When do they peak?

Just had an '09 Old Stock and it was some tasty, tasty shit. Definitely could have kept it going. I'd let those ones blossom some more. I'm sure they're great now, but in my experience, Old Stock ages like Benjamin Button.

 

Drink FBS now.

I preferred Stone Double Bastard fresh, personally.

Also, I think you mixed up objective and subjective.

 

Just my thoughts on the FBS and WnB....drink them fresh. The coffee is what makes those great and it fades with time. If you've had them fresh and are just seeing how they change, then ignore my post and proceed.

 

The only bottles l would continue to age is the Olde School and Old Stock. Also the Alskan Smoked Porter can sit for quite a few years from what l hear. When do they peak? Usually when the brewery ships them out

 

And I just had an 08 Old Stock that I think is passed. We drank a 2010 next to it and I greatly preferred the 2010. The 08 was very mildly carbonated and smelled and tasted almost like honey. The depth of the beer was gone. I would drink the 2010 soon. It was tasting great.

Had a 2008 Stone IRS on tap last summer and it was delicious. That one will definitely develop with some age. Not sure when the turning point is though, but it should be really nice right now.

Breakfast Stout is going to lose some of it's coffee flavor after aging for a little while. I'd say drink that one soon. I'm a bigger fan of the FIS anyway, but haven't been able to keep myself from drinking the few I've had enough to age them at all. I'm sure they'll hold up for a year or two without a problem though.

 

I agree with the sentiment of drinking the FBS and WnB now. I just had my last FBS from the last release and the coffee has noticeably fallen off over the last month, but more chocolate comes through. It was by no stretch bad or even mediocre.

 

Like a lot of the questions that show up in this forum, I think the first thing you should do is define for yourself why you're holding on to beers. From the beers that you've listed that I have experience with, it's my opinion that there isn't a defined 'peak' period for any of them. Individual tastes, batch variation and cellaring conditions all have significant impact on when the 'peak' window occurs. Unless you're keeping a number of these to see how they develop over time to your tastes, I would say go ahead and try them all sooner rather than later.

 

I'd drink the Black & Blue sooner rather than later. I've had it a few times, and it's always better when it's fresher. The Stone IRS ('08) should be good for at least 2 more years. I had an '07 a couple months ago and it could have gone at least another year, if not more. Like others have said, coffee stouts like FBS are best enjoyed fresh. The coffee flavor often fades more quickly than hops do. The Founders Imperial Stout would probably age well for at least two years. It's pretty hot when fresh.

 

Black and blue falls off a cliff even after 6 months. I'd drink that 3 years ago.

 

I had a 2005 Stone RIS in the fall of 2010, and it was PERFECT. Although I have never had one older, I don't know if I would mess with it. So that would mean drink the 08 in fall of 2013.

 

I had an 08 FBS a few months ago and it's a completely different beer. Amazing chocolate stout with almost no trace of coffee.

 

DFH Fort - many, many, many years. I enjoyed a 4 year old bottle very much and felt that it could hold up for a while longer.
DFH Olde school - I've heard that around 5 years is the sweet spot for this beer. Oldest I've had was a 3 year old and it was divine.
Brooklyn black chocolate stout(10-11, 11-12) - Gets a mixed reaction. I've heard they tend to go through a bit of an awkward stage between 2-3 years and then come out pretty damn tasty. I still crack a 10-11 every so often and its still drinking well.

I felt the same way about a '10 KBS. It was an amazing bourbon barreled chocolate stout, but it lost that signature coffee bite. The only thing left was some very subtle malty coffee notes that you'd find in any stout.