Aging Beer - Should it really be up to us?

Beer will be the same as wine in regards to aging; left to the consumer. Occasionally a winery will release something from their cellar, which is awesome. I think that breweries will likely do the same as they continue to push for bigger beers that can appreciate aging.

 

Most beer is released at its optimal age, people either think they know better or simply have other preferences. To be honest, very few beers actually improve with age. There are a handful of beers I appreciate with age, I enjoy seeing how they change and evolve over time. If they were released at what someone else considers optimal (pre-cellared), we would not be able to experience these changes.

Also, breweries do not have the space or the money to hold onto product like that.

 

More power lies in the consumers' hands if we're given the option to age our beer. With the proper storage and temperatures, we are able to choose the time to open our beers, whether aged or not. Several age-able beers are arguably better fresh, so I enjoy buying a few four or six packs of key releases when they're young and doing vertical samplings at release time annually to see how they change over time.

I think that an "optimal consumption age" is a really subjective time frame overall, as many BA's have differing opinions on when most aged beers hit their "peak".

 

There are some. Old Ales. Flanders. Gueuze. Barrel Aged beers. Etc

 

Well said.

I agree that few beers improve with age, but also few people know this. It's as if there's a segment of the beer world that just has wine-envy, especially when it comes to all of the perceived sophistication involved with aging something in a "cellar".

 

Abyss has a drink after date. Not sure if other beers have this, but in this case your expected to age it yourself.

 

Do you want to pay more for the breweries to store them longer?

 

God damn it, this is America! I will age or not age my beer as I see fit.

 

It just means that brewers will sell more beer to some people. Some of us buy more than an evenings consumption just so we can have the beer at different phases of its useable life. Some of us just can't leave well enough alone. But it is also educational to those of us who home brew. I really think it isn't as big an issue as you presume.

 

It absolutely should be left to us. Brewers release the beer when they know it's ready to be enjoyed. If you want to experiment from there then go for it. Me and my "wine-envy"sure have had some damn great success stories!

 

But even in this case, I prefer The Abyss upon purchase more than I do after the best after date. To each his own...

 

In theory I agree. But as someone mentioned, many beers already are. Most beer that is meant to be consumed fresh, and already is. Barrel-aged beers and wild ales, are not typically released until ready. so it's probably a small minority of beers that will actually improve to what a brewer deems is optimal that is not released at that point.

 

You'd be eating the cost though....

 

Scotch is aged at the distillery.... in the barrel, same as a barrel aged beer. Distilled spirits do not change with time once they go into a bottle. I think your premise is based on a faulty assumption.

 

The consumer can age as they see fit. The brewers can age as they see fit. It would be really nice if all brewers used bottling dates and recommended drink by dates.

When I see a beer that I feel is much better aged on draft at a bar, I want to order it but I know that I will be disappointed.

 

Actually every limited release form Deschutes (that I've had/purchased) has a drink after. Their XXI, XXIII, XXIV, Abyss, Dissident and Collage all have a drink after roughly 6 months to a year after its initial release. Again I've had all of these fresh (except Collage, still haven't opened either of my bottles) and have had them all with some age. To be honest the anniversary beers are WONDERFUL with age they are great if not excellent young but age especially XXI is unbelievable. XXIII improved vastly (actually I loved XXII and since XXII and XXIII are the same recipe just tweaked slightly for appearance purposes XXIII will be incredible next year) with even a year on it.

But yes to each his/her own. Abyss I think is fantastic young, I've had one with a year on it and it's about the same just a bit more mellow (I can take down an entire 1 year old abyss myself, young I usually share it its just a bit much for me).

 

Imagine what brewery aging would do to prices of beer. And while craft beer is big right now, who is to say its not a fad for some if the less die hard fans.

 

if you know what you're doing, aging can be rewarding. Sadly, most of you don't.

*posted from my ivory tower*

 

The problem is that people get into craft beer, hear about cellaring, and get cellar-crazy, thinking everything is better if it sits around for awhile.

They'll take an 8 percent dopplebock, or an already nicely wood aged stout, and intentionally sit on it for a few months to a year. I had a neighbor once ask to stash a sixer of New Glarus Alt in my basement so he could cellar it in a temperature controlled environment. These are not beers that benefit from aging. People do it with wine too, thinking that a 10 dollar cab-merlot blend needs to sit for awhile.

We have to educate people more so they realize that almost all beer is meant to be drunk fresh.