Cellaring bad beer to good?

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by daryk77, Dec 10, 2014.

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  1. daryk77

    daryk77 Pundit (925) Jun 16, 2005 District of Columbia

    So I am proponent of drinking beer fresh as I feel most beer does not improve with age. However, I was wondering if anyone has had an experience where they had a beer fresh and hated it but after cellaring it became a beer you loved? I certainly have had cellaring experiences where I thought the beer improved with time but usually the beer starts off tasting pretty darn good.

    any stories on this extreme end of the cellaring spectrum?
     
    #1 daryk77, Dec 10, 2014
  2. RDMII

    RDMII Initiate (0) Apr 11, 2010 Georgia

    Stone Double Bastard. I hate hoppy beers. Way too hoppy fresh. Pine, resin, hash, just bitter awful to me.

    Three years later it's a malt bomb I'll drink all day long.
     
    #2 RDMII, Dec 10, 2014
  3. MtnSoup

    MtnSoup Initiate (0) May 20, 2013 Colorado

    I don't know about cellaring bad beer to good, but I've definitely cellared bad beer to bad.

    Some of those I'm hoping will get better (although, they won't), are Lost Abbey/New Belgium Mo Betta Bretta, Brux and Green Monster.
     
    #3 MtnSoup, Dec 10, 2014
  4. Heretic42

    Heretic42 Savant (1,118) Aug 31, 2011 Texas

    I thought Sierra Nevada Ovila w/plum was cloyingly sweet and pretty bad as a quad. I struggled to finish 12oz of it so decided to cellar the last 3. Fast forward ~1.5 yrs and it's pretty tasty.

    I think Samichlaus might fall under this, but I haven't had it.
     
    #4 Heretic42, Dec 10, 2014
  5. Jeffh84

    Jeffh84 Initiate (0) Mar 14, 2014 Illinois

    Every American-style Barleywine :slight_smile:.
    It's not so much that they are bad, it's just that I don't like the style. I prefer to let the hops fade.
     
    #5 Jeffh84, Dec 10, 2014
    RDMII and fredmugs like this.
  6. maximum12

    maximum12 Grand Pooh-Bah (4,686) Jan 21, 2008 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Bolt Cutter went from tastelessly mediocre to really good when I last had one. I can't think of another.
     
    #6 maximum12, Dec 10, 2014
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  7. RDMII

    RDMII Initiate (0) Apr 11, 2010 Georgia

    I'd say most do. Hog Heaven and Bigfoot never get to the point of faded hops before they oxidize from my experiences. Old Ruffian however does beautifully because it's not so violently hopped fresh.
     
    #7 RDMII, Dec 10, 2014
  8. vette-ss

    vette-ss Zealot (737) Nov 5, 2014 Michigan
    Trader

    Trying that experiment now. I had yet to find an RIS that I didn't like until I tried Arcadia Ale's version. Hated it. So I'm letting it sit hoping it mellows down some. Very hoppy, not my style.
     
    #8 vette-ss, Dec 10, 2014
  9. Kuester

    Kuester Initiate (0) May 14, 2012 Colorado

    Old Stock is one I don't dig fresh but it's getting better and better.
     
    #9 Kuester, Dec 11, 2014
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  10. Jwale73

    Jwale73 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,966) Aug 15, 2007 Rhode Island
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Agreed on the Samichlaus. I had one with 10 years on it and it was pretty sublime. A completely different beer. After that experience I immediately bought a 4-pack and bottle marked them for cellaring - 8, 10, 12 & 14 years.
     
    #10 Jwale73, Dec 11, 2014
  11. daryk77

    daryk77 Pundit (925) Jun 16, 2005 District of Columbia

    Good call with samichlaus, I could see that. For me I am hoping some aging will help out some of the bruery beers I have had. Most of their big stuff (BT, CR, etc) is just way to sweet for me up front so hopefully a few years will help to tone it down. wouldn't necessarily say I hate them fesh but dislike would be fairly accurate.
     
    #11 daryk77, Dec 11, 2014
  12. Dupage25

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

    Samichlaus Classic (and probably the Helles too, but I've never had it fresh), DFH Immort Ale, Arcadia Cereal Killer, J.W. Lees Harvest Ale, Goose Island Pere Jacques (RIP), Allagash Odyssey.

    Bad is a relative term; it would be safe to say I did not/do not enjoy these beers young. Immort was probably the most egregious example, though it still wasn't by any means great after a year.
     
    #12 Dupage25, Dec 11, 2014
  13. mmulebarn

    mmulebarn Initiate (0) Sep 1, 2013 Minnesota

    I was "disappointed" by this year's KBS when I had it fresh, but completely reversed my decision after trying it last week. I didn't think so little time could improve a beer so drastically.(Both times from a bottle for what its worth).
     
    #13 mmulebarn, Dec 13, 2014
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