2015 BCBS 14.3% or 13.7%, which will age better?

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by brewaddict, Jan 11, 2016.

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  1. brewaddict

    brewaddict Pundit (929) Nov 25, 2015 California
    Trader

    I was able to acquire a few bottles of both 14.3% and 13.7% BCBS. I sampled the 13.7% over thanksgiving and the 14.3% tonight. Everything is just about the same except I think the 14.3% has more fruit flavors and less heat. The 14.3% seems more refined. In my notes on the 13.7% I wrote Cherry Poprocks. And while I still get the cherry in the 14.3%, I don't get the tingle.

    I'm wondering which you guys think will age better? If you've tasted both, I would appreciate the input. But, since I don't have a lot of experience with ageing beers, if you have general cellaring experience, what can I expect to see change?

    I'm guessing it would be best to let the heat in the 13.7 mellow by aging it longer and not overshoot the prime of the 14.3. Or do you think the 14.3 will withstand 3-4 years as well? I wish I had enough to just do side by sides for a few years to come.
     
    #1 brewaddict, Jan 11, 2016
  2. boilermakerbrew

    boilermakerbrew Initiate (0) Aug 13, 2010 Indiana

    I have had both, and while I'm not saying there aren't differences, they definitely aren't many differences. Both will age well, as BCBS always does.

    I've had BCBS from fresh to ~4.5 years. Generally, what you see happen to the flavors of the beer goes in a kind of arc over time. Fresh has always been a little hot to me, except for this year, and in the first 6 months, that usually fades a bit. In the next year or so, the barrel tends to mellow depending on the batch. 2014 mellowed nicely and is very balanced right now, while 2013 was very a barrel-forward batch by comparison, and still holds on to a ton of that character. After the initial cooling and barrel-mellowing, this beer settles into a longer-term taste profile, keeping strong alcohol and barrel flavors, but also letting it's dark malts show off a bit. That is the peak of BCBS for me, and it comes at ~2.5-3.5 years old. Past that, the flavors start a journey of oxidation that slowly mutes them over time. Of course, if you have optimal cellar conditions, it may last longer, but I would guess that most people don't have those.
     
    #2 boilermakerbrew, Jan 11, 2016
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  3. RDMII

    RDMII Initiate (0) Apr 11, 2010 Georgia

    You're overthinking the hell out of this. They're almost the exact same beer. Although your tasting notes are different, they may be based solely off of batch variations and other bottles would yield even more fluctuations or taste the exact same.

    They're both high ABV. They'll both age well. After that, no one can know what your specific bottles will do.
     
    #3 RDMII, Jan 11, 2016
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  4. westcoastbeergeek

    westcoastbeergeek Initiate (0) Sep 16, 2015 Canada (BC)

    14.3%, if you haven't had the 13.7% by now it's probably stale...

    Ok, just kidding, there should be no discernible differences.
     
    #4 westcoastbeergeek, Jan 13, 2016
    ljdrinksbeer likes this.
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