Porterhouse Barrel Aged Celebration Stout

Origin: Ireland | Date: 2011 | ABV: 11% | On The Beer Nut: February 2012

This is the third version of Porterhouse Celebration Stout to feature on the blog, having already done the original 10% ABV one (twice!) and the 7% ABV regular one, now no longer in production. This is the Kilbeggan barrel-aged special that appeared briefly in the winter of 2011/12 and I don't think has been around since.

I was impressed by this when first tasted, admiring the big whiskey flavours and decadent chocolate richness, and also noticed that it was tricky getting a head to form. 12+ years later the head is a lost cause, fizzing away quickly to nothing on pouring. The aroma is fairly minimal, offering token custard-like vanilla but not much spirituous warmth. Thankfully the chocolate is still there in the flavour, and it hasn't picked up any nasty oxidation, which is always a worry with these pull-tab Porterhouse stoppers. There's whiskey too: I had thought it more bourbon-like when fresh, but age has mellowed it into the smooth and honeyish Irish whiskey I expected originally. There's no richness, however. The main thing that age has done to this is thin it out.

I can't say it has gained any extra complexity. It certainly doesn't taste like something that's been matured for over a decade. It's still very good, however, retaining much of what made it great in the first place. I'm glad this isn't my last bottle.

DOT Brew Cellar 8

Origin: Ireland | Date: 2019 | ABV: 14.4% | On The Beer Nut: December 2019

Today's beer is an interloper, having come to me recently from the stash of someone else; someone who realised that after more than four years of hoarding it that they just didn't have a use case for a double-digit, double-barrel-aged rye wine. Well on this dark and chilly evening, I certainly do.

When first released, the liquid was already two years old, a blend of amber ales aged in two different types of whiskey barrels. Now it's had even longer, a waxed cap actually making itself useful for once. The aroma still offers subtle, warming notes of dark sherry and unmistakable alcohol. It has held on to its light sparkle and there's no nasty oxidation, other than what's allowed to be there from the sherry component. No vinegary tang, either. In fact I'm not seeing much difference between this now and how I described it in 2019. Fancy chocolate, plum pudding, and a subtle whiskey warmth all still present, and absolutely nothing to complain about.

I confess that I thought the only thing that would happen here is the beer would get worse. I don't know what could have happened to improve it. As things are, I'm very happy with the serendipitous stability.