North Coast Old Stock Cellar Reserve Brandy Barrel

Formerly brewed at North Coast Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Fort Bragg, California USA

Deep dark red amber body, beautiful big big bubbled beige head that disappears quite fast; Huge amazing nose, it has all the standard malt aromas but with an extreme clarity, also a fruit vinous sharpness that accompanies the malts excellent; Huge soft carbonation (way to much) on soft a little thin body, slat and sweet, could be more complex; The salts stay in a long finish, strange pleasant alcohol burn, the fill of the beer disappears way to fast. Good beer that lacks in every part but the nose.

2005 vintage courtesy of Darkelf. Pours brown with some negligible tan bubbles. Smells of cherries, spice, oak, some vanilla. Tastes fruity and oaky with some warming alcohol on the finish.

Murky brown with a fleeting tan head. Big brandy , sweet vanilla woody aroma. Medium body with mild carbonation. Big boozy flavors of caramel, wood, vanilla brandy. Nice brandy essence here, but in the end this one’s just too boozy. Probably best to save this one for a cold winters night next to the fire.

Huge shout out to SoLan who hooked me up with a bottle of this beer, I greatly appreciate it man. Poured a thick, deep garnet-brown color with a thin beige head that quickly receded to a ring. Aroma of sweet brandy, caramel malt, brown sugar, some sweet fruit including apple, plum, and some red grape, with a bit of oak present. Sweet, smooth entry with some strong plum and caramel, brown sugar, and toffee leading into a nice apple flavor with some sweet brandy and red grape. Nice vanilla and soft oak on the finish. Low carbonation, slick and smooth on the palate with a nice drying oak character. I really liked the Bourbon version, and it would have taken a lot to enjoy this more, but it delivered. One of the few beers that actually delivers. Awesome, I thank you again Alan.

Bottle at Sune’s (T+M thanks Mikkel). Clear reddish - white head. Fucking fantastic, brandy, smooth as hell, brown sugar, wood, light alcoholic, chocolate, sweetness, fruity, caramel, barley, high malty. This is fantastic. I would give this 800 - but the scale stops at 50..... so !!!!

Muddy brown colour with a beige head. malty, fruity aroma with a light chocolate sweetness and hints of alcohol. Malty, fruity, vinous flavor with chocolate sweet notes.

Thanks to iowaherkeye for this - decided to finish up my labor day weekend with this baby - not a bad choice - pours pretty fizzy, especially considering its age, and the fact that the cork came out without a sound - the fizzy head disappears completely, leaving a murky dark red beer that looks almost still - quite a complex aroma, with the brandy quite prominent at first, but underneath this there are notes of raisin, fig, vanilla, oak, toasted coconut, toffee, bread pudding - very warming nose, but it borders on boozy - fairly sugary up front, but the rich dark fruits that follow create a flavor akin to a syrup soaked, fruity dessert - behind this comes over ripe fruits, strong coconut and vanilla from the oak, rum, caramelized brown sugar, and, of course, brandy - gets some dough/cookie/raisin bread character late - these qualities don’t overpower the base beer, which is quite surprising, but it does get pretty hot and boozy, especially in the finish - the alcohol heat is complimented by a subtle spiciness, and the oak softens it a bit, but that ABV really cuts through in the finish - don’t get me wrong, it is quite tasty, but there are still some rough edges to smooth out.

@ home with the club. Pours a dark brown. Sweet with some alcohol note. Aromas of brandy. Very well balanced. Brandyish finish. Good. THX Theis/Mette.