Cellar Worthy: STOUTs

How does vanilla rye age? New here and curious scored first bottle this year

 

No one knows. The last version apparently aged really well, but this new batch is...well, new.

 

Preciate the feed back have you had a fresh vanilla yourself? After looking into it afraid vanilla will dominate

 

No, I have a bottle that I'll probably crack for one of the NFL playoff games...so I'll find out soon enough! I've heard mixed reviews, everywhere from amazing to too artificial. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that if you really don't like really sweet beers then give it a year. If you happen to not mind sweeter beers (I have a pretty high tolerance myself), then give it a go!

 

Expedition is THE cellaring stout, nothing ages better for longer in regards to stouts. BCBS and Abyss are also a cellar staples. Yeti and oak yeti do pretty well also.

 

if you ever try home brewing or you are a home brewer I would try aging a stout for sure! be sure to transfer into a secondary container for longer aging!

 

Bell's Expedition ages exquisitely. I had one with four years on it recently, and it was port-like and complex. Now I'm gobbling up every bottle I can find in shops that already has a year+ on it.

 

DFH World Wide Stout with 3+ years on it is just divine.
Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout with 1-2 years.

 

Pre 1993 Courage Russian Imperial Stout. Its the big Daddy of virtually all our RIS today.
I have bottles from the 70s which are still doing just fine.

 

Yes and yes though my oldest bottle in my gradually thinning cellar is just 46 years old now.

 

Whoa! Care to share a few tasting notes -- I can't even imagine what a stout at that age must taste like.

 

The biggest differences between a well aged Courage Imperial Stout and newer beers in the style are in the aroma and mouth feel. The most common smells are complex,suave and hauntingly integrated combinations like soft roasted chocolate, light coffee, caramelised brown sugar and a balanced soy sauce hint giving it an almost umami quality. But its really in the mouth where the umami quality comes into its own despite being really dominated by a dense silky oil fatness on the tongue which for me helps to highlight rich flavours of soft brown sugar, prune and chocolate together with an almost vinous quality. Commonly the beer has no acidity or head retention and if my experience tells me anything it is to drink fairly quickly before these qualities disappear in the glass.

 

I just picked up some Ten FIDYs the other day.. Forget about 'em for a year or so? I've only tried fresh, but I can see this one developing well in the can. I figure since this stout is a little easier to come by in my area I can stock up on these.

 

Unless it's over 20% abv it probably tastes like shit!

 

Had a two year old avery brewing mephistopheles stout last weekend. That one was scary good. Scary because the high abv and it went down so smooth. I only realized when my entire body was warm after about 3/4th of the bottle was gone that it was a good thing I only had one in my cellar.

 

Very helpful thread as I'm just starting to build up my cellar... picked up a 6 pack of Expedition today that I will not touch for at least a year.

 

Sierra Nevada Narwhal

 

does anyone know if DFH's Bitch's Brew would age well? Still got a bottle of it from a few months ago. Not sure if the Abv is high enough or if the style is correct. (I know little to nothing of aging). Thanks!