Mirror Mirror 09

I opened my '08 last summer and thought it was way past its prime. Sorry to report that I thought it was dull and slightly oxidized.

Just opened my '08 Dissident a couple of weekends ago. It was much more mellow than fresh but was still good. If you have one of those, I'd recommend opening sooner than later, too.

 

Respectfully, you proceed with the foregone conclusion that, for some reason, it was not ready to drink when released. I'm of the opinion that it was wonderful when released and perfectly ready to drink then, in 2009.

Now, I am forced to admit that this is currently a bottle some 4 years old that, indeed, has aged so that it remains ready to drink. It is not the beer that it was when released - it is a different beer 4 years later and, still, offers a nice drink, albeit more oxidized.

So, having had a bottle about every 3 or 4 months for the past 4 years, or so, and to answer your question (from my experience) chances are that it remains ready to drink although it will not taste the same as when released. It's "ready" if you like older, oxidized character in your barleywines. (That's not a slam or criticism; real point. The entire purpose of aging wines, of course, is to have oxygen work on them and "age" them. Same with beer. If you like "aged" [i.e., read "oxidized"] barleywines then you'll like this and, by your definition, it's "ready to drink.")

 

The last bottle I had, last year I think, did not say to my face...I am past my prime. I have 1 bottle left and if I get the itch, I'll drink it this month.

 

Good stuff good stuff. Well I think the OP had good intentions with the said post. Think he was mainly looking for those who have cracked one lately.

Got two waiting for my kid to arrive so the wife can share in their goodness. Needless to say I'm excited as hell to drink them, oh yea and for my son to be born.

 

I had a bottle in Mar/Apr and I had never had it before so I cannot say if it was "ready" or not. I thought it was lacking in flavor depth from what I was expecting in a beer of this style and from Deschutes. If I had to guess, I would say the beer was past it's prime but still a nice treat and worth the $20-something dollars I paid for it in a bar in SLC.

 

Seemingly sporadic bottles from 09 were infected and soured. Those infections don't eventually work themselves out and become beers that are then "ready to drink."

It's beer. It's for drinking. Crack it and see how it is.