Cellar Review Thread (2025)

My colleague at a sister store has a shit ton of bottles that have been sitting around for a long time. This is another from there. She really likes it when I stop in because more old stock gets out of the store and into the bottom line finally.

Double Bastard in the Rye - Stone Brewing - Escondido, CA - American Strong Ale - 12.7%

I am totally amazed with this beer and how it has held up after 10 years. I wish I would have tried it fresh.
New Beer Weekend #284
Review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/147/184619/
4.19/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From a 500ml bottle. 2015 release.

Slight pop of the cork and a bit of smoke upon opening. This beer is a dark pouring beer. There's a nice amber hue to it when I hold it to the light. There was a 1 finger tan head that dissipated rapidly and left on lacing on the glass.
The nose is deep and complex. There's a lot of dark fruit that hits me and there's a slight funk to it. There's an oak note that hits my nose also.
This is an interesting flavor profile. Up front there's a cardboard flavor, but it fades fast. There's a hint of dark chocolate that hits my palate. I do get a lot of oak notes. There's a hint of dark fruit that hits my taste buds, but less than the nose suggested. There's somewhat of a char flavor that is pleasing. The finish has a somewhat wild and funky note to it with a bit of a lingering bitterness.
There's a creamy feeling to this beer. It has a smoothness at first. The body is full. There's that bitter feeling on the finish. There's not much of an alcohol burn.
I wouldn't have recommended having this beer age 10 years, but it worked. I am so happy I got the chance to buy and try it.

 

Trying to make a dent in my cellar, i split a 2014 Abyss with my wife. It drank surprisingly well.

Carbonation left a midsized head and some really nice lacing.

The only flaw was a small taste of cardboard in the initial sip (and I may have been bracing myself so it could have been self induced). The rest of the beer was awesome. Mellow barrel/bourbon notes with lots of dark fruit and some bakers chocolate with just a hint of char.

Time to work off more of my cellar during the holidays!

 

The Veil Old Sun (version with Raspberries & Blackberries) bottled December 2000.

Well this held up over five years, lots of full fruit in a funky liquid. Something more of a wild ale-cross farmhouse. Purple colour, some alcohol in the nose. Raspberries and blackberries are in here with the peel and chewy body and lingering extra tartness.