Your thoughts on decanting a high ABV beer

Do you mean "aerate"? Oxidation is not usually a good thing.

 

Okay, then. I always pour beer into a proper drinking vessel to release carbonation, which unlocks the aromas and thus intensifies the flavors (since aroma is a vital component of taste). And I always aerate red wine for the same reason.

Cheers!

 

One reply, and it starts! LOL! Back to the point...

Almost everything I have on a shelf is double-digit ABV. Most everything I have is dark, ala stout, barleywine, porter, old ale, etc. Most everything I have is cellar temp, so it’s already in the more-likely-to-open-up-faster range. I’ve done my time drinking single-digit swill that somehow induces four-times as much urine as the liquid volume ingested...won’t do it any more.

I agree that these bigguns need to breathe. I’ll never forget the time I felt so bad-ass bringing a 4-pack of then $24/pack GI BCBS in 12 oz bottles to a party of my golf buddies. Cracked open the fabled elixir and proceeded to drink it from the bottle. It was like drinking fireball diarrhea. All booze, muddy, no dimensionality. I was confused as to what the hell people were talking about.

That prompted me to research what I was missing. Yeah, a glass. Simple. At least start with putting it in something, anything. Then you can refine it to the proper glassware. If the thing is ice cold because you think beer “must” be cold like the flavorless, mass-produced, short-cycle IPA/Pilsner/garbage that you can get at 30 for $20 prices, then expect to let it warm up. That’s a totally foreign concept for those who have never been told that cold beer freezes the taste buds, which is what brewers of cat piss want and need. Let any of those beers get warm to see how awful it really is.

I’ve had some “high-end” craft dark beers on tap cold, and the chilling does affect the flavor profile, IMO, by narrowing the flavors you get from it. However, even cold, you still get a more satisfying, full mouthfeel and flavors than most any “typical” beer. However, the real joy comes from letting it sit around in the glass awhile. Not only are you not knocking back obscene amounts of liquid to get some psychotropic effect, but you’re probably investing more time socializing with others while you let your drink change temperatures on purpose. That time is well spent. A truly decent craft beer is good cold, but really shines as it sits around to aerate/oxidize/warm (whatever you choose to call it) because all those ancillary/adjunct flavors will become more prominent.

Any beer I share or gift to friends comes with the basic requirement to pour it into anything else and to let it warm on purpose because it will actually taste better.

 

I find ABV isn't a defining characteristic of a beer that benefits from being allowed to "breathe" for a bit. Many beers of all strengths do. Had a 6.5% wild ale today that really came into its own after I let it sit in a glass for a good bit, for instance. I do think that many high ABV beers also benefit from a slow warm up and aeration. I have decanted into a separate vessel in the case where I thought the beer might be highly carbed and benefit from multiple pours, but normally I let any aeration occur by letting the glass and opened bottle sit.

I also think part of the enjoyment of many beers is to experience that change along the way, rather than waiting for it to occur before drinking the beer.

Not exactly sure if this thread is supposed to be confirmation that the experience of a beer opening up is similar to a wine, but if so my observation is beer is certainly like wine in this regard.

 

I have not tried decanting a beer. When I drink a big ABV beer for me I always allow it to warm a little before I enjoy. I feel that with beer verse wine the warming factor plays a larger roll in calming the ABV and bringing out the flavors. So with that said, to the OPs question, I would say a proper glass would achieve the same results.
Cheers.

 

This is sort of a flawed question? When you pour into another vessel to breathe you are in fact altering the beers temperature at the same time by allowing it to warm up? So there are more factors involved that just allowing it to breathe. I would argue that if you poured a beer into a proper glass and left to sit for the same time it would in effect taste the same. I feel that temperature plays a larger roll in a beers flavors coming out that anything. So are you seeing improved taste from this and perceiving it as airing out? Try it for yourself, pour into a glass and give it the same time out as your decanted beer, then try both. My guess is it will be the same.

 

Well, you used the word "feel" in that sentence so...

I am of the opinion that two aspects are occurring as the beer opens up:

• Yes, the beer warms up from the temperature of the initial pour
• CO2 comes out of solution so the beer will have a 'softer' body/mouthfeel

Another variable is the specific glass used to drink the beer. The differing shapes of beer glasses will play a role here as well.

Is the warmer temperature the most important variable here? Hmm?

Cheers!

 

Well it is a combination of actions taking place but I still feel that warming brings out a lot more flavor. On a side note, my wife loves to place her chocolate in the fridge. I noticed that eating it cold muted the flavors where as allowing to to warm back up made it more flavorful. I see this with beer also. Sure there are more things happening with the beer but warming does play a roll for sure. Yes, proper glass also plays a roll as well.
Cheers

 

Agreed.

As to which of the three (warming, CO2 outgassing, beer glass type) is most important? Who knows.

Cheers!

 

LOL exactly. As long as it tastes good drink it

 

I bet you are really fun at parties

 

I like my ipas out of the can, I like them as cold as I can get them, I don’t feel the need to beat it down and mute the flavors with oxygen. I gently pour my stouts into a glass, my preferred temp is about 50. I’m not more curious than that or very picky.

 

I just listened to a podcast and ‘discovered’ another variable of how the beer is poured.

If you start listening at the 52:00 mark you will hear how the same beer (Pilsner Urquell in this instance) will present differing flavor profiles depending on the pour method.

https://www.goodbeerhunting.com/gbh...robert-lobovsky-of-pilsner-urquell?rq=urquell

Cheers!

 

Wouldn’t a second variable over time also be gradual loss of carbonation?

 

Interesting stuff, was good knowledge. I did not know those details! Thanks for sharing.

 

Plus whatever chemical reactions are taking place...

Another thing, assuming the bottle goes back in the chiller between pours - you'd be doing a reset each time. So you've had one pour, it warmed up during consumption assuming you are sipping away and savoring that high ABV beer. Then you refill from the cold bottle and start all over again, quite possibly on a different trajectory. I'd expect that some of the aromatics have gone away with some of the carbonation, but you'd also be somewhat adjusted to the taste at the warmer temperatures. Maybe some things are then not as noticeable (or are more noticeable) in the second glass. I tend to cork my big beers and keep them on the counter, yet I do notice difference in taste (magnitude is variable beer to beer) even when not returning to the fridge which takes temp difference out of the picture to some extent. Maybe my second pour would be a little bit warmer/cooler, depending. What I get doing that is a pretty big aroma-laden "pop" on the second opening and the difference in aroma intensity tells me I've probably lost "something" in the volatile flavors, but you can really get a good idea of the smell that way. Even a 12 ounce - it takes me a while to sip my way through something like Backwoods Bastard, and by about halfway through the bourbon has become less prominent and much more integrated into the beer where I find it quite strong and distinct at the start. Of course, it warms significantly in an hour or two, so that's right back to the beginning...

I think it somehow fits with the pour theory from @JackHorzempa linked podcast - there's physical and chemical changes taking place and some might be easily noticeable. I'd certainly agree that there are detectable differences in flavor/smell on multiple pours from the same bottle of a high ABV beer. I'd even go so far as to say any beer.

Whether the flavor is "better" is, of course, in the realm of subjectivity and falls into that dreaded category of do what makes you smile - I don't think there would (or should) be any agreement on whether it is "right" or "wrong" to let a big beer breath.