Maybe there is something to aging IPAs

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by Mattyb79, Jun 9, 2013.

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  1. Mattyb79

    Mattyb79 Initiate (0) Dec 11, 2012 Virginia

    Stopped by my local shop today to pick up a few bottles, and I couldn't help picking up a bomber of Hop Stoopid. I love that beer and have been drinking it for several years, BUT this is definitely not that beer. I asked the guy at my shop how fresh it was and he told me that they got it in two weeks ago. When I cracked this one, all I can smell is malt leaning towards straight caramel. The taste is similar and reminds me of aged Bigfoot. No hops at all, not even much bitterness. It's really not too bad at all, and even though it is not what I expected, I'm enjoying it. Anyone else have a similar experience? This is the first old IPA I've had that has been enjoyable, so maybe it is isolated to a very few beers that work out this way.
     
    #1 Mattyb79, Jun 9, 2013
  2. olfolxholme

    olfolxholme Initiate (0) Feb 13, 2011 California

    I had a bottle of Avery's Maharaja that was aged for over 2 years. It was fantastic.

    Having said that, it's not an experiment I plan on repeating that often.
     
    #2 olfolxholme, Jun 9, 2013
  3. --Dom--

    --Dom-- Initiate (0) Dec 22, 2012 Missouri

    Your theory- wrong...... Fact- Hop Stoopid is so awesome it tastes amazing no matter how old it is.....
     
    #3 --Dom--, Jun 9, 2013
  4. basics

    basics Initiate (0) Oct 27, 2011 North Carolina


    Did you look at the date?

    Maybe your tastebuds were just off or the bottle itself was an off batch. I can't imagine the guy would say it was two weeks old if it was actually 2-3 months old which would be the minimum for hops to erode to have that taste.
     
    #4 basics, Jun 9, 2013
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  5. jbeezification

    jbeezification Initiate (0) Jun 6, 2012 Texas

    Every bottle of Hop Stoopid I have ever held had no date on it, so I only buy it when I know for a fact it just hit the shelves.
     
    #5 jbeezification, Jun 9, 2013
    MADhombrewer likes this.
  6. DarkDragon999

    DarkDragon999 Maven (1,331) Feb 13, 2013 Rhode Island

    I was talking earlier about how I had a sixer of and old ipa and it tasted fine to me. Same as you, cameral malts up front and less hops and bitterness. However, I still want to get my ipas fresh if I can get them. Ill drink them old if I have to or am forced to but I dont want it to be the norm.
     
    #6 DarkDragon999, Jun 9, 2013
  7. Travcofarms

    Travcofarms Initiate (0) Dec 7, 2012 Pennsylvania

    Buddy of mine "forgot" a six of hopslam in his garage, and after the initial disappointment in missing the aroma (one of my favorites things abt. IPA's) it was actually good. Different? Drastically.

    Had the same experience with maharajah.
     
    #7 Travcofarms, Jun 9, 2013
  8. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    2 to 3 months. For hops to disappear completely? Really? If this was 1400 you'd be trying to get me to think the earth is flat.
     
    #8 SFACRKnight, Jun 9, 2013
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  9. cavedave

    cavedave Grand Pooh-Bah (4,157) Mar 12, 2009 New York
    In Memoriam Pooh-Bah Trader

    We had a bottle of our homebrewed IIPA Hop Psychotic batch 2 that was accidentally cellared for 2 years and it was the best barley wine we have made.

    Funny to mention this in this thread as the names Hop Stoopid and Hop'tarded from Lagunitas were the inspirations for our beer's name.
     
    #9 cavedave, Jun 9, 2013
  10. clegolfski

    clegolfski Initiate (0) Jul 13, 2008 Ohio
    Trader

    I had a similar experience with Oracle. Super rich malty taste that I almost preferred to fresh. It's all about preference.
     
    #10 clegolfski, Jun 9, 2013
  11. mitch3114

    mitch3114 Pundit (849) Feb 20, 2012 New York

    Once I accidentally aged a Bigfoot for two years. When I discovered it I popped it open. The hops had faded and to my surprise it turned into a wonderful barley-wine! :grinning:
     
    #11 mitch3114, Jun 12, 2013
  12. BrettHead

    BrettHead Initiate (0) Sep 18, 2010 Nebraska

    It's hard to read but it is on the bottleneck. It is a Julian date code. So if the first three digits of the number are 145 that means it was bottled on the 145 day of the year.

    http://www.scp.byu.edu/docs/doychart.html
     
    #12 BrettHead, Jun 13, 2013
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