Old Beer

Yes, as we've discussed

 

Most beers are intended to be drunk fresh, but some do improve with age. That can depend on storage; I once brought some beer still in date that had been sitting in a sunny shop window and that was most definitely off.

 

When I read his post I said all signs of staling.

 

Well even if thats true, it was about preserving the beer and not about having a product with optimal taste. The IPA style wasnt created to give sailors in India dank juicy beers.

 

You could always distil old beer as an experiment

 

It seems some IPAs and APAs will age deceptively good (Celebration and Dales). I think not only a sufficient malt base but also the proper dose of hops are important here.

 

It's dependent on style, packaging conditions, etc.

For instances. I've had Dales out of Colorado. Easily 5months old. Was pretty tasty. However, had another out of the North Carolina brewery that was fresh, three weeks from canning date. On draft as well. Beer was flat, tasteless and pitiful. I've also received a keg or two that was warm to the touch. And people commented that the beer was metallic.

 

I've had some pretty old pales and IPAs hopped with old school hops (cascade, centennial, etc.) and they have held up well. However beers hopped with newer, more tropical hop styles I have found seem to go off way more quickly. Has anyone else found that to be the case?

I'm trying to have no more than 10 beers in the fridge at a time, so if I'm going to keep a handful around for guests, I'd like something that is mild enough for the uninitiated, goes well with food, and holds up if I don't get to it. SNPA and pretty much any amber ale above 5% seem to be good contenders. My experience has been that ales also hold up better than lagers, but I haven't had as many lagers lying around. Any thoughts?

 

SN beer holds up well. I have no issue buying 3 month old beer from them. I also really like 90 minute with years on it. Really.

I had stone IPA from a keg a few years back and it was many months old, it was also very good.

I think the newer fruity hop IPA goes south quick.

Enjoy

 

I kind of quit drinking some of Oskar Blues hoppy beers due to this. I think it's more of a palate thing though in their defense. Pinner, in particular, to me, was all metal.

 

Awesome!

\m/

 

For being a relatively hoppy beer, brown shugga does well with some age. Loses it's bite, but gains a malty sweetness. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but it fits the post. Idk if it's considered an ipa, but lagunitas makes everything ipa-ish from my experience.

 

I have no idea why I still have some Dales sitting in the fridge canned on December 8th 2016 (I think).
What I do know is that I poured a glass the other day and it was not a bad beer at all. Still had a nice hop bite to it.

 

I have a few Dirtwolfs in my fridge that are over a year old. I keep telling myself to remember to dump them but now I am thinking I should drink one and see what it's like.

 

Don't be afraid of old beer. I've honestly had some beers that I thought were better with some age on them then they were fresh.

In general, darker, high ABV beers age a little better than lighter, hoppier brews. With that said though, I've had a few bracingly bitter DIPA's that have rounded out nicely and were made more approachable with some age

 

I had a bad experience with 10-month old Dirt Wolf. Drain pour. Tread cautiously imo.

 

They define what that aluminum taste means. I'd rather drink duck rabbit over oskar blues.

 

My beer store lady has given me old ipas when I find them in her shelf, and usually they are terrible. But they make for good "I'm tipsy and want just one more" beers. I wouldn't buy em but I'm sure as hell not gonna waste em.

 

Some of those old IPA's are awesome for boiling brats in. I did it with some old Stone IPA last summer.