Cellar Door - Now & Then Project - Stillwater Artisanal Ales

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.49/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Off the bottle list @ Of Love & Regret

The beer pours a very cloudy golden yellow with 1/2 an inch of a loose fluffy white head. The nose is BRETT, hoppy bitter grapefruit rinds with good sage spice characteristic left, and very little oak. The taste is ape shit amazing, bretty forward, hoppy, a touch if white sage, large amounts of grapefruit, and... brett (once again). The mouthfeel is very effervescent (biting carbonation), with herbal bitterness and a super dry finish. This beer is crazy delicious with 6 months of age on it...highly recommended for that herbal-bitter brett saison fix.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 01:25:04 | More by ThePorterSorter

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks, Moll! Nose is primarily Cellar Door with some pineapple and Brett coming as it warms. A bit drier than the base with moderate Brett character. This was a really nice beer. Brian really seems to know his way around a barrel, as I've really enjoyed most Stillwater barrel variations. Hopefully I'll finally pickup my Stillwater glasses soon to make it the complete experience!

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 20:09:19 | More by Thorpe429

drabmuh

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to yourefragile for this beer. I was unable to attend the event this year. Served in a stillwater glass. Beer is yellow with a mild haze, nice carbonation, nice head, looks good.

Aroma is spicy, lots of sage in this one, a little yeasty, brett.

Beer is light and effervescent, very spicy with the sage on the palate, some yeastiness, nice funk on the backend, beer is a little thin but quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 16:19:30 | More by drabmuh

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Showed up at the release party for this beer at Max's the other day, where one could purchase this beer in a two bottle pack for $25. The beer comes in a 11.2 ounce stubbie (more about this in a bit) ,and the label states that this beer is dry hopped in french oak and conditioned with brett.

The beer pours a slightly hazy, golden honey color with good head retention and lacing. The nose on this beer is really quite attractive, showcasing considerable sandlewood, nutmeg, light honey, a hint of clove, and maybe a hint of brett as well (in this case, the brett seems to impart a slightly rancid butter aroma - I know that sounds terrible, but it actually blends in quite well with everything else). It's attractive... I just wish there was a bit more to it. The flavor profile replicates the nose, but with a nice dollop of hoppy bitterness to dry out the modest sweetness in this beer. On the other hand, I don't think the hoppy bitterness blends in all that well with the "bretty" flavor I'm getting in this beer. It seems to give the beer something of a light alcoholic bite on the finish, that isn't all that attractive. Otherwise, the flavor profile is attractive, and this is an enjoyable beer to drink. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a fairly long, complex finish. I'm really not sure how much the brett adds to this beer, as I mostly pick up some attractive hoppy bitterness on the finish, that really adds a pleasing element to this beer on the finish (that I think the brett detracts from).

All and all, this is a pretty decent beer, one I wouldn't mind having again some time, were it not for one thing. The pricing of the beer. At $12.50 a pop for a "stubbie," that works out to $75 a 6 pack, which I think is just crazy. However, this is pretty much how Brian S. prices all his beers, and as I've come to learn, he becomes rather defensive when this is pointed out to him. That being said, none of this is the beer's fault, and the absurd pricing aside, this is still a pretty decent beer from Stillwater.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 22:42:25 | More by johnmichaelsen

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Stubby 11.2 oz bottle purchased at Max's on Stillwater Sunday event of BBW. Served in a Stillwater wine glass.

Pours a dark golden amber, hazed and still with a fleeting off white head. Nose of sage, lavender, oak, grass, lemon, and light brett. Flavor leans toward a malty, amber saison with a grassy and floral body and an oak finish. Fresh, there is a light brett presence, per the suggestion of the brewer (and name of the series) aging this beer seems promising. Medium thick, soft effervescent carbonation; well balanced and integrated. In current state, this isn't substantially different from fresh Cellar Door, other than the finish, but CD is one of my favorite Stillwater beers so that isn't a problem.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 19:48:08 | More by yourefragile