favorite beers to cellar

I think my favorite beers to cellar that can be purchased relatively easily would be:

Brooklyn BCS
Brooklyn Monster
Mikkeller Black
Founders Imperial Stout
Bells Expedition Stout
Hair of the Dog Adam
North Coast Old Stock Ale
Victory Old Horizontal (when it wasn't on hiatus)
Anchor Old Foghorn
JW Lees Harvest Ale (and the other 4 variants - Port especially)
Allagash Interlude
Bells Third Coast Old Ale
De Dolle Still Nacht
De Dolle Oerbier Reserva
DogFish Head WWS
DogFish Head Palo Santo
DogFish Head Olde School
North Coast Old Rasputin
Thirsty Dog Siberian Night
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
Stone Old Guardian
Stone IRS
BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien

These are all brews that I have verticals of at least 5 years on (with the exception of Mikkeller Black since they are only on the 3rd release), and have had good success with all of them.

I think the Brooklyn Monster is starts to tail off at about year 6 or 7. Brooklyn BCS gets a little oxidized around year 5. My favorite of the bunch with some time on it would be either the JW Lees Harvest Port or the De Dolle Still Nacht.

This is all in addition to the harder to find bottles that I keep verticals of...that list could go on to the next post...

 

I've heard so many good things about aging Founders Imperial Stout. I set aside a couple 4-packs from last year and recently opened one. It was basically exactly a year old per the bottling date. I was really underwhelmed. Anyone have a target-age that has turned out well? I'm wondering if I should just drink the rest or sit on them longer.

To get back on topic, beers I have really enjoyed aging are:

BCBS
DFH Palo Santo
Barrel Aged Shipwreck Porter
Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Barleywine

 

Bell's Expedition all day. Honorable mention to GI BCBS.

 

I just tried my DF 120 from 2008 this week and it was great, will post the picture comparing the 2008 to a 2012 for reference. Excited to try my 2009 double bastard this week and just got a 2012 to compare with.

Still have my 09 immort and 10 olde school for tasting!

 

Big old Belgian Trappists, they're quite cheap so it's easy to put a few Chimay Blues, Orvals and other quads aside each year.

 

Bell's Expedition Stout and Founders Imperial Stout really improve with some age in my opinion.

 

Last night I had a fresh one and a 1 year old bottle. At first when they were chilled I felt the same way as you, fresh was much better. But I let them warm up and then no question the 1 year old was so much better, so delicious, looking forward to trying it at 2+ years.

 

Curious why you would chill a cellared beer before serving it? Unless you've got something that you fear is so old/oxidized/soy saucey that you won't be able to muscle it down at cellar temp I would ALWAYS serve it straight from the cellar. Even a BMC tastes good refreshing straight out of an icy cooler because cold temperature masks the flavor of your beer, be it good or bad IMO.

 

Because my "cellar" is my closet and its not the ideal tempemature. Plus the fresh bottle I picked up was chilled so I wanted them to be the same temp. I didnt get it icy cold just threw it in the fridge for half an hour. Often I do just drink them straight from the closet though.

 

Loons all day

 

Anything from Central Waters Brewers Reserve...

 

Bcbs is an amazing study in age, great fresh, but the subtle changes as it ages it really interesting. Obviously my favorite.