Old Stock Cellar Reserve (Aged In Bourbon Barrels) - North Coast Brewing Co.

Frosty80

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Color: pours med golden brown. sits slightly opaque (mostly clear) med brown with a ruby hue. head is pretty small and doesnt around too long. no lacing

Smell: full, bright notes of bourbon, oak, vanilla, chocolate, caramel and hints of dark fruit, all in great quantities and balance. little bit of alcohol but doesnt come close to getting in the way other aromas

Taste: slightly more alcohol presence on the palate than the nose. otherwise, good translation from aroma to flavors. lots of bourbon, oak, vanilla, caramel with notes of chocolate and dark fruit

Mouthfeel: medium body with medium-high carbonation that lightens the load slightly

Notes: wonderful beer. always been a huge fan of Old Stock so naturally a little bourbon aging raises it to a new level

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 22:11:25 | More by Frosty80

calcnerd

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +7.5%

05-16-2013 01:25:16 | More by calcnerd

jkane101

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +7.5%

05-10-2013 00:12:25 | More by jkane101

kevwcamp

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%

04-17-2013 04:53:25 | More by kevwcamp

Jspriest

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -15.2%

04-13-2013 03:02:15 | More by Jspriest

straightlambic

California

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%

04-07-2013 06:09:36 | More by straightlambic

pmarlowe

California

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%

04-07-2013 04:31:19 | More by pmarlowe

abriggs1

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is the epitome of what a high end beer should taste like. Way back in 2009, I had some Old Stock Ale and thought it was one of the best beers I have ever tasted. I kicked myself for not buying a case. Now we have a barrel-aged offering that has everything I've ever wanted in a beer. The dry esters are both decadent and gritty; producing a beer that has an old world vibe with a modern intensity. The obvious vanilla and tobacco flavors are immediately there, with hints of coconut, cola, dates, figs, and hazelnuts.

It takes a lot for me to give a beer a perfect rating, but this beer is one of the best ever produced by human hands. Is it the best beer I've ever tasted? It comes close. It's not cheap, but I'm most likely going to go back and buy the other two bottle in stock at my local swill merchant tomorrow.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 02:33:52 | More by abriggs1

ShemRahBoo

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +7.5%

04-03-2013 00:54:12 | More by ShemRahBoo

JRod1969

New York

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%

04-02-2013 03:02:31 | More by JRod1969

meatyard

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -3.8%

04-01-2013 13:05:26 | More by meatyard

bennetj17

Arizona

3.58/5  rDev -19%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dull, semi cloudy brown. Some soap-like bubbles arise immediately but dissipate within seconds, leaving a rather flat looking beer in the glass. The smell is at first very bourbon heavy but after a few whiffs I notice a nice balance of wood and some toffee like malt character. There isn't much potency from the alcohol fume either so I'd guess it's mellowed considerably since 2009.

There is some nice vanilla sweetness up front with a raisiny, brown sugar malt backbone. Strong bourbon character without the alcohol burn. The back end lacks a good contrast however, and is a bit cloying. For appearing flat, the carbonation is actually pretty decent. The mouthfeel seems thin though, with a light syrupy feel. It could stand to be a bit more robust, but with this much alcohol content it's expected.

This beer has a nice flavor profile up front and alot of potential, but ultimately isn't excellent all around. Perhaps I would prefer some more bitterness for balance, and the carbonation and mouthfeel also need some work. Overall a nice brew but not worth $20+ for a small bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 04:05:56 | More by bennetj17

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.44/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500mL bottle. kept in my cellar since its release in early 2011. poured into taster.

A: slight haze. brown body, not dark or light brown. vivacious carb ripping to the surface.

S: a lot of bourbon, booze is there, but not insane. a slight dry cocoa powder. chocolate. residual sugar is strong. caramel. molasses.

T: starts hot, lots of chocolate. booze is greater on the drink than the nose. a lot of oak. maple syrup. finishes sweet. some fruitiness as well. pretty well balanced between sweet, fruity old ale and boozy bourbon oak flavors.

M: moderate amount of carb. full bodied. carb is high, a little different for the style.

D: good, super mellow. highly drinkable. plenty of complexity without being too big. which is impressive considering this big time abv. ready to be taken out of the cellar.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 14:58:14 | More by Jimmys

Tschnab

New York

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%

03-25-2013 01:16:24 | More by Tschnab

UCLABrewN84

California

4.19/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Bottle pour for Best Damn Night Of The Barrels held at The Beer Company in San Diego, CA.

2009 vintage.

Pours a clear brown with a foamy beige head that fades to nothing. No lacing on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, toffee, bourbon, and wood. Taste is much the same with an alcohol kick on the finish. There is a mild amount of woody bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer with some great barrel aged aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 05:34:45 | More by UCLABrewN84

Kelp

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%

03-04-2013 05:14:32 | More by Kelp

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%

03-04-2013 05:10:54 | More by yourefragile

madnismo

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +7.5%

02-24-2013 14:45:03 | More by madnismo

drummermattie02

Texas

4.25/5  rDev -3.8%

02-20-2013 21:01:55 | More by drummermattie02

PhatAtUT

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%

02-04-2013 22:04:56 | More by PhatAtUT

JohnK17

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%

01-31-2013 17:25:33 | More by JohnK17

DmanGTR

New York

5/5  rDev +13.1%

01-29-2013 18:30:37 | More by DmanGTR

AxesandAnchors

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%

01-20-2013 07:22:02 | More by AxesandAnchors

SadMachine

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +7.5%

01-20-2013 04:02:11 | More by SadMachine

BierJager89

California

4.85/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Poured from the sexiest bottle I've ever seen into probably a snifter or a tulip or a goblet.

A: Dark brown, almost black with a very light brown head.

S: Excellent bourbon character, oak, vanilla, caramel, some raisin, rum, and dark fruit in the nose as well. Also that old ale smell. Whatever that is. It smells old. Odd that the nose of a beer can be the very definition of a smell, but old ales do it somehow. They all smell old.

T: Dark fruit with more great bourbon character. Oak, vanilla and caramel, my three favorite things in a beer. MASSIVE bourbon after taste which is more than delightful.

M: Medium-full bodied with decent amounts of carbonation.

O: If you can still find it, buy a bottle. The bottle itself is so damn sexy, and the beer is extremely tasty. Number 15 for me, as of writing this review, out of more than 600. By the way, I am starting at the top of my list and working my way down, so I keep saying how many beers I've had. That's not to brag, that's just to say how damn good these beers are to me. Sorry if it comes off braggy. I know there are people who have had WAAAAY more beers than me.

Quick edit: I don't like the beeradvocate system for rating, because the beer, right now, has an average of 98, I gave it a 97 on my blog, but my rating here says I gave it roughly 7% higher than the average rating. BA inflates. That's stupid, but then again their rating system isn't very precise. At least they don't inflate as much as Ratebeer. Dear lord.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 19:41:10 | More by BierJager89