Cellared 2013.11.17 750ml

Drank 2015.11.06

Weyerbacher Tiny

Initially, I thought it  was OK. As I had more, one flavor pounded to the front. I couldn’t put my finger on it for a while. Then I figured it out. Aspartame. The odd taste of diet pop. I am getting that very strongly. And I don’t drink diet pop due to this taste.

This is the first time I’ve had this. It might be from the aging or the yeast. Or it just tastes like this. There is no longer any alcohol heat. And the mouthfeel is very nice. I get a bit of the aftertaste of a good stout. That roasty sweetness.

But that one very off flavor just kills this for me. I couldn’t even finish half.

Cellared 2013.11.17 12oz

Drank 2015.11.03

Flying Dog Horn Dog

Really mellowed out during cellaring. Not hot at all like I remember it. Well integrated flavors. Quite sweet. Smooth. Caramel. A bit one note. Much better than fresh. Hops are all gone if they were there.

I mostly prefer my barleywine with more complexity but I am surprised at how much this improved with age.

Cellared 2013.12.27 650ml

Drank 2015.10.09

Pipeworks Santa vs. Unicorn

I made a face the first couple of sips. It was a bit pungent and old tasting. Unpleasant. Bitter. Maybe from lots of old hops.

It got better as I got through more of the bottle. More of a traditional barleywine taste. I’m curious what this would have tasted fresh. I’ve never had it fresh. I wonder if the oddness of the taste was because of aging or if it always was like that.

Cellared 2013.12.27 12oz

Drank 2015.10.04

Great Lakes Blackout Stout

I didn’t like this when I had this years ago. It was thin and not impressive.

With almost 2 years on it, I’m liking it decently. It is very roasty. Still thin. But there is a sweetness now that I usually associate with the really good stuff. I almost want to revisit a fresh bottle. Maybe my taste buds have improved.

Cellared 2014.01.20 750ml

Drank 2015.09.12

Surly Darkness

I’ve not had this fresh. The pour looked thin. It isn’t. It has a very nice mouthfeel.

My first mouthful felt hot. I was surprised as this has been cellared for almost 2 months. But after a few sips, the heat went away. It is sweet. Not too sweet for me. It is very good. Very flavorful and rich. I like this a lot.

While I do like this a lot, the pricepoint is too high. It is too hard to get. I don’t know that I like this more than Founders Imperial Stout. And I can get cases of that very easily for a LOT less. Perhaps this is a problem only because FIS is SO GOOD. Not a real problem.

Cellared 2013.11.17 500ml

Drank 2015.08.02

Brouwerij West Mør Mør

Very strange tasting beer. The initial taste is a bit of an assault. Metallic and tart and abrasive. Unpleasant. I made a face half a second into tasting this. The bad kind. After a while, I was able to taste past that initial flavor and sweet and fruity were present. And after half a bottle, I think I was used to it.

Still, I did not liked this. I finished it. And it wasn’t too hard. I wonder if this is what oxidized tastes like.