Best Styles for Cellaring

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by rangerzx3, Jul 31, 2013.

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  1. rangerzx3

    rangerzx3 Initiate (0) Apr 17, 2012 Iowa

    I was on vacation and had a 2011 Pere Jacques and it was fantastic. I thought it had a lot more character to it than the 2013 vintage that I have had. I also had a 2012 Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale that was great as well. This got me thinking that I would like to start cellaring some beers and see how they differ in taste with some age. I know Pale ales don't age well, but what styles do? Ive got some 2013 Bigfoot that I am going to cellar (which is a barley wine), any thoughts?
     
    #1 rangerzx3, Jul 31, 2013
  2. dbrauneis

    dbrauneis Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,071) Dec 8, 2007 North Carolina
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Barleywines and Imperial Stouts (but not coffee stouts) age the best in my opinion.
     
    #2 dbrauneis, Jul 31, 2013
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  3. mnstorm99

    mnstorm99 Initiate (0) May 11, 2007 Minnesota

    I personally am not a fan of aged malty beers, which I know is not the norm. I traded away all of my malty beers for sours, those are what I prefer to cellar.
     
    #3 mnstorm99, Jul 31, 2013
  4. Mongrel

    Mongrel Initiate (0) Feb 14, 2013 Maryland

    Anything that is high ABV (at least 8% or so) and has a significant malt sweetness to it. Barleywines, strong ales, dubbels, quads, imperial stouts/porters... Even something like a DFH 120 minute, which is sort of misnamed as an IPA but is ~18% and has huge hop and malt traits that will continue to grow in nuance over time.

    Hoppy pale ales, IPAs, DIPAs, etc. rely and thrive on freshness for the fresh hop zing.
     
    #4 Mongrel, Jul 31, 2013
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  5. Prince_Casual

    Prince_Casual Savant (1,236) Nov 3, 2012 District of Columbia
    Trader

    I'd recommend having a plan when making your purchases. Say Bigfoot, buy 2 4 packs and that gets you one every 6 months for 4 years.

    Plan on accounting for occasions to pop up, and late night raids on your stash as well. If it's something that you can afford and you know you like, buy a lot. I've never regretted buying too many of something, only too little.
     
    #5 Prince_Casual, Jul 31, 2013
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  6. tvazteca

    tvazteca Crusader (413) Sep 27, 2011 Massachusetts

    Bourbon barrel beers and sours.
     
    #6 tvazteca, Jul 31, 2013
  7. brureview

    brureview Pooh-Bah (2,803) Jan 20, 2012 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah

    I recently tasted cellared bottles of Smuttynose wheatwine and La Trappe Quadrupel. Excellent. I am cellaring a number of Ten Fidy Imperial stouts which should taste quite good next year.
     
    #7 brureview, Jul 31, 2013
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  8. jmw

    jmw Initiate (0) Feb 4, 2009 North Carolina

    Anything that you would like to sample later just to see what changes happen in the bottle.
    Live beers, those that are bottle conditioned, will continue to mature. Others will simply change.
     
    #8 jmw, Jul 31, 2013
  9. GR_Beer_Nut

    GR_Beer_Nut Initiate (0) Nov 18, 2012 Michigan

    Olde ales tend to do great with some time on them
     
    #9 GR_Beer_Nut, Jul 31, 2013
  10. Momar42

    Momar42 Initiate (0) Sep 19, 2010 Maryland

    Since you're in Wisconsin, grab all of Founders heavy hitters that you can find (FIS, KBS, BB). These beers start out fantastic but after even a year they transform into truly epic beers. I will echo the suggestion on Sours/Geuzes/Lambics as well. Another one I found that matured wonderfully and actually surprised me was Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree. I aged one almost two years and still prefer that to any fresh bottles or drafts I've had since.
     
    #10 Momar42, Jul 31, 2013
  11. Dupage25

    Dupage25 Savant (1,044) Jul 4, 2013 Antarctica

    If you were to do a poll of the best most popular beers to age, I think there would be an almost universal consensus on the following beers:

    U.S.A.: Bells Third Coast Old Ale, Bells Expedition Stout, Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, North Coast Old Stock, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot

    United Kingdom: JW Lees Harvest Ale, Thomas Hardys, Courage Russian Imperial Stout, Fullers Vintage Ale

    Belgium: Anything labeled "Gueuze" or a similar spelling, Orval, St. Bernardus ABT 12, Westvleteren 12, Cuvee Van De Kaizer Blue

    Other: Samichlaus Bier (aka Samichlaus Classic)
     
    #11 Dupage25, Jul 31, 2013
  12. rangerzx3

    rangerzx3 Initiate (0) Apr 17, 2012 Iowa

    thanks for the great responses, what about saisons? Most aren't high in ABV but ive read some posts on BA that have said Sofie for example, tastes really good with some age?
     
    #12 rangerzx3, Jul 31, 2013
  13. Dupage25

    Dupage25 Savant (1,044) Jul 4, 2013 Antarctica

    Sofie is good because it has brett in it. I wouldn't age saisons that don't have brett in them, personally.
     
    #13 Dupage25, Jul 31, 2013
  14. Focusf111

    Focusf111 Initiate (0) Jun 21, 2012 Vermont

    I agree with this, not a HUGE fan of Brett, but in my experience saisons do not do that well over time. Atleast the ten or so that I've tried to age.
     
    #14 Focusf111, Aug 3, 2013
  15. kdb150

    kdb150 Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2012 Pennsylvania


    Don't ever age Backwoods Bastard.
     
    #15 kdb150, Aug 6, 2013
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