Is aged BCBS better than fresh BCBS?

In my experience, no. Fresh is best, but one year max if you must.

 

I like my BCBS with at least a year on it. I'm probably going to try and arrange a 5 or 6 year vertical once I get the chance.

 

Back in 2011 when I first scored bottles of BCBS, I remember thinking to myself ok a 15% bourbon BA stout, this one's going to need to probably sit for a while before it mellows out and becomes drinkable. I still cracked one open fresh and was just blown away by how wrong I was. People, BCBS may slightly better with age, but as tasty as it is fresh I just don't think it's 100% necessary!

 

It's already aged.

I think the stout could go for a bit of aging. I love the barleywine because it's right where it needs to be, could use some more bittering actually..It's pretty sweet...seems more like an English style than American. But i'm afraid more age on it might make it too sweet.

 

Just drank a 2007. Better or worse? Neither. Just a slightly different taste. For me, less of a bourbon flavor. Not a huge difference; very minor.

 

Best put some wire up to hold all those bottles in poach...accidents (and eartquakes) do happen. You can never be too careful.

 

Hmmmm. . . . . . That's a good suggestion. Not many earthquakes here in the Chicago area, but you're right, never know what can happen.

 

Posts like this kind of annoy me. Simply put, there is no right or wrong answer. We don't have your palate. We don't know what you like. We don't know your supply or financial ability to buy more. We don't know anything about you, so there is absolutely no way anyone on this site can answer your question. And you don't know a single soul either, so why would you base something on the opinions of a group of total strangers?

Drink it any way you want, it's your beer. Form your own opinions.

 

Jeeze. Calm down! Per his post

"I wanted to know the opinion of people that have aged BCBS for over a year"

Don't get out the pitch fork. He just wants an opinion.

I like my BCS with a year on it. Mellows everything out. The first year is a very drastic change in taste. However, after 1+ years it stays roughly the same, just gets more mellow!

 

I think it's a vintage by vintage case.

The 2007 was good from beginning to about 2011.
The 2008 was good for 4 years, but shined at year 3. I had one last week and it is tapering off.
The 2009 started off slow, but really hit its stride after 2 years. It was still going really strongly in May when I last had it.
The 2010 was arguably the best vintage fresh. It's aging hasn't matched its quality when it was fresh.
I had a 2011 in August (a little under 2 years after its bottling) and it was one of the best beers I have had ever. This was after having this vintage multiple times over the years.
The 2012 was also damned good fresh, giving the 2010 a run for its money. It is still developing.
No comment on the 2013 as I moved distribution areas and missed the boat on it.

 

Specifically, does BCBS become LESS SWEET with age? I found the sweetnessof the 2013 (the first BCBS i've ever had) to be a little overpowering for my personal taste preference. I thoroughly enjoy bourbon bombs, but this bourbon i found to be particularly sweet (almost like sugar was added to my glass before drinking it). I don't know if anyone else had this same experience, or maybe my palate is not developed yet (only about 1.5 years into craft beer and relatively new to barrel aged stouts, but love them). Appreciate your input, thanks.

 

I wish I had some of this at all!!

 

I did a blind tasting of '12 and '13. The '12 was smoother, less booze, more chocolate and put together. Not a huge change though.

 

I like it about 2 years old better than fresh, but wouldn't hold anything against how it tastes fresh, just a bit boozier/sweeter as I recall...

 

Recently did a blind vertical of '11-'13. Differences were very subtle, even between the '11 and '13.

Overall, all three were spectacular, amazing how this holds up over time. The 11 had the creamiest feel of the 3. Oddly, it also brought the most heat which we found surprising. Absolutely one of the best BA stouts out there!

 

fresh and aged are both amazing

 

I thought the same thing. Slightly less booze, but not much less. More chocolate and seemed blended better.

2013 has the best bourbon notes though.

 

Wouldn't your comment apply to pretty much everything found on this site, a place where people come to express their opinions on beer (whether reviewing or on the forums)?

Anyways OP, in my experience if you really like BCBS as I do, it's great fresh or aged. I personally don't find it to be really that much more boozy fresh (it's still going to be a 13-15ish percent beer aged, the alcohol will always be part of the profile), just all the flavors really stand out on their own fresh which I personally really like.

 

The best normal BCBS I have ever tasted was from a 2009 bomber that was aged when I drank it.

 

People say 2008 is past its prime but I had a bottle
last week that was amazing. It blew me away. It always blows me away.