2007 Old Stock -has it gone too far?

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by makeminerandom, Jun 26, 2014.

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  1. makeminerandom

    makeminerandom Initiate (0) Jan 11, 2014 Pennsylvania

    A buddy gave this to me as an extra in a trade. He knows what he's doing beer-wise, so I'm confident that it was cellared correctly, as far as temp/light is concerned. But most of what I've read suggests that Old Stock and similar brews are optimal after 3 or 4 years. Is 7 years pushing it? Has anyone had one cellared for that long? What can I expect?
     
    #1 makeminerandom, Jun 26, 2014
  2. nicholasofcusa

    nicholasofcusa Initiate (0) Jan 14, 2006 Florida

    Only one way to find out. I recently had a few ounces of an Old Stock from 2011. I don't think the age has hurt. The booze heat has definitely calmed compared to fresh, but Old Ale is not a style I particularly enjoy anymore so I don't have the best palate to judge a beer of that type.

    In my experience 2 years is the sweet spot, most go downhill after 3. So in that light 7 years is probably too long but I still have barley wines that age and older. Ymmv
     
    #2 nicholasofcusa, Jun 26, 2014
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2014
  3. Danny1217

    Danny1217 Initiate (0) Jul 15, 2011 Florida

    It really depends. Old Stock Ale is the type of beer style that could age even longer than 7 years, but it varies from beer to beer. People age things like Thomas Hardy ale and J.W. Lees Vintage Harvest for longer than that and it apparently tastes amazing still.
     
    #3 Danny1217, Jun 26, 2014
  4. BedetheVenerable

    BedetheVenerable Initiate (0) Sep 5, 2008 Missouri

    If it was aged/handled w care it should be just fine. One of the most ageworthy styles, after all. Let us know how it is!
     
    #4 BedetheVenerable, Jun 26, 2014
  5. braugon

    braugon Initiate (0) Mar 14, 2013 Connecticut

    09 is fantastic now, im sure 07 is great
     
    #5 braugon, Jun 26, 2014
  6. GreesyFizeek

    GreesyFizeek Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,026) Mar 6, 2013 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I had a pour of an '05 a few weeks back, and it tasted excellent. If it was handled nicely, you should be in the clear.
     
    #6 GreesyFizeek, Jun 26, 2014
  7. jivex5k

    jivex5k Initiate (0) Apr 13, 2011 Florida

    God damn that's a long ass time.
     
    #7 jivex5k, Jun 26, 2014
  8. RDMII

    RDMII Initiate (0) Apr 11, 2010 Georgia

    Had a sample of an '04 two weekends ago. Fucking loved it. Zero carbonation, tasted like a dry port.
     
    #8 RDMII, Jun 26, 2014
  9. eatabagofbooger

    eatabagofbooger Initiate (0) Mar 27, 2009 Oregon

    I did a side-by-side with '13, '10, and '06 about a year ago. The '13 and '10 were great, but the '06 was magical-honestly one of the best beers I've ever had. It had some oxidation, but not as much as one might expect. The oxidation gave more sherry and raisin flavors than the gnarly cardboard flavors you can sometimes get. My notes also mention plums and molasses. Carbonation was low, as expected, but it wasn't completely flat. I'd highly recommend drinking it, but if your not interested, bm me about a trade!!!
     
    #9 eatabagofbooger, Jun 26, 2014
  10. sukwonee

    sukwonee Initiate (0) Dec 13, 2011 Washington

    I had a bottle of 07 about... 6 months ago? or so and it was still great.
     
    #10 sukwonee, Jun 27, 2014
  11. Stigs

    Stigs Initiate (0) Jun 3, 2005 Pennsylvania

    Had an '07 about 4 months ago, it was unbelievable. Opened an '08 a couple days ago, still really good...but drank a bit older than the 07 (more oxidized and much lower carb). They were stored in the same box for the last 6 years.
     
    #11 Stigs, Jun 27, 2014
  12. makeminerandom

    makeminerandom Initiate (0) Jan 11, 2014 Pennsylvania

    Well, I cracked my '07 open tonight, and WOW! Very minimal carbonation, with a thick, hazy burgundy color. I poured into a highball glass (seemed appropriate given the initial nose and sipping plans). Right out of the bottle, the smell was pure whiskey with hints of something almost like soy sauce. I'll admit, based on the initial smell, I was intimidated. Let it rest for a bit, and the whiskey smell mellowed a ton, and gave way to raisins and plums. The taste...was spectacular. A great cross between a Belgian strong dark or quad, a mellow sipping whiskey, and a dry red wine.

    Definitely not a beer to take lightly-- original ABV was 11.7%, but based on the way I felt after sipping the first half of it, it definitely picked up at least a few ABV points while it was aging.

    I'm sure it oxidized some, but honestly with the intense flavors that it developed, I didn't really pick up anything unpleasant or out of place.
     
    #12 makeminerandom, Jun 28, 2014
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