Despite all the talk about the necessity of uber fresh beer, I still wonder about the maximim amount of time a poured beer can sit in a glass before it begins to decline and becomes undrinkable. Obviously complex beer like Westvleteren 12, Pannepot, BCBS etc might, like a fully mature wine, take some time to unravel and show all its stuff and complexity but I've been surprised by how quickly some other brews fall apart over time in the glass.Beer's drinking window often seems really narrow compared to other alcoholic beverages though I have to admit that few poured beers get beyond a ten minute lifespan in my house. Anyone have any experiences where a beer has significantly improved over an extended period of time in the glass?
See the discussion about Collage, several people talk about letting it breathe and come up to temp. I think HotD Adam (one of the Collage component beers) is similar in this regard. Boulevard BBQ evolved dramatically over a period of about an hour, in both good and bad ways. But I think I might have an issue with beers that involve cherries; some of my worst experiences have been with cherry-infused beers.
Larger beers, dipa's excluded, tend to sit well for an hour or so. In this 112 degree Kansas heat , my beer evaporating before I get the chance to drink it is the biggest of my worries. I think I might have to look into a frosted funnel so that my beer doesn't burn my tounge on the way down.
