Review beers fresh or aged?

I think rating a cellared version of a beer is fine, but in those cases you should also take the time to review it and point out it's age. Hopefully people will only review beers that lend themselves to proper cellaring.

 

I'd prefer any review or rating to reference if the beer has been aged.

 

I've rated aged beers but made it quite plain that I'm doing so. In fact my review for Aventinus was first done before I'd had a fresh one and eventually wound up with comments about three different ages, fresh, cellared at the brewery for 3 years and cellared at the brewery for 5 years. But the comments clearly indicate which I'm talking about at any given time. Also it was a really interesting exercise in learning more about tasting/reviewing, etc.

 

Beers are made to be consumed fresh. Some age well, but most are intended to be drank without cellaring. Of course sometimes that doesn't happen if you're like me and buy too many beers, then they get aged only because I don't drink as fast as I buy.

As for fresh/cellared reviews, I think reviewing cellared beers are fine, as long as it's a style that holds up well to cellaring. Just make sure to note the bottle date in the reviews.

 

Beer is a living thing, made to consume fresh. Luckily some styles do well with aging a bit, some maybe better with a year or so on it some not. Chili stouts are better fresh and hot, the pepper fades a bit with age. I like fresh hot Ba stouts, they just happen to keep well until I get around to drinking them.

 

Doesn't matter as long as you're clear about what you're rating.

 

As a noobie this was what I thought, just state that this review is for a style aged #years.

 

I like my first try at any beer to be fresh. And if it's awesome, none get cellared. I would only sit on it if I felt it could improve an unbalanced brew.

 

I typically provide an initial rating on the fresh offering and then revisit and adjust if necessary on the aged version. I do need to be better about noting the cellared age when changing the initial rating.

 

The way I look at it, as long as you put the bottled on date or give a good guesstimate in your review, that's good enough for me.

 

Trying the beer fresh so you can compare it to an aged one is ideal but I am not not going to chew your ass off if you don't.

 

I have never personally reviewed a cellared beer (I just recently started cellaring) but I think it's only right to first try the fresh product so you can experience the beer how the brewer wanted you to. Also, if you do put up a review of a cellared beer, you should clearly indicate that it is cellared.

 

Rate it fresh or aged, doesn't matter, but if it is aged, it is good beer advocacy to note the age in the review. Not required, but it helps those reading the reviews.

As for something you never had before, I always recommend having one fresh before cellaring any. You should know if you like the fresh flavor before you commit to keeping them.

 

Not sure about that one in particular but if its something that I might not ever get to try again and the general consensus is that its much better with age, I might try to age it. Might as well enjoy it when its flavor is optimum. Otherwise I'd drink it fresh.

 

There is no need to age anything from Wicked Weed. I have honestly never heard of anyone doing so, though I'm sure it happens. I completely agree with you on barleywines. I will always age mine for 6 months or more, unless it was barrel-aged to begin with. That is the one style I definitely don't mind aging even if I have never tried it.

 

Just let us know....

 

If you are reviewing something aged, note it in your review. That is all you have to do.

 

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