March Cellar Reviews

Been experimenting with 2013 Sierra Nevada Narwhal, trying each bottle of the 4-pack at 6 month intervals. Opened the 1.5 yr. bottle on 3/2/2015.

Appearance: Jet black, with surprisingly low carbonation and a very thin, beige head.

Aroma: Dark fruits, molasses, chocolate, coffee, and mild, smooth roast.

Taste: Strong chocolate, dark fruits, caramel malt, coffee, molasses, licorice, and a nice, roasty finish. Still a bit of alcohol heat. Although it started out milder, roast crascendoed, was still very strong, and took over the taste, lingering in the aftertaste. Bitterness has faded significantly and was only mild. Coffee has died down.

Overall: Starting to become more complex.

 

Nothing crazy. But opened a two year old Old Rasputin. O me so much better than fresh. Thick full mouthfeel. Carmel, roasted flavors dominate. Dark roast coffee, very complex. That noticeable alcohol bun is tempered and a lot more pleasant. Have not gone beyond two years but at or around two years is solid and improvement to be sure in my mind.

 

Would a Bass Imperial Stout from 1958 be worth trying?

 

Every beer is worth trying. It (almost certainly) will not make you sick, if it's bad, just pour it down the drain. Aren't you curious though? I've never had a beer that old. I'd be gagging to try it.

 

It'll cost me $95 to try it. The Ballantine Burton Ale I had a few years ago, bottled in 1956, was disappointing. 70s Thomas Hardys and Courage IRS were fantastic, though.

 

Ah. Well. That's a whole other conundrum, isn't it?

 

SN Bigfoot vertical 2015-2009

2015: Strong IPA notes (grapefruit, honey, hops) with a malty backbone and boozy fragrance.
2014: Sweet malts are evident while hops have showed signs of fading, still has that booze sting at the end.
2013: Floral/honey taste notes, smoother mouthfeel, alcohol finish isn't as strong, signs of fading.
2012: Hard to pick up anything as flavors have become muted, malts still remain and haven't faded all that much.
2011: Malty carmel notes with a bitter medicinal taste. Nothing complex.
2010: Carmel malts have become stronger with a some honey notes.
2009: Similar to 2011/2010 but smoother.

2011 & 2010 might had been the awkward phase Bigfoot goes through that I read about from other Bigfoot verticals as those vintages weren't as good as expected. 2009 was showing signs of potential as if it could get better with additional time.

 

Awesome vertical! Thanks for sharing!

 

Dear god man, let me in on that tasting. I can bring you many Thomas Hardys.

 

2011 Stone Smoked Porter

Not a fan at all of smoked beers, but I tried this one on a lark. Pours sultry chocolate with cappuccino head; smells of dark chocolate and espresso, rich and creamy, subtle smoke at the very end, right at the amount that I actually enjoy it- like that slight smoke flavor you get off of fresh-from-the-barrel BA beers.

I'll be honest, I didn't expect much from this, but I was pleasantly proven wrong!

 

I decided to pass on it.*

Sipping on a Deschutes Black Butte XXIV that is tasting pretty damn good. Some qualities of an English Old/Barleywine with all the fixins..tasty level of oxidation, malty, some fruity notes, the 11% abv is hardly noticeable.

* Gotta save my bucks for the next shipment of Imports and Crafts that my beer store buddy INSISTS on doing every couple of months.

 

I'm not very good at reviewing beers, particularly those which I drank first before indulging quite a bit more.

I did DFH Raison D'Extra 2007 v. 2014 last night.

2014 was super heavy, especially on the back end. I didn't expect differently, but it was overwhelmingly boozy. Not terrible, but tough to get down. Huge on the raisons, very sweet. Four ounces was certainly enough (split these three ways).

2007 developed really nicely, we thought. Very much like a sherry. Super sweet still, but a much lighter finish. Much more enjoyable. Again, the four ounces was great. I imagine this would be a wonderful beer from a snifter by a fire in the winter time. I liked it quite a bit, despite my proclivity to avoid ports and sherries.

I doubt, though, that I'll pick up another bottle of the D'Extra where it's still available. Too expensive for something that would have to wait seven years.

Cheers!

 

Founder's Imperial Stout, bottle dated January 2013.



Has lost a bit of the dark fruit and charred roast, is now more of the milk chocolate sweetness. Not as bitter as before. Delicious and definitely worth the two years I tried aging this. I wonder if it'll go even further at this point.

 

It will go further. Got a couple 4 packs of the 2011 that taste so chocolatey and are so thick. Like a chocolate milkshake.

 

2009 Abyss

I know there are rumors of uninfected '09 Abyss, good reality shows, & people who enjoy Beck, but these things don't exist in my universe. Another Abyssident drain-pour: shiveringly sour that clashes epically with the roast & malt. Too bad. This was so good fresh & has turned into one of my few cellaring regrets.

 

2010 World Wide Stout - 12oz bottle

Served at cellar temp and this one was awesome. Split the bottle with my wife and she liked it as well. No alcohol burn or smell at all for a beer with an ABV around 18%...so drinkable in fact that ABV snuck up quick...LOL. Dark chocolate and dark fruit were the most prominent flavors with a nice dry finish. Liked it so much I'm going to get more and start the aging process on this one again.

 

9/18/2012 DFH Palo Santo Marron: Still has some of the wood notes but less tannic and much more stiff dark fruit maltiness (date, black grape) along with light and medium caramel. Very dark chocolatey as well. Unbelievable lush body with no alcohol notes really other than in the aftertaste. Light coffee note in there too. Really at a good drinkable point right now. Glad I gave it a run.

 

I aged a Duvel for a year just for the heck of it. I popped in on 3/22/15. Besides more of a yeasty, slight funky (good funk) flavor, the beer remained almost the same. Not something that I would do again, but it was still a fun experiment.