I have been collecting any and all Cascade wild ales the past year and was wondering if anyone knows if they are all safe to cellar. Do some age better than others?
The cerise nouveau isn't suppose to be aged and the people from cascade say that bourbonic plague shouldn't be aged. Other than those, I think you're safe to age the others. Here's a link from their website about cellaring: http://www.cascadebrewingbarrelhouse.com/index.php?p=storage
Opened a Cerise Nouveau 2012 2 days ago, was almost flat, slightly oxidized, and crazy sour. Still, I thought it was pretty good. Didn't notice the bottle says right on it not to age... oops. Had a Bourbonic Plague in Feb and was blown away how smooth, chocolately and amazing it was. Opened one last night and thought it was a completely different beer. More sour, chocolate was gone, and less bourbon. Could be in a valley, but damn fresh I'm not sure how you could beat that. I've got one more bottle so will give it a few months to see if it comes out of the shell it seems to be in now. Personally most Cascades I've had have been way better fresh. Any Vlad I've had have been fantastic regardless of age.
I have really enjoyed everything I've had from them fresh. The only one I've aged is the Kriek and at two years it was pretty disappointing. The fruit had faded considerably and there was a strong acetic/solvent character.
Thanks Guys! Really appreciate the feedback. I guess I better get my DRANK on. I've collected about 11 bottles over the past six months. I have vines, blueberries, vlad, kriek, edleberry, strawberry and Sang Noirs.
This is disappointing if they are best fresh. If age doesn't add any complexity to what is fresh a pretty straightforward sour fruit beer with no real complexity to speak of, then there is no point in buying these, especially considering how expensive they are.
One note -- do not store Cascade beers laying down. Most beers are better off upright anyway, but the Cascades develop a bubbling sap around the cork. It doesn't seem to indicate problems in the bottle, but it is disturbing. http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/gunk-around-cascade-krieks-cork.94204/
+1 The 2-yr old Kriek I had was crazy sour with very little, if any, fruit character left. I did have a year old Vlad The Imp Aler that was fantastic.
Opened a 2012 Apricot the other night, it was tasting incredible. Right amount of sour with notes of of barrel with some fruit softness still left in there
