

A wonderful cherry beer, showing depth of cherry, still good carbonation with no cork needed. Balanced by oak.

 

Kuhnhenn

 

2017 Bells Expedition Stout (PKG 08/31/2017)
Tasting great with a good balance of roast, medium caramel, coffee, and lighter than usual black licorice (thankfully). Light umami but not distracting. A bit of chocolate cookie in the finish along with strong caramel latte. Very enjoyable at nearly 8 years.

 

2019 Founders Underground Mountain Brown

Appearance: Dark brown, small head.

Smell: Mostly barrel at this point, wood, booze, chocolate.

Taste: Starts with some chocolate, then moves to booze from the barrel. Some wood, more booze. Body seems kind of light for an 11% beer.

Overall: Beer from the Green Bay Blast, this bottle is from 2019. I think it shows the effects of age, not very exciting, just a kind of bland boozy beer. Some chocolate and vanilla, but mostly booze. I have to assume it's past its prime, though I never had it fresh.

 

Following up one Founder’s with another - and also from 2019.

Has much the same elements, just not as sublimely balanced. Interesting aging effect.
Cheers!

 

Third Moon 2022 Bourbon Barrel IS rating TBD
the last fun beer surf for some
Good bourbon heavy,sugary

 

Badlands 2022 Bourbon Inky IS rating tbd
good bourbon, smooth mouthfeel and drinker

 

Short Finger (2019) Wax Poetic, collab with Sawdust City. Rating: 4.0

Big sour, I am certain ageing helped to develop. Clear execution no fruit delivered on prophetic promise. Believe me, finished to last drop. Very tart all it is

 

Long time no see cellar dwellers. The FL summer heat really kills by beer drinking motivation (although gives me the chance to dabble, probably excessively, in corpse recovers and death in the afternoons!) so it’s been a while since I’ve visited these parts, but back with a 2023 BCB Reserve (2 years in Eagle Rare 10 year barrels). This beer was perfectly fine fresh, actually it was very good. But BSB Reserve series have historically far surpassed “perfectly fine” and even “very good”, so it was a bit of a let down especially compared to the amazing cask variant that year. But I am revisiting at approximately 2 years, the age where BCBS and variants typically peak for me. So here goes.

Pours jet black, small dark tan head, dissipates quickly. Aroma is toasty, char, a bit of toasted marshmallow, moderate to heavy rich dark fruits that are a bit port like, subtle chocolate and even more subtle cardboard, a bit of fusel booze, very nice. Taste is very roasty which is common in BCBSs of course, but also very herbaceous which is not. Once the palate acclimates to those, other characters come out. First is a huge dark cocoa, then lots of raw oak and other woody characters. Dark fruits starts to come out in the latter half of the drink. Barrel notes are there throughout but it’s a lot of fairly generic oaky notes. Mouthfeel is full bodied with average drinkability all things considered. Overall, it’s quite good but quite good is not the standard for this series of beers so again is a bit of a disappointment.

4.25/4.5/4.25/4.25/4.25
(Initial/fresh review: 4.25/4.25/4.5/4.25/4.25)

 

Pit Caribou Pointe O'Hara Bottled December 2021.

this was a limited run and glad to get a bottle, thanks Phil. Solid English BW, it may have mellowed a bit. Very drinkable.

 

Grimm Last of the Steam Powered Trains BW released December 2022

Very nice barleywine, really good malting,layers of flavour, not too much cognac, it was well integrated and helped round it out. Crusher at my latest tasting.

 

Pit Caribou Pointe O'Hara Bottled December 2021.

this was a limited run and glad to get a bottle, thanks Phil. Solid English BW, it may have mellowed a bit. Very drinkable.BW

 

Suarez Verberate (2022)

Nice tart beer, dark and dark fruit aroma. A good sipper with a serious meal. Decent mouthfeel, notes are mild dark wine with a hint of raisin, went nicely with salmon.