Ageing Love Child Series

Opened 2 and 3 together a few months ago. I preferred the 2, it was more balanced with lovely lactic acidity, tons and tons of barrel character and a nice dry cherry quality as well. 3 was tasting really nice as well, but definitely much more carbonated, more funk on the nose and not as much barrel character. I preferred No. 2, but most of that has to do with blend I think, and less about it being year older.

 

Boulevard started to pasteurize their barrel aged beers sometime last year. I know for sure #1 and #2 were not pasteurized and that #4 was. I am not sure on #3.

With that being said, pasteurized beers will not evolve. They will however hang on for several years and continue to drink well.

 

After reading this thread a couple days ago, I cracked open a LC#3 Monday. Awesome fruitiness combines with a perfect overboard of sour and light funk.

 

Can someone confirm this, pretty sure this is not true. Not sure why they would say right on the bottle to cellar it because it will continue to develop if they've pasteurized it.

@TheJermis

 

http://www.boulevard.com/pasteurization-at-boulevard/

Here is it from the horses mouth. Anything that touches a barrel gets pasteurized.

 

But since they still bottle condition it, won't it change with age?

 

And here they say it will "change with age."

http://www.boulevard.com/BoulevardBeers/love-child-no-4/

 

It won't change in the manner most sour/wild ales do, since the bugs are now gone. Unless they bottle condition with Brett, which I don't think they do.

Everything evolves with age regardless of the processing that went into it, but I think the case with the new Love Child's is that it isn't going to evolve like a traditional sour/wild ale. It's just not possible without the bugs.

Pasteurized beers can mellow out and lose some of their "sharp" characteristics with time, but when talking about aging wild/sour beer what is being sought out is an increased funkiness and/or sourness.

 

But in the link you posted they say: "These beers will still be bottle conditioned and are still “live” beers."

I definitely don't mean to argue, as I have no earthly idea either way. Just trying to clarify as their statements and your's seem to be conflicting.

 

Don't get hung up on the word 'live' in this case. The word you want to focus on is 'evolve'. This beer will not evolve in the sense that most sour/wild/lambic beers do because it has been pasteurized. There are plenty of beers out there that add live yeast for bottle conditioning, but it adds little to nothing to the taste evolution. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale comes to mind.

 

Live yeast in a beer, in this case, does more for continued carbonation that actual taste profile changes.

To answer the other question, had a #3 last month. A little more vinegar pucker, a little less carbonation, still incredible. Sad it was my last one.

 

You, sir, are incorrect in your assertion. We have not pasteurized any of the Love Child beers and do not plan on doing so.

 

This is the best news I've heard all day. Thank you!

 

Good, I can go back to laying down a few.

 

Sometimes its important to read all of the information...

It’s important to note that not all beers will be pasteurized at Boulevard, only beers that see time in barrels or are infused with flavor after fermentation. These beers will still be bottle conditioned and are still “live” beers. Love Child beers, or any sour offerings, will also not be run through the pasteurizer.

 

This was not on their webpage yesterday when this thread began. It appears our banter has caused them to make a rewrite.

 

Good catch! Not picking on you, btw.

Who says we don't make a difference?