Backwoods bastard, good to cellar?

Not to be "that guy," but you're the best one to answer that question. I'd keep a bottle or two and try and six months to a year. If you like the direction it's going, then keep the other one. It definitely won't get more boozy with time.

 

FWIW I did a 4 year vertical when this year's hit stores and I liked it best with 2 years on it followed by Fresh, 1 year, 3 years. I think 2 years is the sweet spot if you're going to cellar. If not drink it fresh.

 

Its not a barrel monster, if it was higher ABV, it would withstand time and fine tune a bit. They could of made it hoppier too but they don't, I've found that Backwoods Bastard is best fresh and they recommend drinking it now but if you want less of that carbonation, give it a year, a year and half at most and you can easily get into a perpetual cellaring of it, its quite easy, like Wake N Bake. Hold one or two, for every December, whenever it releases and drink them out and store more.

 

Received a 2012 as an extra in trade but have never tried this beer before. I will be opening it soon based on feedback, and am very excited to do so!

 

Had one on Saturday after having it sit for a few months and definitely liked how its drinking now. I'd assume you can age it for a while but I wouldn't push it past a year or two.

 

Good to hear. I have some from this year that are still sitting....painfully.... I am glad I can stretch them out until next years release and not loose too much of the beer!

 

I bought 2 4-packs of the '13 Backwoods that Founders was selling a few weeks ago. My taste preferred it over my '14. Drank half of them; going to let the other 4 hang around a bit longer and see what happens. May do an every 6 months thing. And this is good news because my wife bought me a case of this for Christmas after I had already "stocked up". So looks like I'm going to be forced into unplanned cellaring.

 

I wouldn't intentionally age it but I wouldn't avoid aging either. Typically I prefer aged stouts (tasted blind).

 

Fresh.. but no more than 6 months. I have some older bottles, and while good.. they lose the vanilla and coconut flavors from the barrel/bourbon that make Backwoods so good.

 

I 100% agree with this. 1-3 months is best for me. I've had it at 6 months and a year, neither were as good as young.

 

Completely agree. I bought a case last year to enjoy as the year went on. After about 6 months, the flavor for mekept dropping and that special bourbon quality went down. Fresh, I rank this up there with kbs.

 

Great posts! Sounds like the consensus is 1 year max.

 

I drank the 2013 with a full year of aging and didn't think it lost anything. Delicious - one of my favorite BA beers in any style. I still have 2 bottles of '13 - one for April/May and another in the Fall, to see if I can find the end point for Backwoods aging.

 

It is great fresh, but I think the barrel character becomes more refined and integrated after around six months.

 

I have some set aside and it is coming up on 6 months soon! I can't wait...

 

Grabbed one I was attempting to age 2 years by accident and opened before i realized the other day. Was about 18 months old and definitely better fresh.

 

Just had my first experience recently and though I am not a "Barrel-head" I would recommend drinking this ASAP as the barrel flavor is very light even for a lightweight like me!

 

Realized I've got one that's right at 6 months in my cellar. Maybe I should check that out this week...