2006 Samichlaus. 20 years old! Pours with zero head. No sound when the cap came off. The nose is insane. Prunes for days. Raisins, toffee, malts, light chocolate, and molasses. The taste is fantastic. I can't imagine a better beer after 20 years, even Thomas Hardy's Ale. This is full of amazing flavors and little sign of age. It's still, leading to intense flavors. Prunes, apricots, toffee, sherry, cherries. Lovely.
Brewed in 2010, bottled in 2011. Tra la la Sweet Sixteen. Very sweet sour, rhum forward, sour creeps up on the palate, via mixed fermentation. Light brown wood colour, no head and only faint carbonation. Very addictive on each future sip. Aged very well.Rating 4.1
2011 Harvest Ale from J.W. Lees. A bit (750ml) bottle, which appears to be pretty rare for this beer. More carbonation than is typical for the smaller bottles, even at this age. Less smoky on the taste, with nice sweet toffee, plums, raisins, apricots, and caramelized sugar.
2014 Kriek from Cantillon. Picked this one up when it was released 12 years ago. Poured at cellar temp (55 degrees). 5% ABV. This is absolutely phenomenal. The cork has seen better days. The nose is raspberry, cherry, sour, slight funk, wheat, orange. The taste is super tart. Mouth puckering. Sour grapes, raspberries, sour cherries, slight lemon, grass, slight citrus peel, and a touch of spice. This is so damn good.
Evening Beer Geeks, tonight I am quaffing on FrayJa from Anchorage Brewing. I know the beer is a few years old, but like several breweries, I could not find a bottle date. Here is a brief summary of the review. A beautifully presented barrel-aged Baltic porter with striking artwork and an inviting burst of chocolate, bourbon, and earthy aromatics on opening. It pours nearly opaque with ruby highlights, topped by a creamy tan head that fades to minimal lacing. The aroma and flavor are rich and well-integrated, featuring chocolate, oak, vanilla, toffee, molasses, and dark fruit, with subtle notes of coffee, anise, leather, and tobacco adding depth. Medium-plus in body with a smooth, creamy mouthfeel and gentle warmth, it’s a complex yet balanced beer with expertly restrained barrel character.
I think this might be my first time visiting this thread this year, what the hell am I doing with my life?!?! A personal favorite of mine that again didn’t disappoint: Bottled: 10SEPT23 Reviewed: 28APR26 A: Opaque black, moderate sized dark tan head with pretty decent retention, small lacing but lots of alcohol legs. 4.75 S: Aroma is bold and wonderful. Rich dark fruits, a plethora of coffee, port wine notes, roastiness and mild but pleasant oak barrel bourbon notes. Just wonderful. 5 T: Taste follows and is just fantastic. So complex, a truly impressive depth of flavors. Balances wonderfully to somehow neither be harsh nor cloying. Dark fruits, unseeetened cocoa, sweet fudge, balanced by heavy roasty malts and soft oaky and nutty bourbon characters. 4.75 M/D: Full bodied, carbonation low but perfect, ABV very well masked, drinkability is impressive. 4.75 O: I said it fresh and I’ll say it with again with a little over 2.5 years on it, I sincerely think this is one of the best beers ever released in the entire BCBS series. It’s not number 1 in my book but it’s in the discussion which is incredibly impressive. An all timer gem. 5 (Original review: 4.5/4.5/5/4.5/5)
2020 Saint Lamvinus from Cantillon. Stored in cellar conditions since purchased. Lovely smell. Merlot is definitely there, along with some funk and sourness. The taste follows the nose. It's clear that this is a wine-beer hybrid. I love both, so I'm a happy man. Funky, sour, and full of red grapes. A slight hint of vanilla and orange come through as well. A hint of earth.
What? Almost two in a row? Surely others have beers that they have held onto for a little longer than might be wise. Heck, I could probably post one a day and still have beer a few years old. First world problems, I know. This was pretty “hot” - strong vanilla to the point of being peppery and the double barrel treatment didn’t seem to help. 5 years in the cellar and the vanilla has dropped off nicely, but the barrel presence has also dropped off so it was not a win. Neither was it a drain pour, so that’s something. Cheers!
I don't think it bends the rules It's beer you are actively drinking/ drank within a week. Sometimes i forget to post an Impy and go back a few days later to post, only if i really loved it, since it is an Appreciation thread . I think it would be fun to have in The Bar
I am enjoying a six-year-old San Pagaie Reserve, such a fantastic sour. Here is a brief summary of the review. A beautifully matured sour, this six-year-old San Pagaie Reserve showcases impressive balance between tart cherry, bright acidity, light funk, and subtle oak. The aging has introduced gentle sherry-like and faint papery notes that add depth rather than detract. Lively carbonation and a dry, crisp finish keep it structured and highly drinkable. Opened at just the right time, it’s a complex and rewarding sipper that exceeded expectations.
Good idea and done! I renamed the thread to "Cellared Beer Reviews (2026)," created a redirect / sticky in the Cellaring / Aging Beer forum to this thread, and dropped a link to the forum in the first post too.
Covert Artisan Æther BBA Imperial Stout, 13% ABV. This is a cuvée of two different BBA stouts, plus add-junks. I rated this 4.67 last summer but just lowered it to 4.42. Not sure if I overrated it, flavor fell off, or both.
Central Waters Brewer's Reserve Single Barrel Imperial Stout, 11.8% ABV. I rated this 4.44 a year ago. This hasn't degraded at all.
