Olde School 2011

As promised, this is my comparison post.  A lot of the tasting and aromatic notes are the same, so I won’t act as if this is a whole new beer.    Interesting observation, there was a surprising amount of carbonation but it was really slow-moving which was strange.  I don’t know what that means, but it just looked cool.  In case you are wondering, I am also distracted by shiny objects; I’m a guy what do you expect?

I got the booze straight away in both the aroma and the taste.  The cherry notes are subdued and the sweetness in the 2010 was almost non-existent.  I got some malty notes this time around.  There was also an interesting tasting experience throughout each sip.  At the start I got the malty taste, it got dry in the middle, and an easy finish.  It did’t taste as boozy as I thought, but still boozier than I would like.  The booze felt like it was compacted in the beer; something just wasn’t right.  Like guys who wear skinny jeans, a bit unbearable.

Verdict: Spill It!  Don’t misunderstand the verdict, I like the beer, just not right now.  If you have a 2011 Olde School, I recommend aging it.  I prefer the aged 2010 over the 2011.  The time softens the alcohol and allows the beer to grow-up a bit.  I could appreciate the nuances of the beer and actual taste the beer instead of just the alcohol.  I’m glad I had the two beers to compare because it made me appreciate how different the same beer can be after just a year.  I have to get another 2011 and open it next year.  Who’s with me?