Need advice on my Cellar - New to Cellaring

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by Johnny_Wingnut, May 7, 2013.

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  1. Johnny_Wingnut

    Johnny_Wingnut Initiate (0) May 7, 2013 Massachusetts

    Hello everyone,

    I am brand new to cellaring beer. However, I've quickly amassed a collection and I'm afraid to let the beer age too long or not long enough. I've read on some of the bottles "ages wonderfully for up to 5 years", "age for a decade or so", and even "develops in the bottle for up to 25 years". I want to make sure I enjoy my beer in their prime. I appreciate any and all advice. Also based on my collection if you think I should be collecting similar types of beers from different breweries or even different beers offered by the same breweries (for example, I do want to get my hands on some DFH Olde School and some BCBS this year) Thanks in advance,

    Here's the list:
    Allagash Curieux 2012
    Avery Mephistopheles' Stout 2010 & 2012
    Avery Samael's Oak Aged Ale 2009
    Avery The Beast Grand Cru Ale 2009 & 2012
    Avery The Reverend 2012
    Sam Adams Imperial Series Double Bock 2012
    Brasserie Rochefort Trappistes Rochefort 10 2012
    Brasserie Rochefort Trappistes Rochefort 8 2012
    Brouwerij De Molen - De Molen Bommen & Granaten (Bombs & Grenades) 2012
    Brouwerij Het Anker Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw/Blue 2012
    Brouwerij Het Anker Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Rood/Red 2009
    Chimay Grande Reserve (Blue) 2010
    DFH 120 2012
    DFH 90 2013
    DFH 75 2012
    DFH Burton Baton 2013
    DFH Fort 2008
    DFH Immort Ale 2013
    DFH Palo Santo Marron 2013
    DFH World Wide Stout 2010 & 2012
    Duvel Triple Hop 2012
    Firestone Walker Double DBA 2012
    Firestone Walker Sucaba 2013
    Founders Bolt Cutter 2012
    Founders Breakfast Stout 2013
    Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale 2013
    Founders Big John 2012
    Heavy Seas Below Decks 2012
    Heavy Seas Below Decks Bourbon Oak 2012
    Lost Abbey Judgement Day 2012
    Shipyard Double Thumper Ale 2012
    Smuttynose Gravitation 2013
    Stone Double Bastard 2012
    Stone Imperial Russian Stout 2010
    Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine 2012
    Stone Vertical Epic 12-12-12
    Troegs Flying Mouflan 2012 & 2013
    Troegs Mad Elf 2012
    Victory V-12 2012
    Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot 2013
    Weyerbacher Insanity 2013
     
    #1 Johnny_Wingnut, May 7, 2013
  2. Squiggy

    Squiggy Initiate (0) Feb 18, 2013 Michigan

    Dont age IPAs suck as that 90 and 75minute, Burton Baton. The 120 is fine.
     
    #2 Squiggy, May 7, 2013
  3. nicks6217

    nicks6217 Initiate (0) Jan 15, 2010 California

    Dont age your FW stuff, they come out ready to go. Aging them wont improve anything.
     
    #3 nicks6217, May 7, 2013
  4. stupac2

    stupac2 Pooh-Bah (2,031) Feb 22, 2011 California
    Pooh-Bah

    Here's the thing: any brewer who says stuff like that is just guessing, unless the beer has been made for that long.

    Here's the other thing: how beers age is intensely personal. Maybe you really like the taste of oxidized malts, but I don't, so I don't generally like aging malty beers (stouts, barleywines). The exceptions are the ones built to age (JW Lees, for instance) or a few random ones where I just like what they do short-term (Eclipse). You need to try things to know what you like, so go for it, but don't worry too much about drinking something "too soon". Odds are the sooner you drink it, the better.

    Based on my experiences/preferences I wouldn't be aging a single thing on that list except for the Rocheforts. I
     
    #4 stupac2, May 7, 2013
  5. Ahappyhiker2

    Ahappyhiker2 Initiate (0) Mar 27, 2013 New Jersey

    120 Minute gets really sweet as it ages, it loses that nice hop flavor it has when it's fresh. Mad Elf ages very well, my friend and I drank a magnum of it from 2009 last fall and it was amazing.
     
    #5 Ahappyhiker2, May 7, 2013
  6. JasonLovesBeer

    JasonLovesBeer Initiate (0) Mar 27, 2013 Canada (BC)

    That is definitely a good starting list! I'm fairly new too but have amassed a few tidbits. It's pretty simple really, but most of the finer points can only be learned through trial and error.

    I'm surprised I am the first to state one of the golden rules of aging beer: Always try one fresh first. Then decide if you think it would benefit from aging. This will be a guess on your part to some degree. Other people's feedback is useful to assist in the decision but a large part of it is your own tastebuds. The best bet is to buy a number of them and stagger your consumption.

    You may find you like some beers fresh that are common to age (ie folks who don't like aged stouts as much as fresh) and you might find you like beers aged that most prefer fresh (maybe you like what happens to saisons after a year). Much of the fun of aging beer is in experimenting. Just be prepared to have a few bad experiences.

    Pretty safe to say don't age IPA's as mentioned though, with rare exception.
     
    #6 JasonLovesBeer, May 7, 2013
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  7. BarrelAgedBrian

    BarrelAgedBrian Initiate (0) Mar 31, 2013 Massachusetts

    This may be a stupid question, but how can you take on the Rochefort 10 when it was bottled? I'd love to age some but the bottles I picked up don't seem to have a date anywhere on them.
     
    #7 BarrelAgedBrian, May 7, 2013
  8. Johnny_Wingnut

    Johnny_Wingnut Initiate (0) May 7, 2013 Massachusetts

    I may be wrong, but on the 10, it says on the bottle best before 10-17-2017. I believe they say it develops for 5 years. Which would lead me to believe that it was bottled on 10-17-2012.
     
    #8 Johnny_Wingnut, May 8, 2013
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