What’s The Difference? Share Your Side By Side (2025)

Wow - I can't believe you found this. I thought Sierra Nevada scrubbed all these videos from existence. Seems like a lifetime ago.

 

It just appeared when I visited the YouTube website.

Bill, they can't keep good men down!

Cheers!

P.S. Is Terence still working at Sierra Nevada (or is he retired now)?

 

Yeah, Terence is still there... that said, I haven't talked to him in a minute.
I can't imagine him retired, however, but I'm sure he'd love to find a way to fit in more bass fishing!

 

I discovered that in a pub 8 km from my house they had put on "All the leaves are brown - Bourbon barrel" from the Scottish brewery Tempest and a light bulb went off in my head!
I remember very well having an old bottle (today this beer is packaged in a can...) of the same beer.
Even though I didn't know it, I discovered that back then there was a reason to leave that bottle to age!
I went to the cellar to find it and it showed up with a truly incredible layer of dust (naturally deposited, haha) and even a thread of spiderweb that brought a tear to my eye just looking at it. Beautiful even just to look at.
I read the information on the bottle: "Batch BN 554 - Recommended expiration: September 2023".
I took it, carrying it upright to the pub and after a couple of excellent Kellerbiers ("GARANZIA" by Birra Elvo in collaboration with Birrificio dell'Altavia), I ordered the "All the leaves are brown - Bourbon barrel" to pour. 2025 and I open the bottle to drink them side by side:


Tempest Brewing (Tweedbank - SCO) - ALL THE LEAVES ARE BROWN BOURBON BARREL - Imperial Brown Ale with maple syrup (11.2%)

33cl bottle Expired in September 2023 vs. Keg, last batch, 2025 vintage.


This is their version of Imperial Brown Ale, aged in "Heaven Hill" Bourbon barrels for six months and fermented with Grade A maple syrup.
45 IBU, Malts: GP, Chocolate, Munich, DRC, Oat, and Cara. American hops.

Bottle (expired 2023): On the nose, an alcoholic and syrupy note reminiscent of Marsala. Light hints of bitter cocoa.
Keg (beer from 2025): On the nose, an enveloping and sweet aroma of maple syrup, sugar, caramel, and toffee.

Bottle (expired 2023): When poured, I'm "excited" to still see a semblance of head, which obviously disappears immediately; dark in color with brown highlights against the light.
Keg (beer from 2025): This too is a veil It does, before disappearing immediately. It's a bit too cold, so I let it settle and focus on the bottle that was at cellar temperature. The color is the same.

Bottle (expired 2023): medium/full body (not oily or heavy as one would expect from a beer of this caliber), velvety flavor that fades quickly: the first hint is maple syrup (light, not overpowering), followed by notes of dark chocolate; I detect woody notes of bark, tobacco, and light toasted grains.
The complete absence of iron notes or oxidation is definitely noteworthy.
The finish is smooth, with this slightly drying sensation on the tongue (reminiscent of cigar ash) and leaving only a slight sweet and alcoholic note on the palate.
Sweet, but not cloying. I found it easier to drink than the ABV would suggest. Alcoholic, although it does provide a warm undertone.
The alcoholic note is present but is well masked by the surprisingly drinkable taste.
Keg (2025 beer): After being allowed to cool slightly, as soon as you taste it, it completely envelops the mouth and palate: a very full and (very) sugary flavor (leaves slightly sticky lips). Main aromas of maple syrup, cooked sugar, caramel, and chocolate, with woody notes (of dried bark) in the background. The finish is smooth with a hint of toffee; the slightly drying sensation (with that ash-like quality) that I noticed in the expired beer is missing.

When compared, they seem like two different beers with some things in common: the main and immediately perceptible flavor of maple syrup, notes of cocoa and caramelized sugar, are the flavor characteristics detectable in both, albeit with different intensities (too pronounced in the "young" version, much more elegant in the expired one).
Personally, if I had to If I had to point out a preference, I'd definitely choose the bottled beer (expired in September 2023) because it has aged beautifully, smoothing out the excesses of the "young" version, which, with its overpowering sweetness, could even become a bit cloying in the long run. The bottled beer seemed more "straightforward," smoother, and surprisingly easy to drink than one might expect.
It was a wonderful experience to have had the opportunity to make this comparison.

Win: 33cl bottle Expired in September 2023, because the drinking experience has evolved excellently and, in my opinion, has made the product more valuable and easy to enjoy without losing its main characteristics, which have actually been refined by time.

 

Our Beer Advent committee chose a 2019 CBS for today’s beer. Not sure if the aged beer was intended by the committee as they are less the beer nerd that I am, but it does give the opportunity to do a side-by side since I have a 2025 CBS in the fridge. One thing to note in the makeup of this beer between the 2019 and 2025 is that the 2019 version is described as an “imperial stout with chocolate and coffee aged in maple syrup-bourbon barrels” while the 2025 is described as and “imperial stout brewed with chocolate and coffee aged in bourbon barrels with maple syrup.” My understanding is that the maple syrup is added in the 2025 while the maple flavor comes from the barrel in the 2019.





Stats: 2019 bottled on 10/2/19, 2025 bottle on 10/1/25. Both poured into identical Boston Red sox pint glasses-one with red printing, the other with black. Interestingly (or maybe not), the 2025 bottles do not have the top label. 2019 is 11.3% abv, 2025 is 11.7 abv.

Appearance: Pretty obvious from the pics...these are identical with the exception of the head. Hardly anything on the 2019 while the 2025 is a lot more lively. No real surprises here.

Aroma: The 2019 was definitely stronger smelling on the crack of the bottle. After a pour and a bit of warming, the 2025 wins out. Much more distinct coffee and maple aromas. 2019 is more dark chocolate. Not much coffee and no maple.

Taste: About even on barrel. The 2025 is much brighter with the chocolate, coffee and maple all noticeable and balanced. Barrel is more in the forefront, dark chocolate in the background of the 2019 with some light oxidation creeping in.

Feel: Pretty big difference here. The 2025 is drinking smoothly, almost silky in feel while the 2019 is a little more of a chore to down. Alcohol heat in both but more in the forefront with the 2019.

Overall: These beers taste “right” to the QC department as they leave the brewery and then change over time. I feel like the 2019 is right on the edge of going way south. Drinkable, yes, but nowhere near as enjoyable as the 2025. In short: drink 'em while you got 'em!

 

Agree on the conclusion: Coffee and maple syrup are two adjuncts you don’t really want to age for too long