Aging CBS?

My answer would be if you have $100 or so to blow on the experiment it could be fun. I put 2 in the cellar. Otherwise, with coffee and maple syrup flavors, I'd say fresh is best.

 

I bought two bottles of CBS. I am going to sit on one for about 6 months until my birthday in May, but will probably go ahead and have my other one next week. I plan on taking some notes (and posting my review here) to compare later to the birthday CBS.

 

In my experience KBS does not age well. There's a lot of coffee in it, and it fades quickly, while the wood and booze become more apparent. I actually just did a 2016 and 2017 bottle side by side on Wednesday. No contest 2017 blew 2016 out of the water.

Similar with CBS, I'd only ever had aged CBS prior to this year, and I was underwhelmed big time. I never got any maple, and it just kept getting hotter and boozier with each sip. This year, fresh on tap, the maple was there, the body was softer, the feel smoother, more chocolate, more coffee, more enjoyable overall.

I don't think aging does any favors for these Founders ba coffee stouts.

 

I agree with you on the cellaring of CBS and Founders BA coffee stouts. Although the experience you had with CBS on draft is similar to what I experienced with a bottle two weeks ago. It does make me wonder how much batch or bottle variation there could be.

Have you had any from this years bottling to compare to draft?

 

I have not opened a bottle, hope to soon but, many other competing beer-related priorities, as you well know

 

Yes indeed. Just make sure to crack one fresh!

 

First I had of CBS was at CBS release on draft. I purchased bottles based on drinking within the next year. I love it for the maple and coffee and don't the empty shell of CBS years down the road. Might be more willing to experiment when(if) availability and price change. Cracking a bottle on Christmas. Cheers!

 

Its your beer to do what you wish. Based on personal experience, I wouldnt age any too long.

I use to buy a case of KBS every year, drink a bunch and stash a couple away. After several years of doing such I found that I enjoyed the aged versions significantly less than when fresh.

I never was able to buy the same quantity of CBS obviously since this is the first release in several years but last time it came out I loved it fresh and was disappointed in the bottle I aged.

Again, im just a stranger on the internet and you probably already have your mind made up but thats my opinion and just thought id share.

 

My humble review is posted on my fresh bottle. I got a LOT of maple syrup sweetness with the fresh one, so I think the other bottle can sit for a bit. I would not suggest, if anyone doesn't have more than one bottle, to cellar it though. This beer was surprisingly nuanced to me.

 

I plan on aginig all 4 of my bottles... to 6 months, max.

There's nothing I can add that already hasn't been mentioned before. I've always found even KBS a lot better fresb than aged, and I can't imagine CBS being much different in that regard. It's already a well balanced beer. Giving time will only make it unbalanced, and likely in less favorable ways.

 

I decided to crack this thread open again and see if anyone else can report on the results of aging CBS.

 

I'm drinking a 2017 CBS that seemed to age well.

 

I love CBS with one year in the cellar. Flavors seem to meld together over that time, it is a little softer, coffee drops off a little, and maple seems to shine through. I expect there is some time period beyond the one year I keep it where the maple would drop off and the beer wouldn't be as good.

 

Thanks for your opinions. I think I'm going to leave one of my 2019 bottles in the cellar for a year.

 

For me, that's one of the best parts of them going to 4-packs. Makes it easy to enjoy some and put one away for later. Hard to do that when you only buy a single bomber in a year.

 

I bought a case of the 2017 12oz bottles (Canada) and still have 8 left. I had a bottle about three months back and I think I liked it more than I did when fresh. The flavour additions had certainly mellowed, but overall, the beer was nicely balanced. I plan to drink the rest slowly over the next few years.

I tend to find big maple flavours a little too much at times. So, my opinion may be different from the norm for that reason.

 

After aging a few KBS bottles and drinking around 6, 12, and 18 months - I also think fresh is best.