Beers That Require Aging

Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine. It's definitely too harsh for my palate when it's fresh. I also prefer Avery's barrel-aged beers with some time on then although I had a fresh Tweak last week and thought it was phenomenal.

 

I thought Expedition was perfect fresh but aging 10 bottles anyway because have too many others to drink and will see how age affects it.

I agree on DFH Old School, 120, and WWS also add DFH Siracusa Nera, never had it aged but aging 3 because it was unpleasant fresh.

DFH Palo Santo definitely improves with age love it with a year on it, hate it fresh.

Arbor Brewing Company's Violin Monster also awful fresh but delicious with a year on it. A dark wheat pretty much turns into a chocolatey stout. Arbor Brewing Company's Fig Jam is also worth aging.

I didn't like Sierra Nevada Narwhal fresh so I'd say age that too.

Blue Chimmay, Stone RIS, and Stone Old Guadian age. Also any barleywine that isn't 3 years or older from J.W. Lee is worth sitting on, probably best barleywines I ever had just had a 15 year vintage and was fantastic.

Dark Horse Plead the 5th and Evil Twin Even More Jesus I hated fresh but still in process of aging so don't know results yet. But I always figure if it's unpleasant fresh age it and see what happens maybe it'll be good with time.

 

Good call on the Dark Horse Plead the 5th. I have a 2015 bottle sitting in the cellar which will probably be opened sometime within the next month, especially if this shitty Erie, PA weather continues.

 

I'll second the DFH big beers.

Also, Samichlaus. Fresh it's too sweet and boozy. After 3+ years, it's top notch and drinks way too easy for a 14% abv beer.

 

I like Parabola any way, but fresh can be aggressive which I like, but it mellows out over time. The only beer I had fresh that was way too much for me was fresh Alesmith BA Speedway at the brewery, damn that stuff was super hot, too much too take. I have never had it aged though.

 

Drinking a 2015 now, fantastic beer.

 

I'd agree on the big DFH beers as well, even though fresh WWS is pretty amazing, the rest need time for sure. Other beers that need some time is SN Narwhal and Bigfoot, I think they are both rough around the edges, but with two or more years on them, they are fantastic.

 

Dark Lord needs like 3-4 years to mellow out the sweetness.

 

Two pop immediately to top of mind: BCS & The Abyss.

I'll drink both fresh, but have never been overly impressed. However, at about the two year mark, they really start to shine, & at the four year mark, BCS is one of the best beers in the world, IMHO.

A local/regional beer I feel this way about is Central Waters BA Barleywine. Although it's been much better the last two seasons fresh, after a year or two it turns into something magical.

 

I'll second and third Sierra Nevada Narwhal.

It's like drinking dirt vodka fresh ... super bitter and pretty hot. But when it smooths out, it's among my favorite RISs. It takes about 6 months in the fridge to get good and gets better and better from there -- I'll be honest, I like it too much at about 12-18 months that I've never held on to any longer than that, but my bet is it could last 4-5 years with no problem and probably much longer.

 

Every American barleywine. I hated the entire genre when I'd only had them fresh, but I'm head over heels for 'em with at least 2-3 years of age.

 

Completely agree with all the recommendations stated, add to this some N.H Dragons Milk which in my opinion scream to be aged, along with N.C Old Rasputin and a lot of the R.I.Stouts out there, as well as other beers that people sometimes don't really age or think about too often; Smoked beers! Like Schlenkerla Rauch bier They are so good! Over this past Christmas I had (Discovered in the back of my beer fridge) Anchors Christmas ale series from 2011, was very skeptical on how it would be, but gave it a try. It was great! alot of the carbonation had mellowed so it drank almost like a rustic english porter, with deep notes of brown suger and ginger bread, I was very happy with it, Just goes to show that sometimes aging can work on almost anything! LOL!

 

I (mostly) agree. Bigfoot has been mentioned, but most American barleywines are too hoppy. Bigfoot is way better at even a year. I don't drink it fresh any more.

 

Any NEIPA needs a little age IMO.

 

Bell's 30th got better with age. Wonder how it's drinking now?

 

I have one left and planned to drink it soon. I bought 18 in the fall of '16 so they already had a year on them. Most were great. Two that I have had recently were a little bitter with kind of a burnt taste. Not sure if those are signs of oxidation or something else. Others that I had in between were great. I'm hoping this last one falls into the great category.

 

To which beer are you referring?

 

Sorry, I thought I had quoted the post above mine...Bell's 30th Anniversary. And I organized the beer fridge last night. I have two of these left.