Where would you start working this cellar off?

Trade me that BCBVS or both thats where I would start

 

Well backwoods and kbs don't age well so I would start there

 

Agree with those who claim that KBS and Backwoods Bastard do not age well. That has been my experience, too. For future reference, I would consume these beers within 6 mos.-1 year of purchase. Though I do tend to hold back one bottle of KBS for a bit longer to compare with the next year's version.

I note quite a few Imperial stouts here. Feel free to disagree, but my experience has been that most Imperial stouts peak at two years out. It tends to be downhill from there. So, I'd work on those Stone RIS and Brooklyn Black chocolate stouts next. I'm sure they'll be tasty, but by this point the oxidation tends to overshadow the benefits conferred by cellaring. Again, YMMV, but I'd consider aging Imperial stouts no longer than two years (though it can't hurt to hold back a bottle for a bit longer just to see what your experience might be). Just my opinion on those.

I cannot comment on BCBS, but I do have to ask whether there is any benefit to cellaring BCBCS. Coffee is always the first thing to drop off in beer, and I don't know why one would want to lose that characteristic (kind of my beef regarding KBS, too.)

Old ales, like Barleywines, tend to do well with extended cellaring. That said, I've never held on to Old Stock Ale for that long. But I wouldn't be surprised if this one ages better than everything else listed. I'd personally put it at the bottom of the list. Ditto, perhaps, for the Bigfoots.


So, OP, you're left with two things: Beers that you really need to consume/trade because they may be past their prime. Work on those because you have to. But I also see a second group of beers that may be coming into their prime now, and which you may want to consider consuming because they're at their best. That Rasputin XIV is one of them. I just don't see this Rapsutin getting much better with time.

Again, all my opinion. Best of luck.

 

One other thing. I do have a fond memory of Stone Vertical Epic 09.09.09. It tasted like a chocolate orange and was easily my favorite of the series. (I tried all of them from 06 onward.) The only comparable beer that comes to mind is Westbrook Orange Bliss, but the Stone is obviously not a stout and had far more finesse.

My experience is that the Vertical Epics were already fine fresh and not bound to improve as much as Stone claimed. Sure, they were cellarable, but I have trouble believing that some of the older ones were going to improve over the entire decade-long run, if consumed as intended. But I am curious about that 09, so let us know about that one if you give it a try.

 

Night stalker, if it was anything like the 2012 bottles, it'll be a drain pour, have had a pair of 2012 night stalkers in the last 6 months and they were both drain pours...

 

BCBCS and BCBCS aren't going to get any better with age. Backwoods also seems to lose its zip after a while.