Bell's Expedition Stout

Russian Imperial Stouts tend to be quite bitter, not from the hops, but the roast. Similar to bitterness you get from coffee. Not sure how that changes with age.

 

This is one of my all-time favorite stouts. It's the only beer my wife actually craves!

I can attest that it is absolutely incredible after one year's worth of aging (less "bitter," i guess...the flavors are more melded together). I haven't had the patience to let them sit any longer than that.

It absolutely is one of those brews that doesn't just change with age, but truly improves.

 

I had a similar experience initially with Expedition, at first the beer is a hot mess and nearly undrinkable in my opinion. The real question is how much do you have? I would say crack a bottle every 6 months and see if you can find a "sweet spot" where that oxidation takes the edge off the predominate flavors.

 

I agree for the most part, however there are stouts that have a fair amount of hops. Old Rasputin and Yeti come to mind and do mellow with time.

 

I had it on draft this past weekend and I thought it was fantastic! But I also love strong black coffee that often has some bitterness. I can't wait to see how this one ages.

 

I buy a case a year and put it in the cellar and just start drinking the previous years case. I won't even drink it without at least a year on it. I think this beer takes a while to come together but after that it comes alive. I think this is one of the few beers that actually gets better with age.

 

I had one last night that was bottled on 8/28/12. I bought two six-packs of that release and have tried one every year and this was the first time I felt it worked as a really good stout for me. I'm not a huge fan of overly bitter stouts and last night's Expedition Stout was way smoother than fresh with a ton of roast flavors. Things were still a little muddled but I think two years is where this beer really starts to turn the corner.

At the 2011 GABF a 16 year-old Expedition Stout took a gold in the aged beer category, so feel free to test your resolve in letting this sit in your cellar.

 

I take it all back! I am drinking a bottle from this year and it is bomb! Don't know if they made it roastier or my palate changed but it is all good.

 

Got one lonely bottle from last year waiting around for this year's batch. Interested to compare. Only experience with Expedition is with at least 6-8 months on it, so excited to try it fresh. I can only say for now that those 6+ month versions are frickin' incredible.

 

I'd suggest 3 or 4 years. In truth, the bitterness will still be there in an absolute sense, but all of the various flaovrs will be much better integrated. When fresh, you still get some hops flavors whoch may not mongle well with the alcohol and roast flavors. After a couple years, the hops flavors have dissipated leaving behind only the bitterness. That alone will cause you to experience less bitterness even though it is really still there. The reason I would wait another year or two is that at two the alcohol is just starting to really settle down.

I am saying all this from memory, though, as I have not cracked open an Expedition from the cellar in at least a couple years. Maybe I'll try one this weekend. If so, I'll try to remember to post about it.

 

Man,love me some Expedition.That one along with Smuttynose Imperial stout are perhaps my all-time favs.

I've had a gang of Expo. aged.I love it fresh too.Down to just a lone bottle of 2009 left.Expo. goes along way when it comes to aging.Find your niche and have at it.

Cheers and enjoy.

 

We just had a 2014, 2013 and 2010 bottles for a semi-vertical at a bottleshare last week. My order of preference was 2013, 2010, 2014. I feel like the sweet-spot would have been 2011-2012. Got a bit too much wet cardboard oxidized taste on the 2010 (though was still really nice).

 

I saw some 6ers last week and I bought one to do a 12/13/14 vert and when I got home noticed they were '13 versions. Drank one of them the other night and I don't recall having a better one ever. Pretty crazy that one store in town has '14 6ers for $17.99 and the place with the '13s are selling them for $15.99. Might have to get some more 13s.