Cellaring times?

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by Mattyb79, Dec 31, 2012.

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  1. Mattyb79

    Mattyb79 Initiate (0) Dec 11, 2012 Virginia

    I'm a little confused about the cellaring times for imperial stouts vs. barleywines. I constantly see posts about RIS of all types falling off @ the 3-5 year range, but barleywine being able to be aged for decades. Can someone explain to me why that is. I'm fairly new to aging beer (OK very new), but I have been reading this section of the forum for a while and never understood that. I thought the biggest issue with aging was oxidation, so by that assumption, why does said oxidation affect a stout any more so than a barleywine? If it is another reason, please fill me in because I am clueless as to why a SN Bigfoot can be aged for decades, but everyone is recommending a few years out to about 5 for SN Narwhal (I know its brand new so it really can't be gaged for this particular beer).
     
    #1 Mattyb79, Dec 31, 2012
  2. UCLABrewN84

    UCLABrewN84 Initiate (0) Mar 18, 2010 California

    It's all about personal preference. Don't trust everything you read on here. It's a good idea to put multiples of Bigfoot or Narwhal away and drink a bottle every so often to get an idea of your ideal aging times.
     
    #2 UCLABrewN84, Jan 2, 2013
  3. RDMII

    RDMII Initiate (0) Apr 11, 2010 Georgia

    Exactly. Personal taste, cellaring humidity, temp, and the beer's shelf life all play part in how it ages, plus the bottle itself can be a key, bottling date, storage, etc. No one really knows for certain the long term effects on any beer besides what they've experienced before, and everyone's experience differs.

    And not everything you read is fact. Most, if not all, is just opinion.
     
    #3 RDMII, Jan 2, 2013
  4. jtmartino

    jtmartino Initiate (0) Dec 11, 2010 California

    Typically, barleywines develop a sherry-like character due to oxidation that suits the style well. They get sweeter and more mellow. Stouts, if aged too long, lose some of their roasted magic, and chocolate/coffee flavors usually fade. The addition of sherry flavors don't really help the style out too much, as it would with barleywines.

    It's just what is preferred with the style usually.
     
    #4 jtmartino, Jan 2, 2013
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