How long to let GI Nightstalker Age?

I could be wrong but I think it is a rather hoppy imperial stout (from what I remember at least). So it is a very interesting beer to try fresh.

 

Are you asking the forum to validate what you already discovered? Early 2010 was first bottling, so you're not going to find anyone with any different input on how it will age beyond what you've already experienced (and apparantly enjoyed).

 

Reading the bottle, it says that it is hoppy and is best within 180 days of its date listed.

 

If you like hoppy stouts like Yeti fresh, drink it fresh, if you like the hops to fade out, age it.

*I* like them to sit for a few years, i don't like hoppy stouts much. You? I have no idea.

 

It is wayyyy to hoppy right now. Tastes like pine trees. Give it a few years.

 

If you like hoppy stouts or haven't tried it before, drink at least one fresh.

I've really enjoyed Nightstalker with 18-24 months of age on it.

 

0 days, personally.

 

Agreed, love what the hoppiness brings to it. Haven't enjoyed my aged ones as much as the fresh.

 

It's a hoppy stout fresh. Do you like hoppy stouts? If yes - you might like it fresh.

You tried it with 2 3/4 years, and you really liked it. I would say you've got a good answer as to how your pallate likes this beer with a few years on it - that's why I was incredulous.

In honor of this thread, I opened the one 2010 bottle i had. It's pretty tasty. Drinking a hell of a lot better than a lot of fresh imperial stouts. Lots of dark chocolate, roast, some sweetness, faded hops. It reminds me of aged Smuttynose imperial stout, but not quite as good.

I don't think it's better than Founders Imperial Stout with the same amount of age on it (my go-to annual IS beer for aging), so I wouldn't necessarily allocate cellar space for it. But that's me - you figure out what you like.

 

With time, tastes like licorice and molasses - pretty one dimensional for me. The hops at least give it some complexity. I think fresh is better (in this case, I'd argue the relative freshness is two phased within six months with a diversion around 2 months when the nose starts to cut off) and the beer is more fun with the variance it's experienced thus far.

I have a couple 2010 and 2011's in the cellar, and really have no intention of drinking them, the hops are dead and the base beer is not good to me.

 

I'll take those off your hands if you don't intend on drinking them...i prefer the hops in certain stouts to fade out...