stouts with coffee. aged vs fresh

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by regularjohn, Mar 30, 2013.

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  1. regularjohn

    regularjohn Initiate (0) Feb 7, 2013 New Jersey

    I'm curious about the aging process of stouts.

    Whether they're imperial or not, or whether its BA or not......does the coffee remain fresh over time?

    I've read mixed things about all different beers on these forums but it seems like everyone has different experiences/opinions with stouts. I'm sure something like KBS would taste amazing even if its been aged for 2 years or so but would you still really taste the coffee as much? would you say something like this is personal preference?

    I know you will taste it fresh that's a given, but a lot of stouts definitely get better over time. I'm sure a lot of people have done side by side comparisons and what are your thoughts on it? if i got a speedway stout for example would you recommend just cracking it open or aging it for a year?
     
    #1 regularjohn, Mar 30, 2013
  2. BEERMILER12

    BEERMILER12 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,725) Sep 11, 2010 Maine
    Pooh-Bah

    Coffee tends to fade decently quickly in most beers. There are a few exceptions, though.

    Regarding the Speedway: If you've never had it fresh, drink it sooner rather than later. I go by the notion that you should ALWAYS try a beer fresh and then pick up more bottles to age if you enjoyed it.
     
    #2 BEERMILER12, Mar 30, 2013
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  3. regularjohn

    regularjohn Initiate (0) Feb 7, 2013 New Jersey

    That's a great point, i really love the bourbon county series especially the coffee. Since i had that before i would definitely pick some up and just cellar it to see the difference from when i first had it. Yeah coffee definitely will fade, would you say its kind of a waste then in a sense?

    I LOVE coffee, i think it's great too when breweries do collabs with coffee companies you really get so much more flavor out of it with stouts IMO. I'd be kind of disappointed if the flavor or aroma wasn't as present, but do you think that its kind of a good thing since different flavors of the beer might come out? maybe not be masked as much? seems like a win/lose for some beers right?
     
    #3 regularjohn, Mar 30, 2013
  4. fujindemon74

    fujindemon74 Pooh-Bah (1,797) Nov 7, 2012 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Drink the Speedway fresh to get a frame of reference.
    Age a few.
    It's an experiment.

    I've enjoyed fresh and aged Speedway, Peche Mortel, 8-Wired Batch 31, Espresso Oak Aged Yeti, and BCBCS.

    Had aged 8-Wired Batch 31 after fresh BCBCS with my wife and we preferred the 8-Wired.
     
    #4 fujindemon74, Mar 30, 2013
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  5. BEERMILER12

    BEERMILER12 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,725) Sep 11, 2010 Maine
    Pooh-Bah

    There are definitely some pros to aging coffee beers, especially when the base beer is a little rugged to start out with. Obviously you sacrifice some of the coffee taste and aroma, but you can get a smoother, more drinkable beer with some characteristics that aren't necessarily as present when the beer is fresh. It really all just depends on personal tastes. It's always fun to experiment, regardless.
     
    #5 BEERMILER12, Mar 30, 2013
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  6. schneid

    schneid Initiate (0) Dec 15, 2006 Illinois

    BCBS Coffee definitely fades with age.
     
    #6 schneid, Mar 30, 2013
  7. sirsteve42

    sirsteve42 Maven (1,299) Jan 15, 2009 New York

    In Montreal right now. Went to Dieu de ciel today and had peche mortel on tap...let me tell you how it just moved to top 5 of all time. What a difference having it fresh on tap as opposed to the bottle. I will be going back again tomorrow to savor it before heaDing back home. Poured black with a 2 inch creamy head with amazing lacing....orgasm in a glass!
     
    #7 sirsteve42, Mar 30, 2013
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  8. Jake1605

    Jake1605 Initiate (0) Nov 24, 2009 Missouri

    I like mine within 6 months. Much like chocolate, it loses a lot after 9-10 months.
     
    #8 Jake1605, Mar 30, 2013
  9. fujindemon74

    fujindemon74 Pooh-Bah (1,797) Nov 7, 2012 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Agreed.
    Had the same experience in Montreal on my honeymoon last August.
    Peche Mortel I had on tap still is top 5 beers I've ever had.
    Ordered 2.
     
    #9 fujindemon74, Mar 30, 2013
  10. aasher

    aasher Grand Pooh-Bah (4,557) Jan 27, 2010 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    Bourbon County Coffee ages much better than a lot of people think. I've had three 11s and a 12 in the past month and a half and the 11s are as spectacular as ever.
     
    #10 aasher, Mar 30, 2013
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  11. BeastLU

    BeastLU Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2012 Virginia

    I have a speedway and am having trouble finding the date... Help.
     
    #11 BeastLU, Mar 30, 2013
  12. kzoobrew

    kzoobrew Initiate (0) May 8, 2006 Michigan

    Coffee can fade as fast, if not faster, than hops. If you are drinking a beer for the coffee flavor, drink it fresh.

    I realize many will bring up examples of beers which still have coffee flavors well after the release, but the quality of the flavor is certainly diminished as well as the intensity. Many coffee beers are very pleasant with age but it is due to other characteristics than the coffee. If you are concerned with the quality and flavor of the coffee do not age.
     
    #12 kzoobrew, Mar 30, 2013
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  13. Smurf2055

    Smurf2055 Initiate (0) Nov 12, 2011 Washington

    I think they put dates on the boxes, not the bottles. The foil they used to cover it has changed to black so if you have one of those, it's probably inside of six months.
     
    #13 Smurf2055, Mar 30, 2013
  14. regularjohn

    regularjohn Initiate (0) Feb 7, 2013 New Jersey

    ww
    what about silver foil? is that last years batch?
     
    #14 regularjohn, Mar 30, 2013
  15. regularjohn

    regularjohn Initiate (0) Feb 7, 2013 New Jersey

    i'd love to try old batches of BCBCS, even after having it on draft i was just blown away i've yet to encounter a beer that really tops that !

    I wouldn't say I'm concerned to the point where I would be disappointed if the coffee flavor wasn't extremely present, even hints of coffee are good from time to time as well. I definitely know where you're coming from though. I guess the best alternative is just drinking it fresh and if i enjoy it just getting another bottle to age. As other people mentioned that would definitely be a fun experiment, and it would be a great way to get different flavors out of the beer. I'm all for that ! :grinning:
     
    #15 regularjohn, Mar 30, 2013
  16. Smurf2055

    Smurf2055 Initiate (0) Nov 12, 2011 Washington

    I don't know about last years. Pretty sure they brew it multiple times a year, but they changed the foil so it wouldn't get confused with their other products. Not 100% sure on it though, but the silver foil is older than the black one.
     
    #16 Smurf2055, Mar 30, 2013
  17. closisinthehouse

    closisinthehouse Initiate (0) Jun 10, 2011 Florida

    Well said! I have tried aging a few coffee stouts the last couple of years and for the most part, the coffee flavor does diminish significantly. Would love to try an aged BCBCS and see how that one turns out.
     
    #17 closisinthehouse, Mar 31, 2013
  18. axeman9182

    axeman9182 Initiate (0) Aug 5, 2009 New Jersey

    Coffee definitely falls off as a beer ages. Whether to drink fresh or aged depends on both how much you like coffee and how much you like the underlying beer. Personally, I'm not a coffee drinker at all, so there are some beers that are just too much of a coffee bomb fresh. Not that this particular beer is one to age, but Coffee Bender is basically like drinking cold, carbonated coffee for me. When a stout is that coffee forward, I'd rather let it sit. For example (though I know I'm in the minority), I'll take BCBCS with a year of age on it over fresh every time.
     
    #18 axeman9182, Mar 31, 2013
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  19. bylerteck

    bylerteck Grand Pooh-Bah (3,167) May 17, 2009 Canada (ON)
    Pooh-Bah

    I have some 4 year old Peche Mortel hanging around. I figure the coffee would have faded, but would it have aged well?
     
    #19 bylerteck, Mar 31, 2013
  20. fujindemon74

    fujindemon74 Pooh-Bah (1,797) Nov 7, 2012 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I've had Peche Mortel after nearly 2 years, and obviously the coffee note fades quite a bit (not as much as FBS though, but every Peche Mortel I've ever had has had a more robust coffee flavor than every FBS of comparable age I've had) but it was still there. Took a back seat to a dark chocolate flavor with nice hints of vanilla.
    Couldn't speak on what to expect from a 4rr old bottle though.
     
    #20 fujindemon74, Mar 31, 2013
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