Started a Cellar

The reality of cellaring beer is that everyone will have a different experience. It starts with what you put in the 'cellar', where did it come from, how was it stored? This variable will surely be different for everyone. There is no saving a bad and/or skunked beer that's sat in a warm warehouse for 3 months before it reaches your home (this happens a lot in BC)...

IMO there is no point to cellaring a beer unless you've had it at least once fresh, or as the breweries own guidelines suggest (like Deschutes with their best after dates).

Some beers do hold up better. Keep them dark, as cool as possible without reaching fridge temps, and keep it consistent without sudden changes. If they change temp every day that's bad, but gradually up and down over a yr I don't think is a big deal (and Cantillon doesn't either according to that recent article).

One reality of cellaring anything is also how good the seal is on the beer. Caps and corks are not all created equal. I think the best way to cellar is to buy a case of something and open one every 3-4 months and take notes.

 

The biggest general myth is that RIS beer gets undeniably better with age

 

bells expedition does. one of the best aging stouts ever

 

I've had sink the Bismarck fresh and with some time on it and preferred it much much more fresh, even with the high ABV there was a definite drop off in the hop profile of the older. It's is an IPA after all.
I've only had TNP fresh and didn't care for it. Smelled and tasted like a sharpie.
Only had 120 fresh and it wasn't my thing, I'd love to try some with some time though. Many swear by aging this one.
WWS and westy 12 are fantastic fresh and aged IMO and are widely considered good advocates for aging.
All of this is just my opinion so take it for what it's worth. Btw I wouldn't recommend aging something you've never had fresh. Just no point IMO.
Cheers, Logan

 

I have an extensive multi hundred beer cellar and can tell you that it will consume your vision of beer. I'm am liquidating mine because as I have found cellaring seems to promote a "hoarder" mentality and most beers are best fresh although I will admit I have had some that (well not necessarily got better) certainly did change in unique and flavorful ways.

Long story short: a cellar is a fun, consuming, and expense hobby.

 

I've been cellaring beer for five years now. And with friends who also cellar, get a chance to try a variety of styles aged for varying lengths of time. I find the general belief that higher ABV beers age better than lower ABV ones to be a myth. Its dependent on the type of beer and your personal tastes. Take Parabola, I find that it doesn't really improve with age. However, there are a lot of wild ales with ABV of 5% that develop nicely over 2-3 years.

Echo the above statement, cellaring is expensive!

 

Sorry if I'm being redundant in any way on these forums, but I view cellaring @beerborn not as hoarding, but as accumulating in an effort to drink at the right time & with the right people. I try not to age anything I haven't already had fresh, but I also am hyper-aware that I'm one of the only guys that I know who really like craft beer. So I want to put bottles aside to share when we do do some sort of get-together with other like-minded beer people.

Brewers are helpful, too, like when I asked Mike at Night Shift about (I think it was Wild King or Queen) what he thought about how it was drinking. His answer was something like, "I think it'll be even better in six months. Open it then."

Not to beat the DFH drum too loudly, but their Olde School barley wine is great. I love buying a four-pack, drinking two and cellaring the other two to drink alongside the next year's version.

 

Myth: that throwing stouts and barleywines in your cellar will almost always improve them.
Reality: Almost all beer is best consumed fresh.

Some beers will develop in a way that you may find favorable. There is no clear list of X beer will be great after so much time and Y beer will not. A lot of it is personal taste. Geuze is one style I have had a lot of success with aging. Does that mean you will have the same experience?...time will tell. Enjoy the journey. Cheers.

Also, I personally would not hold on to those American Beauties too long. YMMV