Does KBS fall off?

I am not a coffee drinker. I like coffee flavored things but not straight up coffee. I love me some KBS with a little age. It is all about your personal taste. If you like aggressive bitter coffee, drink fresh. If you like your coffee to be less up front then age it awhile. The profile can change after as little as 6 months, so be sure to drink a bottle at least that often if you age.

The beer doesn't "fall off" as much as fall out of favor with people's palates. There was someone awhile back that said he liked Hopslam aged. It is all about what the individual likes, not what someone from BA says they should like.

 

Tastes like a used coffee filter filled with folgers sitting in a garbage when aged. Drink fresh.

 

I've only had it fresh at 8months and at 13 months. 8 months was my favorite by far as the fresh just tasted like bourbon and coffee and the 13 month just tasted like stale coffee

(disclaimer the fresh was a 2012 and the other 2 were 2011. Will be drinnking my last 2012 in late august for my dads Bday so I will know how a 5 month old is

 

I've had plenty of bottles sitting on my basement floor with a blanket over them. I've had about one a month since the release day this year and this last one a few days ago was the best I've had yet. I still have 10 left and want to compare side to side next year.

On another note. I had some on tap at a bar in Grand Rapids a week ago and i have to admit it was extremely sweet compared to the bottle. Is it because of bottle conditioning or what? It was a night and day difference. Both were amazing it just makes no sense!

 

Anyone else think it tasted kind of salty? I opened a 2012 last week (first bottle I've opened, had it on tap once this year previously), and we tasted a saltiness that wasn't there in previous years. Kind of like a coffee/chocolate covered pretzel.

 

It's better fresh, but also a beer I certainly don't mind with age. The coffee goes, which is a big part of what makes KBS special, but the remaining beer is still decent.

IMO - It's not a beer you should age expecting to improve it, but it is a beer you can age to save for later.

 

My 2011s are tasting pretty good, the last one was the best yet.

 

I had some aged KBS and I couldn't finish it.

 

Split a 4 pack with my dad this past saturday of the most recent release. Still fucking phenomenal!

 

I drank one last night and it had an "ash/soot" taste. Maybe just stale coffee, not sure. Not good at all. That said I have had KBS other times and it was great - so I'm going to chalk it up to bottle variation.

 

I opened a '12 over the past weekend & it had the same "ash" taste.
Earlier this year we opened an '08 & I liked it more than fresh,
BUT I'm not entirely sure if this is just due to bottle variation...

 

Bi polar beer drinker???

But a good point none the less...

 

Theres something to be said about drinking KBS warm. I think its a totally different animal when its warm and in a good way.

 

I recently brought a few '09 KBS to a tasting, and it was still great IMO. It was more mellow than the '12, not as boozy. I love it. I'm going to look for an '11 so I can do a 9-12 vertical

 

I love KBS fresh, personally. I just opened a bottle last night that was bottle in 2/2012 and the coffee is not completely gone yet but it's on its way fast. Nice and blended now, though.

 

Anyone in SE Michigan who wants to get rid of their "old/ashy" KBS, please BM me and we can work something out.

 

I opened a bottle a few weeks ago and found the coffee flavor to be a little bit too bitter for my taste. I'm hoping that with some time, the perceived bitterness will fade to the background and the other flavors will come forward.