Double Bastard. Fresh or aged?

I bought a case of 12 bottles back in 2010 and have been drinking a bottle every 6 months or so.

It starts very aggressively hoppy, but after a couple of years, the rich malt flavors start to take over. So it's great either way, fresh or aged. Just different.

 

I've had it fresh and as old as ten years. It was delicious both ways, for different reasons. Agree with jmdrpi, so if you love the happiness drink fresh, but even as it ages it still has a little of the hop goodness in the background.

 

Answering the OP question - both!

I'm looking to picking a 2015 to finish off a 5 year vertical, this is an intense and amazing beer that ages well, but is also an adventure fresh.

 

I like them aged they taste too hot for me fresh.

 

I just had one a few days over a year old, and it was fantastic.

 

I just drank a 2 year old double bastard i had aged. Definitely preferred that over fresh. Quite a bit smoother with less alcohol heat compared to fresh. Not sure it was worth 2 years in the limited storage space i have but still a good beer that ages very well

 

It's absurd to let the fresh hop character go to waste. If you enjoyed it fresh then appreciate it as is. The only thing long term aging will do is make the malt develop a bit more toffee notes and sherry. Once oxidized over a long time you will find these characteristics to develop. It's not necessarily better than the fresh product.

That fresh stone character is something you will lose if you age them long enough, in other words if you are happy now, no reason to age...

 

I cannot stand fresh DB, way too hoppy and boozy too. Three years gives it a beautiful sherry quality with very little bitterness left.

 

I've had them both fresh and with up to 4+ years of aging, and my honest impression is that this beer just doesn't change over time. It doesn't get better but it doesn't get any worse either. I stopped buying it for the cellar.

 

have a 2009 and 2010, really tempted to give em a whirl...