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Barrel aged beers and aging.

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by loki993, Jan 30, 2013.

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  1. loki993

    loki993 Initiate (0) Apr 16, 2009 Michigan

    Ok so the other night I pulled out a nearly year old KBS to drink. It was in the fridge because I don't have a proper place to cellar beer, but I figured if anything it would just talk longer to age.

    When I drank it to my surprise it had basically lost all of the bourbon kick it once had. It was still fantastic don't get me wrong. I got TONs of coffee, and the vanilla and chocolate came out too, but the extra bourbon kick was just not here. I was a little disappointed.

    Next day, in the name of science of course lol, I had a Bourbon County from this last release, what are we at 3 month now maybe. Basically the same thing. The bourbon had faded a bit, obviously not as much as with the KBS, but it had a bit. It was still there enough though to be noticeable.

    So I ask is this normal with barrel aged beers? The bourbon fades over time? if that's true then I think I like them fresh because I really like that bourbon kick they have at the beginning.
     
    #1 loki993, Jan 30, 2013
  2. dckepley

    dckepley Initiate (0) Aug 13, 2006 Iowa

    I think you just answered your own question.
     
    #2 dckepley, Jan 30, 2013
  3. jnoble

    jnoble Initiate (0) Feb 23, 2012 Washington

    I've aged a couple of bourbon barrel aged beers and the barrel is definitely the first thing to go, in my opinion. I tend to like the characteristics that the barrel brings to a beer so I've since gone away from aging them.
     
    #3 jnoble, Jan 30, 2013
    bryanole27 likes this.
  4. coachdicarlo

    coachdicarlo Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2012 Missouri

    Yes, the bourbon fades over time. Some fresh barrel-aged beers are just too much for some people (me included). But, fortunately you have the option to either drink fresh or cellar. Sounds like you should drink fresh
     
    #4 coachdicarlo, Jan 30, 2013
  5. bryanole27

    bryanole27 Initiate (0) Jun 24, 2011 North Carolina

    I'm done verticals with bourbon aged beers (BCBS included) and find I enjoy the fresher versions better. I'm a big bourbon fan so, like you, I want that bourbon kick.
     
    #5 bryanole27, Jan 30, 2013
  6. tommyz

    tommyz Initiate (0) May 28, 2007 Michigan

    Interesting...Ive just got into the BB thing over the last year and its something I did not know..With that said, I gotta be honest..I thought my Kuhnhenns 2011 BB4D still had some very good Bourbon flavor that I drank a few weeks ago...To compare, Ive been drinking 2012 BB4D since its release..But it is nice to know and will make me think..Good thread..
     
    #6 tommyz, Jan 30, 2013
  7. arniepnminne

    arniepnminne Initiate (0) Jun 2, 2010 Minnesota

    I've never noticed a "bourbon kick" the last 4 years of KBS consumption. IMO, it is fairly tame compared to other BB beers. Now, compared to other BB beers KBS is perfectly balanced, IMO of course.
     
    #7 arniepnminne, Jan 30, 2013
  8. loki993

    loki993 Initiate (0) Apr 16, 2009 Michigan

    Yeah that's what it looks like. time to pull the rest of the Bourbon county out of the closet lol.


    I've gotten into it over the past year or so and on here everyone talks about aging it so I figured Id try it.

    See the first KBS I had nearly overpowered me. I almost didn't like it because it had so much. Now take into consideration that it was my first bourbon barrel aged beer though so that was probably why on that.

    Now you want tame if you ever get a chance try a Shorts bourbon barrel aged beer. They usually do their very subtly.
     
    #8 loki993, Jan 30, 2013
  9. UCLABrewN84

    UCLABrewN84 Initiate (0) Mar 18, 2010 California

    I think aged KBS is pretty bad. BCBS can be bad for older vintages, but the 2009 bombers are still very tasty with a bourbon presence after all this time.
     
    #9 UCLABrewN84, Jan 30, 2013
  10. stupac2

    stupac2 Pooh-Bah (2,031) Feb 22, 2011 California
    Pooh-Bah

    One of the best BBA beers I've ever had was 2008 BCBS, about a year ago. I've heard 2009 is there right now, I should drink the last of mine.

    Anyway, OP, I think it depends on what you want. Some people think that barrel-heavy or hot BBA beers (like BT or BCBS) benefit from aging, others like the heat and want them fresh. Sounds like you're more of a fresh guy.

    Regardless of all of that, friends don't let friends age KBS.
     
    #10 stupac2, Jan 30, 2013
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