Cellar Review Thread (2025)

Not as good as my 2023, but still drinking very nicely!

 

May not be right spot and I'm not a reviewer per se.
On Sat 11/1/25 I grabbed a 13 year old Ananke (from brew date 10/23/2012) by Freetail Brewing Co. , and a backup option from my shrinking cellar. Figured the quite old Ananke could be 50/50 on a drain pour, so I got a backup option out.

Pop cap & still some hiss. Hope meter goes up a lil bit. Pour and there is a little effervescence left; though faded by pic. Hope meter goes up a lil bit. Take a whiff and no off aroma. Huh?! Ok, maybe it will be ok-ish? Tolerable I hope.

Take a small sip...take another...YES! Not gone. Backup selection can be put away. Sit down to chill and just happy it is good. Taste...no not good... very good...to very near excellent?! Almost. To 2 of us. Wow! A most pleasant surprise! Well done Freetail! Cheers!

 

North Coast Old Stock Ale 2011
Dominated by fig/date, plum, tobacco, maple, and toffee on the malt side with slight herbal, minty hop character with low bitterness. Just a smidge of residual carbonation to aid consumability. Really surprising at how excellent this has held up despite my borderline cellaring conditions. Cheers!!

 

2014 Bell’s Expedition Stout
Out of everyday beer so raiding the cellar.
At 11 years old, this still drinks pretty well with huge black licorice bite, mild soy, slight ash, and light oxidation but still some dark chocolate, medium caramel, and roast character. Definitely a little rough around the edges, but an enjoyable experiment. Cheers!

 

2021 Bell’s Expedition Stout
PKG 09/14/2021
Compared to the 2014 vintage, this 2021 is much more round and easy to drink with better balance of the roast, medium and dark caramel, and black licorice with moderate bitterness. A true pleasure to drink! Break out this vintage now! Cheers!

 

Rushing Duck- Dog's Bollocks Barley Wine- Batch 2 (2014?), Stock photo, #2 November beer, I am cheating this month.

No psst at all when opened, small amount of carbonation when poured.
Hate to use terms like this, but the aroma is simple barleywine fragrance, without any barrel notes or other flavors thrown by fermentation. When this was released there was oak flavor vanilla, caramel, toffee, a nice bready maltiness to it, and had a clean finish. Now it is a remarkably drinkable, low carbonation stripped down version that is smooth and sweet, with only a hint of tannic bitter in finish to remind this once was barreled. Wouldn't call this a success but it is not a failure. Am enjoying as I write.
Cheers y'all!

 

I try to help out my colleague out by buying aged beers she has at her store. This was the last bottle of this there and I bought it on Monday.

Funkier Pumpkin - Boulevard Brewing - Kansas City, MO - Pumpkin Beer - 8.5%

Best by February of 2018.
This could be a total disaster, or totally amazing.

It is totally amazing. I am blown away with this beer. First time I've had it ever and it is delicious. If you find it, I would recommend getting it.

Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/423/211725/
4.19/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From a 750ml bottle. Best by 02/2018. Tried on 11/22/2025

This could be amazing or a total disaster.
There was a huge pop when I pulled off the cork. This beer is mostly clear with a hint of murk to it. Amber in color. There's a 2 finger white head to the beer that seems to dissipate fairly quickly and leaves no lacing on the glass.
The aroma is wild and funky as hell. I was getting while pouring. As I get in close I get a nice hit of pumpkin spice. The nutmeg seems to be the main aroma, and it is quite warming to my nose.
There's a warm flavor of nutmeg that kicks it off. The rest of the spices, clove and cinnamon kick in and add to the warm flavor. The beer isn't as wild and funk as I was expecting, or fearing. The funk and tartness are well balanced with the spices. They work hand in hand on my taste buds. There's no cardboard flavors from excessive age.
The body is bubbly, and I was expecting this based on how it looked and from the Brett used in the beer. The feeling is quite full bodied.
How on earth did this last this long, and be amazing? I am in shock, surprised and happy. I would say to get it if you somehow see it in a store.

 

Hmmm, no bump was necessary after all.

Helldorado - Firestone Walker 2016

Definitely getting the Barleywine vibe, however still not convinced it fits the standard of an American Barleywine. Strong whiskey holds dominion over the aroma, with peat, oak, and vanilla occupying vassal status. Warmth adds a touch of coconut, and at room temperature lavender becomes apparent. The flavor is similar, high booze, add caramel malt. Warmth transforms the whiskey to rum-n-coke with stress on the rum. Full body, texture of velour, alcohol has heat but is far from hot. Lots of fine-fizzy carbonation.

This is a contemplative beer, also good for reading. It pairs nicely with Fromage des Jaques (mildly funky Alpine cheese). The cheese brightens the beer’s flavors, while the beer mollifies the funk.

 

Poured from a 16 ounce can dated 10-31-24 into a snifter at 55 degrees.

Look- Black, opaque, plentiful small visible particulate at the edges, light brown sudsy head, above average head retention, slightly above average lacing.

Smell- Whiskey, cocoa, vanilla, very high strength of scent.

Taste- Whiskey, cocoa, vanilla, oak, very high strength of flavor.

Feel- Between thin and medium body, average carbonation, highly mouth warming, moderately creamy, highly bitter, moderately sweet, moderately mouth coating.

Overall- Appearance was black and opaque with visible particulate at the margins and above average head retention and lacing. The bouquet was a very high intensity mix of whiskey, cocoa and vanilla. The flavor was a vibrant mix of the same components as the nose. My only complaint with the flavor was a lack of complexity. The mouthfeel had many great attributes, but the thinness of the body was big detractor. Overall this beer delivered a bunch of whiskey flavor and aroma, but that may have masked some of the subtle nuances. That being said, I enjoy whiskey heavy beers and this one was no exception.

 

‘Tis the season!

Good hunting today but didn’t get any of the ‘25s in the fridge in time so setting the pallet with this 14ish month Bardstown variant. Figured it was a good one for the pallet set as it’s pretty middle of the road in terms of BCBS variants IMO.

Could post whole review but take home is not much has changed, for better or worse, from fresh. It is a very very good beer but as above about middle tier in terms of BCBS variants.


Cheers beer nerds!

 

I can help

 

Found this hiding out in the back of my refrigerator.

3.79/5 rDev -1%

look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 16 ounce can dated 10-9-24 into a tulip glass at 51 degrees.

Look- Deep brown, opaque, plentiful tiny particulate at the margins, medium brown frothy head, slightly above average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Roasted barley, dark chocolate, coffee, between weak and medium strength of scent.

Taste- Roasted barley, coffee, cocoa, moderately sweet, between weak and medium strength of flavor.

Feel- Between thin and medium body, average carbonation, mildly creamy, moderately bitter, moderately sweet, mildly mouth warming, very mildly mouth coating.

Overall- Deep brown and opaque with plentiful visible particulate at the edges. The bouquet was mainly roasted barley with notes of dark chocolate and barley layered in. The flavor followed the nose closely. This beer had additions of coffee and chocolate per the label, but the coffee and chocolate were so subtle I would have guessed they were just coming from the malt and not adjunct additions. The mouthfeel had a mild amount of creaminess and bitterness providing a good foundation, but the thinness of the body and lack of mouth coating properties were detractors. Overall this was a solid beer, but it didn’t have bold enough adjunct flavors to warrant their addition.

 

Let it snow let it snow let it snow!


Jk it’s like 80 degrees here, blah.

2024, this time from the bottle not can.

Tis the season!