What if one could go back in time and correct a beer that was kept to long? Like the faded Revolution V. S. O. J. pulled yesterday canned June 29, 2021. No I do not have access to a time machine, but I do have access to Revolution's 2024 release of this same beer, so let's see if a bit over one thousand less cellar days provides different results. Revolution V. S. O. J. (Very Special Old Jacket) (Canned July 9, 2024) Can Notes: Refrigerated since purchase until this morning, slightly lower ABV at 14.4% vs. previous releases. I have no tasting notes for this vintage for comparison, so will compare vs. the 2021 vintage pulled yesterday. Appearance: Beer bursting with a full and creamy head, vs. the no head yesterday. 1/27/26 2024 4.75 vs. 1/26/26 2021 4.0 Aroma: Full range of aromas, from raisins, dates, plums to a nice smooth enticing bourbon barrel. Yes baby! 1/27/26 2024 4.75 vs. 1/26/26 2021 3.5 Taste: Very sweet with the extra barrel treatment, bourbon strong with slight initial burn. Creamy sweetness, a create a raisins concentrated in here, some dates, vanilla, and faint plum. Very nice! 1/27/26 2024 4.25 vs. 1/26/26 2021 2.75 Mouthfeel: Slightly flizzy sustained carbonation, very sweet, drinks strong from go, full syrupy body. Fresh complexity sustained so far. 1/27/26 2024 4.5 vs. 1/26/26 2021 2.75 Overall: This held up very well. Find this beer too sweet and prefer the standard Straight Jacket, but glad my remaining five cans are safe for now. 1/27/26 2024 4.5 vs. 1/26/26 2021 3.0 Will try to sneak in a couple more before Cellaruary begins.
Dedicating this cellar pull to @cavedave. 2017 bottle of 120 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head. 16.5% and cellared properly by me since it was released. Poured at fridge temp, but I allowed it to warm in the glass for a solid 15 minutes before tasting. Pours a nice reddish brown with minimal head. The nose is vibrant and bursting with beautiful notes of fruit (plums, raisins, raspberry), caramel, pine needle hops, honey, and a bit of grass. The taste is absolutely fantastic. I have never had a better 120 Minute than this one. I am going to buy a few more and age them for 7-8 years. Lovely notes of toffee, prunes, raisins, apricot, honey, vanilla, orange, grapefruit peel bitterness, pine needles. A bit of clove and mint come through as well. A bit of black pepper and leather show up as it warms even more. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and fairly dry. The aftertaste is toffee and stone fruit. I'm loving this beer.
Thanks so much for this review! I have 1 2016 and 2 2018's that I had no clue if I should try or not. As you prolly know I'm more an ipa guy. I just put a 2018 in the chiller to try Sat night. Thanks Tim, I was close to just getting rid of them!!
Vann, I'd always try at least a sip unless perhaps something smelled or looked really bad. Looking forward to your assessment, and hope it works out well. Last call before Cellaruary, though perhaps I'll take a break there with one or two before returning in early March. Revolution Deth by Currents (Canned September 23, 2022) Previous Cellar Review on October 24, 2024, will be the point of comparison this morning. Cans refrigerated through their respective openings. Appearance: Would say head even longer lasting and more generous. 5.0 (Now = N) vs. 4.75 (Earlier = October 2024). Aroma: Pretty much all currents both trips, whether 10 or 20 minutes in or beyond, though really no barrel today like I experienced about 1 1/3 years ago. 4.0 N vs. 4.25 E Taste: Bourbon much more pronounced as this warmed, currants a back seat at this stage. Really sweet, though chocolate this time, nor maple syrup, in terms of perceived flavors not in there. Bourbon becomes harsh as this nears room temperature. 3.5 N & 4.0 E Mouthfeel: Very sweet plus a harsh alcohol today, drinks very strong.. 3.25 N vs. 4.0 E Overall: This fell off vs. 1 1/3 years ago, primary drawback harsh bourbon vs. the smooth experienced fresh and October 2024. I will drink my final two colder than usual for peak experience, as it was too sweet but beyond that a good experience. Putting back the rest in the refrigerator before finishing. 3.5 N vs. 4.25 E
2016 Bell’s Expedition Stout PKG 10/24/2016 PRN 16580 Stored at about 65-68F in my basement. Like most cellared Bell’s Expedition Stouts this has held up well with some oxidation and lighter umami but still solid roast character, plum and fig, dark caramel, and strong fudge and black licorice notes. I find the licorice tends to increase with time in the cellar as the malt character and hop bitterness fade. Still highly enjoyable. Cheers!
For no good reason other than the fact that @Beersnake enjoyed one of these earlier this week, I grabbed a 2018 Dogfish 120. Because I don't know crap about cellaring, I almost threw 2-3 of these out with the trash. Beer is dark chestnut, smells of malt and lots of dark fruit - figs and raisins. Drinks more like sherry or port than beer, with only a slight carbonation to give it away. The hop character has faded, but I think it's still doing something to slightly tame the sweetness.
Thanks Jason!! I look forward to tipping a few with you again! There are quite a few of you mates that I learn from, you are in that inner circle.....cheers!!!
I remember that beer well, and totally agree with your assessment! Found my one bottle maybe four or five years ago while on vacation, at Northridge Liquors in Laramie, WY — loved it!
Really glad the Dogfish 120 turned out well for you, and I appreciate all your generosity and camaraderie over the years. Also looking forward to the next meet up, and your excellent maple bacon and beers! I've been fortunate over the years to have only had one bottle go infected, but had a couple more turn out not even good but drinkable. Cheers!
2016 lagunitas high westified. The predecessor to willetized. I remember first trying this in 2016 and being blown away. It was $11.99 for a six pack. My taste buds preferred it over many one off, wax covered, limited trading section beers people were in search of. I bought every one I could find. I even bought several 6 packs on craft shack . Com. Hell, I think I still only paid $2.75/beer or so there. I bought willetized every year after for at least 5 years thinking I'd get something relatable. It was never close and I gave up on buying its successor. I don't know what it is about this beer that had always enamored me but it's always been a spectacle to my palate when I've had it. It's been at least a year or two since I've had one and I believe I'm now on my last 6 pack, but at 9.5 years old it was a must revisit when I dug through the cellar. Upon cracking it open it was undeniably evident that it's carbonation was on its last legs. The pour confirmed this with barely an 1/8" of head forming from a modest pour into a tulip. The smell was nostalgic. I recall my initial aroma and taste impressions of this beer leaving me cackling in disbelief. This cant be a $2.00 beer. I was brought right back to unique and woody aromas. A hint of burnt brown sugar and just something I perhaps still can't put my finger on. The taste, after 9.5 years, in my opinion, is almost as astounding as this beer being sold for $2. It's not quite definable. There is nothing extreme here. It's richness isn't heavy, it's sweetness is equally dry, it's nuance is vast and beyond my palate. There is a incredible oak presence still. Rye is unmistakable if you know you're looking for it. Sadly the mouthfeel is long past its prime. It's not completely flat, and far, far from undrinkable but it's a very tamed and subdued shell of properly carbonated beer. If I'm in any luck, this one was just an unfortunate pick and the few others I have left won't have suffered the same decline.
Cross-posted. Some have earned the commemoration being shown this weekend, so it makes sense to sprinkle a little over here too. Below is quoted verbatim from NBW #289 (for @cavedave!) Bière De Lenoir - Blend no. 2 (2022) - Jester King Wow! This is tart, AND sweeeet. Not sure where @cavedave stood with Wild Ale, so this is more a nod towards his cellar. Gem clear, ruby red, no head. Herbs & oak, tart cherry, rosemary. Acidic sweetness, carries the nose forward. Light body, prevalent alcohol, fizz for the long haul. Highly enjoyable, match acidity with strong Brie. Ok, that poem stinks. The beer could easily match steps with an intense Flanders Red.
One of the younger beers in my cellar, I purchased this saison (from SARA) a bit more than 3 years ago. X-posting in NBW#289 - full review there and here (4.14/5) - cheers!
Drinking one of my two remaining bottles of Founders CBS 2019 Release (have three four-packs of this year’s release waiting!). Hasn’t lost a thing except the head isn’t as robust, and the bourbon flavor is perhaps a bit more pronounced. Still a wonderful beer, and a great way to both celebrate Cellaruary and finish the final day of Ohio’s bowhunting season (successful, I’m happy to report!).
I've noticed the overwhelming majority of the reviews thus far contrast with the lead about how most will end up drain poured or labeled "interesting" etc. . . I agree with the sentiment most beers don't improve with age for sure nonetheless. Anyhoo, ran a 2013 Maker's Mark barrel Eclipse for Royal Rumble Saturday (in my Monday Night Jericho shirt. . . sniff, tear rolls down face). . . Fresh I gave it a 3.98/5, which is below average for an Eclipse barrel over the years. I'd say this was only a slight drop off in the 12+ years since (scored 3.88/5 on 1/31/26). Normally Eclipse is pretty bulletproof. Bitterness tamed a bit. Still gave it that -bal RIS-light feel versus an American -bal stout.
I did not know this thread existed, that is all the beers that I am reviewing lately. Did a vertical from Fremont Brew 5000-8000. Currently I am reviewing 2020 Cherry Barrel Blossom. Review: 2550 Name: Cherry Barrel Blossom Brewery: Firestone Walker Location: Paso Robles, CA Style: Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter ABV: 11% Canned: 2020 Date: 02 February 2 Have quite a few FW beers that need reviews. I am serving the beer in a tulip glass at 54 degrees. The pour created a half-fingered light tan head with poor retention. The color is jet black, dark Mahogany brown, and rusty hues, opaque, with a chart at SRM 36. The dissipation of the head left no lacing on the glass, only a ring around the glass. Overall, the apperance of the beer is average. Nosing the glass, I smell smoke, anise, caramel, toffee, medium-roasted coffee, figs, wood, char, raisins, and molasses. Smelling the glass again, I notice earthy dirt, tobacco, fire, leather, char, bready, dark toasted bread crust, and malty sweetness. The smoke aroma is not too heavy, but has a pleasant balance. The flavors start with smoke, anise, raisins, caramel, toffee, medium roasted coffee, figs, light floral, wood, and fire. Sipping the beer again, I taste char, Maillard, malty sweetness, leather, bready, dark toasted bread crust, tobacco, and earthiness. The mouthfeel is chewy, finishing slightly bitter. The body is medium, with low carbonation. Final Impressions: The cherry flavor does not translate into the beer. However, the smoke flavor is pleasant and not overbearing. The imperial porter is fantastic. I am glad the cherry does not come through; some brewers overuse cherry, and it has a cough syrup vibe. Overall, this is a wonderful beer and has aged well.
Really cool you found us @colts9016 and enjoyed your review. Hope more come across us via promotion in the Cellaruary thread. I'm trying to limit my Cellaruary posting to beers I already posted here in January, or intend to post this Spring, to avoid duplicate beer vintages here. Cheers!
(Cross-posting from the beer portion of my post in that thread. No one wants to see the inside of my beer fridge, so I left that portion of my post back there. ) Today's entry in the Cellarurary free-for-all, 'clear 'em out' campaign is Dark Horse's Plead the 5th Imperial Stout (non-flavored). I think this is the oldest beer in the fridge, being canned on 10-24-23. The abv is 11% and tastes the same as I recall from when purchased. A great mellow roasty character makes this one fall in the top three of my favorite imperial stouts.
OK, it's official. I'm old. I can't figure out if I can or can't post a picture from my laptop. And I'm hardly tech-blind. Stoopid. Anyways, pulled a Revolution V.S.O.R. out of the fridge tonight canned in January 2022. This was borderline perfect fresh & I drank almost every can that came within reach. Except this one. And to say it held up isn't fair. It's almost exactly the same beer four years later. The stability is remarkable. Still an A+ beer that flirts with perfection. If Revolution ever kicks this one out of their tanks again, I'll be driving to Chicago to load up as much as the old Audi's shocks can handle. Simply sublime.
