Old Cellar Dweller - Driftwood Brewery

mikeyv35

New York

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Rutager for getting me this beer in a nice over-the-border trade!

Date: 02/16/2012
Type: 22oz. Bomber
Glass: Ommegang Tulip
Vintage: 2010

Pours a light mahoghany brown in color w/ a 1 finger white pillowy head that leaves pretty heavy lacing. Aromas of caramel, toffee, citrus fruits, and basement mustiness. The taste started off w/ a blast of sweet caramel/toffee, which lead into citrus and mild grapefruit, and finished w/ basement mustiness and a touch of alcohol burn. Medium bodied and lush. Pretty easy to drink considering the 11.8% ABV.

Overall, I really enjoyed this beer, and super hoppy BWs are not my thing. However, w/ the almost 2 years of age, this seems pretty balanced and more in my style range. Will definately have to acquire a few more bottles of this brew to allow it to do what it was intended to do, dwell in the cellar.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 05:47:22 | More by mikeyv35

KStark

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -5.2%

05-10-2013 14:48:53 | More by KStark

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2011 bottle courtesy of FondueVoodoo in CANBIF 2013

Appearance: It has a nice hazy orangy/amber color to it. It has a nice light beige head that dies down somewhat fast and leaves some lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of dark fruit, (alot of raisins), bready malts, sweet caramel, toffee, brown suguar, mild hops and some booziness.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has alot of sweet dark fruit, caramel and toffee along with some brown suguar, a nice piney bitterness and a boozy warming feeling at the end. I'm not tasting much of that breadiness that I picked up in the aroma.

Mouthfeel: It has a low carbonation with a very nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with great flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 20:47:47 | More by SebD

maximum12

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Rutager for sending me this bottle as well as its barrel-dwelling brother in a receipt of great-looking Canadian beers. 22 oz. bottle split with my wife after a not-so-good start to the evening.

For the second straight bottle I almost have to use a broadsword to remove the wax & get to the bottle cap. Why, why, why? It's an oxygen barrier, not a recreation of the Berlin Wall. Pour has a touch of carbonation, & looks like a horse track after a passing thundershower. Nose is quiet: caramel, toffee, sweet malts.

Old Cellar Dweller is a boozy shot to the nether regions. Alcohol slips almost unnoticed down the throat, before stomping its warm boots all over the inside of my chest. There's some taste here too; lovely caramel & toffee. Brown sugar overload adds to the sweetness. Odd, nice, unfocused fruitiness lingers in the middle. Nice light hop bitterness at the end. My brain is starting to marinate. I like it.

Simple, sweet, straightforward, & enough alcohol to kill the flu virus. Sometimes simple is best. This is one of those times. Very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 02:56:52 | More by maximum12

FalconA

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -11.1%

03-25-2013 20:45:38 | More by FalconA

dirtylou

Washington

4.51/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber, 11.5% abv per the bottle

Served in a lost abbey teku - rich garnet body, nice bubbly beige lace. Layered aromas of dark fruit, sugars, caramelized grapefruit, booze. The 2012 vintage I had on tap recently was noticeably hoppier than this slightly aged bottle - I tend to prefer the fresher batches it would appear (surprise, surprise as aging beer is stupid). Regardless, this is exceptionally complex and layered - glazed citrus, sugars, pine sap, booze soaked dark fruit.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 00:31:11 | More by dirtylou

mdaschaf

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

03-24-2013 23:54:12 | More by mdaschaf

IanSpindler

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

03-17-2013 02:29:44 | More by IanSpindler

Texasfan549

Texas

4/5  rDev -5.2%

02-24-2013 19:13:33 | More by Texasfan549

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

02-14-2013 12:32:20 | More by DaPan

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to Chris for this bottle.
2012 Vintage poured in to tulip.

A - Poured murky dark brown and settled almost completely opaque with just a slight ruby glow around the edges. A thin layer of cream coloured head formed on the pour.

S - Sweet caramel, toffee, brown sugar and a big hop profile with a citrus aroma.

T - Follows the nose. Sweet caramel, toffee and brown sugar with some generous hopping that lends a big bitterness and some citrus flavours.

M - Medium, almost full body. Chewy. Light carbonation. Excellent mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 16:09:01 | More by TheSevenDuffs

ericj551

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -5.2%

02-07-2013 00:12:19 | More by ericj551

CheapBeerBuzz

California

4/5  rDev -5.2%

02-06-2013 04:37:49 | More by CheapBeerBuzz

injuredreserve

Louisiana

3.75/5  rDev -11.1%

02-05-2013 00:47:07 | More by injuredreserve

atomeyes

Ontario (Canada)

4.94/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Tried this side by side with the Old Barrel Dweller.
I actually liked this more.

The dry hopping was amazing. A beautiful tangerine nose with a faint hint of raspberry. The beer had a great balance of sweetness with a bit of hoppiness. the alcohol was there but not too hot.

a beautiful sipper on a cold Ontario winter night. would drink again and again. one of the best barley wines i've had.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 21:00:14 | More by atomeyes

largadeer

California

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

01-26-2013 23:37:07 | More by largadeer

thefullpython

4.75/5  rDev +12.6%

01-23-2013 08:34:56 | More by thefullpython

cbnz

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -5.2%

01-21-2013 00:28:58 | More by cbnz

604growler

British Columbia (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

01-16-2013 16:28:17 | More by 604growler

JonnyBeers

British Columbia (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

01-11-2013 18:09:52 | More by JonnyBeers

Mages64

Washington

4.83/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2012 vintage red wax from firefly.
Appearance: deep brown with Marion edges. Big fluffy head with lots of lacing.
Nose: big pine hop nose, alcohol heat, malty and caramel. Some brown sugar notes too.
Taste: huge hop flavor with a solid malt backbone. Hops and malt are super balanced and play immensely well together.
Mouthfeel: alcohol heat is noticeable but I love my barleywines with some booze underneath. Full and thick with tight carbonation.
Overall: one of the best non barrel aged barleywines I've had.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 17:15:02 | More by Mages64

GrindFatherBob

New York

4.38/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes. Consumed 3/5/12 just catching up.

2011 Vintage

Thanks to Mages64 for grabbing 2 of these for me, you're a great dude.

A- clear ruby with an inch and a half of beautiful beige head, decent retention, sticky lacing

S- sweet and biscuity malts, huge citrus hop character

T- I can vividly remember the maltiness of this, it was fucking huge and bready. Big hop bitterness, tropical, grapey, citrusy, floral. Alcohol was well hidden for 14%, didn't really burn or anything.

M- Sharp, coating, well integrated heat, lingering bitterness entwined with the giant malt base.

O- probably my favorite of the american variety of barleywines that i've come across. would love to get more if possible.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 15:55:43 | More by GrindFatherBob

KalanM

British Columbia (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

12-31-2012 04:25:11 | More by KalanM

Googs

New York

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

12-28-2012 17:30:37 | More by Googs

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

***2008 Vintage***
For my 100th review on Beer Advocate we're breaking out a gem.

A: A solid chestnut brown, a bit tawny and ruddy hazed brew with a hint of lacing and variable bubbles, each glass has an island of foam adorning the top.

S: Scent of fruit cake, deep malts, dark dried fruits of raisins, dates and currents and an alcohol ester similar to a dark rum. Some notes of acrid dark coffee and sweet from start to finish.

T: The fruitcake taste is still there with rum raisins especially. Dark acrid coffee with deep dark toffee, not as sweet as the nose would suggest. Alcohol does show through - but that's reasonable at 12%. Really hangs on at the end with an acrid dry flavour that clings to the sides of the tongue.

M: Burst of fizz at the front of the palate, with a pleasant coating throughout the drink that allows those flavours linger. Alcohol esters are vaporized, giving a small amount of heat.

O: Great sipper that is best enjoyed slowly with great cheese, the saltiness allows the sweeter notes to develop. Would be great to try a vertical tasting of OCD vintages to see how it develops in the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 04:43:42 | More by FondueVoodoo