Cellar Reviews (2022)

World wide stout bottled 2011 and purchased at the new Dogfish Head Miami.

Small hiss upon opening with a meaningful but light carb upon pouring.
Nose is initially fusel alcohol which fades as the beer warms and opens up. Subsequently being hit with light smoke/peated malt, licorice, oak.
Taste is insanely smooth at this point. Light roast, drying oak, mild licorice and dark fruits. All the flavors are perfectly integrated and cohesive with no signs of adverse signs of aging. Warming finish that is much less aggressive than the initial alcohol nose would lead you to expect.
Mouthfeel is above average, maybe medium plus, for stouts of this era.
Overall this is drinking absolutely fantastic. I wish I had purchased more of these.

 

2012 North Coast Old Stock Ale. Been in my cellar for the last 10 years.

Pours a clear dark amber color, thin ring of cream colored head that eventually fades. Aroma is a lot of burnt sugar and boozy fruit - fig, peach, plum. Taste is similar, but definitely a bit of negative oxidation setting in. Sticky mouthfeel, lower carbonation.

 

2019 Napa Parabola popped back up at local shops so I grabbed a few.

We are probably about 2.3 years post bottling at this point and this one has been a ride for sure. Fresh it was very much Parabola with a very slight twist. A year and a half ish in and I was really able to feel the influence of the red wine.

At this point, I feel like the red wine is an almost dominant aspect of the beer. I can detect those big decadent cherry and dark berry notes above all else in the nose, and the flavor opens with typical Parabola flavors of dark chocolate and leather and then veers deep into tart and vinuous cabernet character.

I'm honestly torn on this one. I appreciate how much it is evolving and how it distinguishes itself from the original base beer, but I'm also not sure I really love the direction it's headed. I'm not a big wine drinker and it's not my favorite flavor so I'm torn between drinking the last one I have soon as a known quantity or holding it for another year or two for science! Knowing full well that it may just taste like a red wine gone bad at that point.

Oh the trials and tribulations of this hobby...

 

2015 Bells Third Coast

A lot of raisin and toffee in the aroma and flavor. Fairly sweet. Mouthfeel is a bit syrup, lower carbonation level.

 

Pipeworks The Abduction Batches 440-441, I believe 2016. ABV 13%.





Pours very dark brown, low carbonation, dark red highlights. Fudge, vanilla, marshmallow, dark cherry and raisin. Very smooth and essentially no alcohol burn. A little bitter roast on the back end , medium thick mouthfeel.

This beer is drinking really well right now. I didn't have this fresh but the dark fruit notes and mellowing barrel presence suggest it may be heading over the hill soon. Sadly this is my last bottle from the early days of Pipework's barrel program; every one I have opened has been well done and I haven't run into any infection issues. I'm excited to try some of the new offerings from Pipeworks now that their barrel program is up and running again.

 

20 year mark seems like as good a time as any. Oldest I have is 2009 in my cellar

 

My review of a 10 year old bottle last year
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/cellar-reviews-2020.630642/page-4#post-6859060

**Edit, I realize now that @Pereza987 's bottle reviewed above was slightly older. Long day

 

Found this gathering dust at our government liquor monopoly this week. Batch #100, bottled August 2018. Store was refrigerated, so should have held up well.



We got 20” of snow today in addition to 35” to 40” already fallen this month. Not going anywhere tonight, so might as well sip this by the fire. I’ve never had this fresh, so I really can’t compare, but it’s drinking plenty fine right now IMO. Nary a trace of the ABV, the barrel is still very much present, and like most 2-3 year old bottles of imperial stout, smooth is the word that comes to mind. No notable coffee, but the cocoa nibs make themselves known and there is a very slight chalkiness to the beer’s texture. Overall, I’m super pleased to have the chance to try this (I should mention how rarely something like this hits our shelves…these now 3 year old bottles arrived last year but I hadn’t visited the handful of stores where they appeared).

I’ll savour this tonight and hopefully grab the other stragglers next time.

 

2018 Bell's Third Coast Old Ale



This is aging just how I was hoping a 9/13/2018 would. Carbonation is obviously still present. The hop bite has faded, but still present, leaving a toffee and malt sipper to savor. I've still got three more to revisit subsequently but right now it's the perfect elixir to take the edge off a brutal cold snap. Slainté

 

Oxidation is real, look how dark that first pour is!

 

You know, I never really think about oxidation impact on the appearance of the beer. I guess that is probably because the aged beers I drink are typically so dark anyways. But is that the typical appearance response to oxidation, darkening of color?

 

It is. Homebrewers experience it often. If you look through the homebrew forums you can easily find thread after thread of people fighting their ipas looking like Amber's and having a drastic decrease in hop aromas and flavors. On a homebrew level I've seen ipas change colors like this cellared beers in a matter of weeks.

 

No clue how this thing has stepped within the boundaries of being a freak of nature, but this thing sings coffee, at the top of her lungs (if I can put a gender on a beer). Also the bourbon booze is straight up main chick, ain’t no side chick stuff here. This thing aged well! 57 degrees since I acquired it in 2015.