Top 5 Beers to age!

I just wanna add Founders imp stout bc i think it's trade value is highly underrated for being an amazing beer

 

Firestone Parabola, DFH WWS & 120 Min & Palo Santo, Bell's Expedition.

To be honest though I don't have a lot of experience with aging. I've only been doing it a couple of years so I've gotten to experience aged beers once or twice. These ones seem to be going well though.

 

Outside a handful of lambics, the answer is no beer really improves after about 2 years unless you are a fan of oxidation.

 

These threads should prove helpful:
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/cellar-worthy-lambics-flanders-other-wilds.21006/
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/cellar-worthy-belgian-darks.18868/
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/cellar-worthy-old-ales.18645/
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/cellar-worthy-barley-wines.18643/
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/cellar-worthy-stouts.18642/

 

Big vote for Bells Expedition. Wonderful with some age on it.

 

Agreed. Waaaay too hot when fresh.

 

Just had a 10-month old Founders Imperial Stout. I remember really liking it fresh, but it was just fantastic now. I'm tempted to drink the other 2 ASAP.

 

Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not, but oxidation is an often misunderstood process. Most people think it is synonymous with the production of trans-2-nonenal (wet cardboard) but this is only one of many oxidative effects. And one that can (for the most part) be avoided if a beer is properly selected and cellared.

When occuring at a slow enough rate, oxidation can be responsible for many positive effects, including turning harsh fusel alcohols in sweet or nutty tasting aldehydes, malt melanoidins into sherry and port flavors, processing poly-phenols into vanilla and leather notes and combining degraded hop beta acids into complex, wine-like esters.

So I guess consider me, and many people I know, "oxidation fans".

Additionally, due to the anti-oxidant nature of brettanomyces, many brett-fermented beers (not just lambics) can remain relatively free of oxidation well past two years. The beers that Crooked Stave and Anchorage Brewing Company are turning out would fall into this category.

 

I wasn't being sarcastic at all. In my experience any benefits of aging & oxidation outweigh the negatives for about 2 years max & then it goes downhill.

Also..its weird you would call out Anchorage Brewing Company and Crooked Stave as producing beers great for long term aging when neither brewery has been around for even 2 years. You are just guessing and/or hoping because I'm assuming you've got a stash. I've had very few all brett beers that were not overly oxidized and downhill after about 3 years. The best example I can think of is the original Wild Primitives series from about 05. Great after about 2-3 years and went down hill quick. Even something like Orval with a little brett starts to degrade after about 2 years as the hops fade some.

Can you give me a good example of a non-lambic w/ brett that is better after 3 years than 1?

 

I've always been under the assumption it's bad to age I.P.A's? And to people who are saying they age Pliny, it's written all over the bottle not to do that and to drink it as soon as possible for peak freshness. Am I in the wrong about the whole IPA thing?

 

No, you are right. IPAs don't age well because the floral, citrusy and otherwise hop-related flavors go away with age. Something like Pliny is made to drink ASAP. Thats the whole reasoning behind Stone's Enjoy By IPA campaign.

 

People were also joking about aging Pliny. Don't take what you read in here too seriously. However, for people like me who don't like IPAs, letting one sit for a while and mellow makes it easier to drink. People get pissed off about 'ruining' a beer that way, but to each his own.

 

i just had my 11' smokestack BBQ last night and it showed very well.

Ive got a bottle of rye on rye sitting in the cellar for a while too.

 

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Expedition is probably one of the most, if not the most, age-able stouts you can get. The difference from an aged bottle to a fresh bottle is mind blowing. I have some '07s that are drinking gloriously.

 

I started the '07 v '09 Expedition thread -- I did them side by side, both amazing, but the '07...my.dear.God!

 

Gueuzes
Lambics
Flanders Reds / Oude Bruins
Quads
Barleywines/Old Ales (in the English Style)
Some Dubbels and Imperial Stouts, the occasional American Barleywine.
Adam.

That's it. I'm pretty sure that's the list.

 

Dfh 120
Dfh world wide stout
Brooklyn black chocolate stout
Old Rasputin
Rogue xs stout

 

I would include De Dolle Stille Nacht on this list.

 

I am having the exact opposite experience right now. This is definitely a beer better fresh. Just cracked one and its beyond bitter. I still get some chocolate notes, but they're not nearly as prominent. I'm trying to burn through the rest of these. A few from 10 months ago, a few from the year before. 1 down, 19 to go...

 

i have a bbcs from 08-09 is it in its prime?