North Coast - Old Stock Ale 2011

Tonight I am enjoying a bottle of Old Stock Ale from North Coast Brewing.  I love this beer.  Lets just get that out of the way right now.  It's one of the few beers that I am keeping a bottle of from each year to eventually do a 10 year vertical tasting.  The only other beer I'm currently doing that with is Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot.  And everybody has at least a few years of Bigfoot in their cellar.

Old Stock is an Old Ale.  Although some will liken it to an English Style Barley Wine due to the Fuggles and Goldings hops used.  For 2011, North Coast changed the label on Old Stock.  I'm not quite sure what prompted the change, but I like the old label better I think.  Here is my review of the 2010 version with the old label.  Let us know which one you like better.  In the meantime, I'll see if what's inside the bottle is better than 2010.

This brew looks almost identical to the 2010 vintage.  Perfectly clear, with a cherry wood and amber color.  Any foam that appeared during the pour ran away into oblivion, leaving behind no trace of its existence.  Brown sugar, candied dark fruit - cherries primarily - and booze jump into my nose.  Some tobacco and vanilla is noticeable too.  The flavors are bold and full; toffee, dark cherries, raisins, cocoa and more brown sugar.  It almost reminds me of a nice whiskey, especially with the strong alcohol warmth present throughout.  The finish is slightly sweet but mostly dried out by a moderate carbonation and booze.

Overall - Old Stock 2011 is far and away better than Old Stock 2010 was early in its age.  I felt the 2010 version was rough around the edges and needed some age to be fully appreciated.  2011 is fantastic right away.  The booze is borderline harsh but doesn't detract from Old Stock's enjoyability.  This will no doubt get better with age.  But I wouldn't feel bad drinking the entire four pack right away.