DIPA/IIPA's that'll turn into a world class Barleywine?

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by Thickfreakness, Apr 17, 2012.

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  1. Thickfreakness

    Thickfreakness Initiate (0) Oct 2, 2010 New York

    Does anyone have any opinons on which DIPA/IIPA's will turn into a fantastic Barleywine after 2-5 years in the cellar? Some that I believe could have the best chance because of their amazing sweet malt backround are:

    DFH 120 (obviously)
    Bootlegger's Knuckle Sandwich
    Avery Maharaja
    Drake's Denogginizer
    DFH Burton Baton
    Southern Tier Oak Aged Unearthly
    He'Brew Lenny's RIPA
    DFH Robert Johnson's Hellhound
    The Alchemist Heady Topper

    Any help or comments are greatly apprieciated.
     
    #1 Thickfreakness, Apr 17, 2012
  2. Bitterbill

    Bitterbill Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,036) Sep 14, 2002 Wyoming
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    I can't see Heady Topper turning into a Barleywine at all, world class or not.
    Maharaja is a great DIPA and I've never held onto them the few times I got to try it but it could evolve, I guess.
    Burton Baton I gave a very low score for fresh, in the minority there, but I could see it doing weird and fine things with some age on it. The others you listed, I'm too lazy to check on whether I even have had them or not. :rolling_eyes:
     
    #2 Bitterbill, Apr 17, 2012
  3. TWStandley

    TWStandley Pooh-Bah (2,166) Jan 15, 2008 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Heady Topper is too delicious fresh for me to even consider experimenting with....

    120 is kind of in a different league than the others...I am not convinced any of the others would age as well.

    Burton Baon could be a good one to try, have heard some success stories with aging that...
     
    #3 TWStandley, Apr 17, 2012
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  4. kzoobrew

    kzoobrew Initiate (0) May 8, 2006 Michigan

    I disagree with the notion that any DIPA will turn into a "World Class" Barleywine. Personal opinion, we are all allowed to them, but a no doubt DIPA does not turn into a Barleywine. The DIPAs that "turn into" Barleywines are those that start out straddling the line between the styles to begin with. I do very much enjoy Founders Devil Dancer and Dark Horse Double Crooked tree with age, very Barleywineish but neither hold a candle to an aged Bigfoot or Third Coast Old Ale.
     
    #4 kzoobrew, Apr 17, 2012
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  5. tjensen3618

    tjensen3618 Maven (1,391) Mar 23, 2008 California

    I'm gonna go with none.
     
    #5 tjensen3618, Apr 17, 2012
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  6. fvernon

    fvernon Initiate (0) Mar 1, 2010 Wisconsin

    Behemoth tastes like a DIPA fresh, but if you give it some time it turns into the world-class barleywine it's labeled as...
     
    #6 fvernon, Apr 17, 2012
  7. nrs207

    nrs207 Initiate (0) Sep 8, 2011 Pennsylvania

    This really says all you need to know on the subject. Also, even if I did want to experiment, I don't see how it would turn into a world class barleywine. There's not a lot of malt backbone and it's an absolute hop monster. 120 Minute, The Maharaja, and things like that could at least hold up because of the epic amount of malt, but I think Heady Topper would just turn into a mess.
     
    #7 nrs207, Apr 17, 2012
  8. dukes

    dukes Initiate (0) Apr 2, 2012 Maryland


    :astonished:
     
    #8 dukes, Apr 17, 2012
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  9. Jparkanzky

    Jparkanzky Initiate (0) Apr 5, 2011 Ohio

    Lost Abbey ones.
     
    #9 Jparkanzky, Apr 17, 2012
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  10. Thickfreakness

    Thickfreakness Initiate (0) Oct 2, 2010 New York

    I've had all that I listed that's why I put them down as candidates. Knuckle Sandwich, Denogginizer, Maharaja, and 120 all have HUGE malty, caramel notes that you don't usually find in IIPA's. I thought Heady Topper has a huge malt backbone as well. I didn't like DFH Hellhound at all when I first had it, but I tried a bottle that I'd put away from the first release recently and thought it was an entirely different beer! So malty, and full of sweet honey with just some notes of lemon and citrus. It was so good that I bought some just to cellar.
     
    #10 Thickfreakness, Apr 17, 2012
  11. Thickfreakness

    Thickfreakness Initiate (0) Oct 2, 2010 New York

    You're talking oranges and motorcycle engines... you are way off! Not even close.
     
    #11 Thickfreakness, Apr 17, 2012
  12. Thickfreakness

    Thickfreakness Initiate (0) Oct 2, 2010 New York

    I totally disagree about how beers can change... how many 5-10 year old DIPA's have you had? Just curious.
     
    #12 Thickfreakness, Apr 17, 2012
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  13. marine1975

    marine1975 Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2009 North Carolina

    I had a Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree a few days ago that was a Barleywine with a DIPA label on it!!! Not sure what the age on it was!
     
    #13 marine1975, Apr 17, 2012
  14. kzoobrew

    kzoobrew Initiate (0) May 8, 2006 Michigan

    Beers change, no doubt, but they do not change so drastically that the style moves definitively from one to another. Any of them that do change, are already tweeners.

    I have had a number of past their prime DIPA's, they are not in an "awkward" phase that some say a Barleywine goes through, they have turned the corner for the worse. Once a beer turns that corner I have never seen one come back.
     
    #14 kzoobrew, Apr 17, 2012
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  15. Thickfreakness

    Thickfreakness Initiate (0) Oct 2, 2010 New York

    It's a style that waves and blurs the line all the time. That's why I asked... I wasn't looking for an arguement. FFF Behemoth is a DIPA that is basically a DIPS... and it becomes a fantastic BW after some years! Gonzo Imperial Porter is a RIS if I've ever had one... but they call it a porter.

    edit:grinning:IPA
     
    #15 Thickfreakness, Apr 17, 2012
  16. Groulxsome

    Groulxsome Zealot (723) Apr 9, 2010 Canada (ON)

    I wouldn't doubt that Drake's Denogginizer would age like a barley wine. Malt city! The last bottle I had wasn't that old and it still might have gotten away as being branded either as a hoppy barley wine or a malty DIPA. If some of the hops were muted from aging it -might- get away with it, and it might be quite good, but I doubt it'd be world class. It just wasn't brewed with that in mind! It'd be a fun experiment either way!
     
    #16 Groulxsome, Apr 17, 2012
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  17. Thickfreakness

    Thickfreakness Initiate (0) Oct 2, 2010 New York

    I get your point, but you gotta admit, some times they're not that far off style wise.
     
    #17 Thickfreakness, Apr 17, 2012
  18. Bitterbill

    Bitterbill Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,036) Sep 14, 2002 Wyoming
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Porters vs Stouts is one of the hardest to differentiate between.
     
    #18 Bitterbill, Apr 17, 2012
  19. skivtjerry

    skivtjerry Pooh-Bah (1,865) Mar 10, 2006 Vermont
    Pooh-Bah

    Mostly, it won't happen. Few DIPA's have the body to stand up to aging in a graceful manner. Green Flash is probably your best bet, but you're better off simply cellaring a hoppy BW, IMO.
     
    #19 skivtjerry, Apr 17, 2012
  20. Thickfreakness

    Thickfreakness Initiate (0) Oct 2, 2010 New York

    Good God it was just a question people... LOL! Lighten up! Maybe world class was a bad chosen word... it just seemed to flow better than mediocre or half-ass.
     
    #20 Thickfreakness, Apr 17, 2012
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