Aging Expedition Stout

See this video about a multi-year vertical tasting of Expedition. Very instructive:

 

Chris Quin saves the day again.

 

This is one of my favorite beers, but have only been able to last a few months before cracking one open. Would love to try a 7 year set like Chris had, but I'd better start cellaring... @elektrikjester nice video!

 

I've gone as long as two years, and I do think Expedition does improve with time. There probably is a limit to that, however. 10 years may be a bit too long, but a video like this would suggest that one could go for five years or so and see good results.

 

Expedition is one of a select few beers that can go 10+ years. I haven't tried it that long, but have heard reports of it tasting great at 10-15 and beyond. 17 years, even.

 

From Bell's website: "This is the latest medal Bell's has been awarded at GABF. In 2011, a sixteen-year-old Expedition Stout was awarded a gold medal in the aged beer category."

It's unclear however whether that would have been a keg or bottles.

 

It was a keg

 

I will be doing a 10 year vertical tasting this February with some friends and can report back on what our thoughts are...

 

Well, one has to bear in mind that this particular bottle involved a single bottle for each vintage. That's not to say the beer generally cannot age for longer--only that this specific bottle may have hit its limit. There are always factors in play, like sealing (i.e., excessive oxidation) or batch, that can impact cellaring results. For this reason, it's often better to cellar multiple bottles for each vintage. But that has its own issues.

 

I just recently had a 2008 expo at a tasting a few weeks ago. It was delicious. No oxidation whatsoever.