September Cellar Reviews

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by Pahn, Sep 1, 2012.

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  1. Pahn

    Pahn Initiate (0) Dec 2, 2009 New York

    it became september where i am an hour ago, so starting a new thread...

    2010 NEBCO wet willy

    500ml bottle into duvel tulip.

    appearance: 1 inch offwhite head, solid lace wall in places. hazy maroon.

    smell: malty and sweet. oxidation notes that are either not present in the flavor or perfectly melded with the maltiness. hard candy and some licorice. interesting, pretty good, doesn't really elevate the flavor as when fresh.

    taste: beautiful, lots of sugary malt flavors, with some residual heat and (mild) oak. surprisingly spicy/lively flavors like anise and smokiness. pretty hot beer when fresh, but now it's sort of like layers of malt (and maybe some raisiny/sherry flavor) on top of a base of alcohol heat. lots of different boozy, slightly dark fruity, bold and smokey malt flavors.

    mouthfeel: medium bodied. moderate carbonation, kind of pricklingly dry. not sugary despite the sugary flavors throughout.

    overall: glad on i put this bottle away for a couple years. i'm a big fan of the beer fresh, but i think it develops nicely and eases up a bit heat-wise. doesn't transform like bigfoot or some other even-more-cellar-worthy beers, but it delivers the standard stuff you get in cellaring 101 type posts: mild complexity development, and smoothing of alcohol heat.

    great stuff. given how easily available this is in CT and MA, i'd highly suggest picking up a few 500ml bottles, drinking one or two fresh, and then pulling them out every few years when you feel in need of a malty treat.
     
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  2. WastingFreetime

    WastingFreetime Initiate (0) Feb 12, 2011 Wisconsin

    New Glarus Unplugged Abt
    Copy/pasted from my review.

    This one has been cellared at ambient concrete poured basement temperature in Madison, WI for about a year.

    Pours out a dark yet clear mahogany with garnet highlights around the edges when held up to the light. A brief fizzle of cream colored head sadly doesn't leave behind any lacing, but expecting lacing from a aged quad is somewhat foolish in my experience. Body is on the thinner side of medium, light carbonation.

    Smells mostly of prunes, fig newtons, and molasses with lesser amounts of raspberry and earthy tones. Tastes of all these things and also has a red madeira / raisin bread sort of mid-sip flavor. Believe it or not, there is still a faint garnish level of clove flavor and orange peel in it, but the other spicing elements have long since vacated the premises. The finish is where a small amount of malt oxidation shows up but it is nowhere near an deal-breaking issue at this point.

    Special Cellaring Commentary:

    Compared to how it was fresh, the sweet dark fruit and vinous qualities have been significantly amplified and the booziness that was a bit of an issue when fresh is absolutely nullified at this point. Very rounded, rich and full of luscious fruitiness. I'm sure that a cellaring age of 8-10 months rather than a year would save a bit more of the spicing qualities, potentially eliminate the faint cardboard oxidation in the finish, and still achieve my goal of sweetening up the fruit and sanding down the sharp edges of the booziness. Admittedly, this one was not really all that boozy to begin with, but it was enough that I wanted to see what would happen with some experimental cellaring...so I did. It was certainly a worthwhile experiment in the end.
     
  3. chicano4craft

    chicano4craft Initiate (0) Apr 18, 2009 Colorado


    Based on your post I decided to open one of the two bottles I have left. My bottle was almost exactly as you described yours. Only one difference. No raspberry in mine...but big notes of dark cherry. Overall I enjoyed this beer much more now than fresh. Think I'll open my last bottle in a few months. Cheers.
     
    gueuzer likes this.
  4. Homebrew42

    Homebrew42 Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2006 New York

    Opened a bottle of Victory Saison last night that was bottled almost exactly 5 years ago. It seriously kicked ass.
     
  5. allforbetterbeer

    allforbetterbeer Savant (1,236) Sep 26, 2009 Colorado

    Drinking a 2008 Cooper's Vintage Ale, cellared for the last 2 years at precisely 53 degrees F. Super mellow and amazingly unoxidized. Mild fruit and light malt in the aroma and flavor. Just a bit of savory in the aftertaste. The body has thinned out but the carbonation is still very much alive, which pretty much saved this from being a disaster. For the $3 or $4 I paid for it, this was very much worth while, and surprised me by actually getting better at 4 years than it was at 2, which in my experience is rare for this type of beer.
     
  6. youradhere

    youradhere Initiate (0) Feb 29, 2008 Washington

    2010 Dissident

    Pours crystal amber with reddish hues, ample off white 2" head that falls and lingers as a thick cap, lots of little carbonation bubbles shoot up the sides. Smells like cherries and yogurt, Brett pineapple, holy fruit bomb. Tastes of cherries up front, yogurt, slight blue cheese, more sour cherry, mango, sour apple, chocolate, brandy, vanilla oak, brown sugar, really complex. Mouthfeel is velvety smooth, carbonation is so fine and high that it adds a new dimension to the feel. This has aged beautifully, the phenols have worked their way out, alcohol heat is muted and in the back. Mouthfeel has thickened up a bit and the flavors are tilting more towards the traditional oude bruin profile, fruit flavors are on the increase and cherry is coming to the forefront. I see this beer only getting better for years to come.
     
    Bitterbill likes this.
  7. Hophead717

    Hophead717 Initiate (0) Oct 21, 2011 Massachusetts

    2009 Bourbon County Stout

    Amazing! Perfect balance of emerging dark fruits, without any of the overwhelming oxidation that I found in the 2007 and 2008 versions. The bourbon was well-integrated. It was very different from fresh 2011, but I enjoy both equally.

    ISO: BCBS 2009/2010/2011
     
  8. nas5755

    nas5755 Initiate (0) Jan 11, 2007 Massachusetts

    N'ice Chouffe 2008
    best by end of 2011 and I'm drinking it today 9-9-12

    This was a treat. I feel like it could go alot longer.


    A- Nice pop on the cap. lots of light tan head, deep tan or a very dark brown sugar color. Lots of lacing for any beer regardless of age.

    S- A light dose of belgian yeast, some candy sugars and a slight medicinal note.

    T- Very nice. A slight medicinal flavor is present, some bitterness from the curacao is noticeable. Lots of dark candy sugar, fruits are the dominate flavor and the yeast is still present.

    M- smooth, a nice hotness that reminds the drinker this is 10%, however it is no way a detractor from the flavor. The heat melds well with the beer. The carbonation is awesome, I would never-ever guess that this beer was brewed in 2008.

    O- Very nice. Smooth, clean, oxidation was minimal. The carbonation was great, maybe even more pronounced then I would prefer and then I need to factor in the age of this beer. Damn. This could have sat in my cellar of a longer amount of time. I almost wish I had left it in there. Easily could have hit the 10 year mark.
     
  9. WastingFreetime

    WastingFreetime Initiate (0) Feb 12, 2011 Wisconsin

    Furthermore Beer - Thermo Refur
    Copy/Pasted from my review.

    Kept at ambient concrete poured basement temperature in Madison, WI for two years.

    Pours out a cloudy burnt sienna with orange highlights and a flash head that leaves behind no lacing. Lighter side of medium body, light carbonation levels, dry crisp finish.

    It still has a surprisingly strong aroma of cracked black pepper and sweet beets with a side of dill, rosemary, sage, and other savory sort of herbal notes. But compared to the nasal skull explosion of black pepper it had fresh, aging it two years has been just the thing to get it mellowed it down from "too much of a good thing" to "the right amount of a good thing." As it warms up it gains a subtle background bloody mary tomato and chili / lemon-lime peel aroma that blends well with a small amount of yeast phenols. As a fresh beer, none of these elements were allowed to truly shine over the pepper. As an aged beer, it smells amazing.

    It tastes of a rather challenging level of leathery Belgian phenolics that wasn't as apparent in the nose, combined with that time-softened pepperpot sting that gradually pulls back from over the top of a bone-dry biscuit-cracker malt remnant with some medium-light cardboard oxidation popping up in the mid-sip alongside lemon peel and a vague vegetal (tomato) ghost in the finish. Where's the beets?

    And here is where I realized that I should have checked it somewhere between one and two years, because the sweet spot was probably in that time period. I overshot. It's still drinkable and even pretty tasty, but nearly all of the beet sugar has converted into Brett phenol funkiness, and I wanted to retain a higher level of that beet essence in the flavor than this. The pepper levels are tamed, but the Brett murdered the beet flavor. Even so, it does make an amazing glass of peppery-seasoned sweaty horse saddle for the Brett-lover.
     
  10. daryk77

    daryk77 Initiate (0) Jun 16, 2005 District of Columbia

    God I love this beer, can't wait for Christmas.

    Popped a 2008 Flying Dog Horn Dog Barleywine while watching some football on Sunday. Huge malty flavor, just a touch of booziness but very smooth. Some oxidation that worked with the beer, thick and sweet, great mouthfeel. Only thing that detracted from it was some massive yeast floaties but it did not effect the overall enjoyment or flavor. This was a beer I picked up off the shelf a month ago so it was stored in less than optimum conditions, a testament to its durability I think.
     
  11. stakem

    stakem Grand Pooh-Bah (4,070) Feb 20, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    1996 Kulmbacher Eisbock
    By all accounts I believe this is "batch 1." I would appreciate it if someone could correct me if im wrong or confirm. I posted a full review but for a 16 year old eisbock, this has held up like a timeless treasure.
     
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  12. youradhere

    youradhere Initiate (0) Feb 29, 2008 Washington

    2011 Avery Jubilation

    Crystal clear amber with reddish hues, smells of carob and toffee, beet sugar, caramel. Taste is brandy, raisins, muted coffee, mocha, prunes, dates. Mouthfeel is light medium, carbonation is on the high side, body is slightly dry, slight alcohol warming still. Very good after a year(ish). This might take another year, but after that it may fall apart like an over the hill Jubelale, but like the Jube, I think I prefer this fresh more.
     
  13. wagenvolks

    wagenvolks Initiate (0) Sep 23, 2005 Texas

    Sierra Nevada Jack & Ken's Black Barleywine (2011 release) is holding up quite nicely. The malts are really starting to open up & develop and the booze (while still very much present) is better integrated into the flavor profile. Hops are still there, too, but fading. Interesting to see where this one is headed...
     
  14. WastingFreetime

    WastingFreetime Initiate (0) Feb 12, 2011 Wisconsin

    New Glarus - Stone Soup Bottled 10/13/10

    As soon as I realized this one was going to be retired from production a few years back I nabbed a couple of cases for experimental cellaring. Because I wanted to observe what changes would occur with a quality 5.3 ABV bottle-conditioned Belgian-Style Pale over time. For science! :grinning:

    And now, two years later, it *still* has about a 30% remnant of its former ginger-clove spiciness and fruity pear/apple combo with an astonishingly low amount of malt oxidation for how wimpy the ABV is. It now tastes rather like a lightly-hopped Belgian-Style Golden with a somewhat fuller, yeastier body than average.

    Did the flavor or aroma actually improve with age when compared to fresh?
    Hell no!

    Does it continue to surprise me with how little it has degraded over time considering what it is, remain drinkable and even tasty?
    Absolutely.

    And the best part: I still have about a case's worth of bottles of this to continue the observations in the months to come. (I'll keep the forums posted.)
     
    crushedvol likes this.
  15. yamar68

    yamar68 Initiate (0) Apr 1, 2011 Minnesota

    Avery Sixteen - Saison
    7.69% ABV
    Bottled in May of 2009

    "Pours very pale, hazy straw gold body that's capped with a finger of paper white head that sinks to a collar after a few good minutes of retention. Great lacing.

    The nose is still bright - sweet honey notes, white grapes, still quite floral. Unsurprisingly, the peach has faded entirely. What's left of the beer though smells terrific.

    Light and slightly fruity. A bit of bubblegum that's kept in check by sweet, non-bitter citrus. I'm very impressed by how much flavor is still perfectly intact. Traces of peach are still evident here.

    I'd honestly say this beer still has some genuine potential in the cellar."

    [​IMG]
     
  16. WastingFreetime

    WastingFreetime Initiate (0) Feb 12, 2011 Wisconsin

    Just curious, did you refrigerate this one or leave it at ambient basement temperature?
     
  17. deadonhisfeet

    deadonhisfeet Pooh-Bah (2,419) Apr 23, 2011 Kentucky
    Pooh-Bah

    Had a 2007 Avery Samael the other night. Five years in the bottle turned this beer from a hot, boozy mess into a refined and complex pour. It had intense candy-sweet flavors of caramel, butterscotch, and vanilla beans on the front of the palate and port wine flavors of dates, cherries, and plums in back. You definitely got some alcohol warmth, but the booziness was gone.
     
  18. Etan

    Etan Initiate (0) Jul 11, 2011 Wisconsin

    Had a Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Grand Cru last night (2010 bottle):

    750ml bottle, vintage 2010. A blend of oak-aged Bigfoot, Celebration, and Pale Ale (22% bourbon barrel-aged).
    A: Pours a murky orange-brown with a nice off-white head. Some lacing with great retention.
    S: Thick, sweet old hops, cider, maple, caramel, some vanilla.
    T: Hops still dominate the beer but have an aged quality to them. Tea leaves, cider, mango, bitter resin. Caramel and toffee notes from the malt form a base, with the barrel adding a little bit of tannic sweetness. A bit of heat lingers.
    M: Relatively thick and chewy with crisp carbonation.
    O: A nice blend, still hoppy after 2 years. I'd be curious to see what a higher barrel-aged percentage would do to this beer, but it's certainly good at 22%.
     
  19. allforbetterbeer

    allforbetterbeer Savant (1,236) Sep 26, 2009 Colorado

    Just drank a Gale's Prize old ale. Looked like awful, watery mud in the glass, but was actually a mildy oxidized full-bodied aged barelywine. Quite nice, and quite surprising. From my experience with aged English barleywine of this type, I would guess this to be between 5-10 years old. I can't find a date anywhere on the label or bottle, so I am curious if any of you could help me date it. The bottle was corked (with real cork) and 275 mL, and the label states "Champion beer of Britain 1992-1993". The back label states that is was brewed by George Gale and Co. Ltd, in Horndean, Hampshire, England.
    ~Edit- I forgot to mention that the bar code on the back has the code OA2 36060 on it if anybody is good at interpreting those.
     
  20. Hophead717

    Hophead717 Initiate (0) Oct 21, 2011 Massachusetts

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