Cellared beers

[Ethan.Bassist.]

Little Update:

Picked up two 750ml bottles of the AleSmith Wee Heavy Scotch Ale. It's 10% abv and even says to age it between 1/2-2 years. One I'll drink soon (not on my own probably haha) and the other I've put away in a dark place in my room (probably'll move it to my closet where it's less susceptible to temperature changes). Wish I had a cellar or basement! haha I think I'll give that one till next year sometime.

[FLTiger]

Let's see now. I have 8 bottles of 2012 Hunahpu set aside, along with a solid case of 2011 Marshal Zhukov for comparison purposes. The oldest I have is some '08 Avery Mephistopheles, which must be sipped. I also picked up some Worldwide Stout recently, though I'm not sure whether I will hang on to it long enough to age.

[steelframe]

I've got a handful (or two) of beers in my cellar.

The Bruery Marron Acidife
Stone Imperial Russian Stout '10
Stone Old Guardian '09 + '10
Stone Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout '08
Stone Vertical Epic '08 + '09
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron - '08, '09, '11
Dogfish Head Olde School '09
Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra '07
Dogfish Head Squall '10 + '11
Dogfish Head Worldwide Stout '08
Avery The Czar '09
Three Floyds Behemoth '11
New Holland Envious '12
Bells Batch 9,000
Bells Batch 10,000
Bells Expedition Stout '08 + '12
Bells Hopslam '11
Goose Island Big John
Goose Island Nightstalker '09 + '10

I also just got rid of some DFH 120 IPA from '09 and '10 and other various beers I found out were too valuable for me to drink. It doesn't help that I work for a distributor and have knowledge and access to these wonderful liquid creations. It's a constant rotation, I have an addiction.

I will add that the two best beers that I've had that come to mind were a bottle of '08 DFH 120... it had almost a dessert-like quality to it and was scary drinkable for 18% ABV, and a '06 JW Lees Harvest Ale - Lagavulin Cask... just so smooth with the barleywine and scotch flavors mixing together perfectly.

Cheers!

[awsmith4]

I have a good number of cellared beers. I have done quite a few vertical tastings and aged tastings and aging does make a difference, though sometime not always positive. I try and make sure when I buy something to cellar, I get enough to try fresh so I have a comparison. The other night I cracked an 07 bottle of DFH Raison D' Extra and time had truely done this beer well. Unlike the OP I have had great luck with Stone RIS but aging beer is somewhat of a crap shoot, some bottles may not be as airtight as they appear or a temp/light change could play havoc.


In a few weeks for my birthday, I plan on sampling a 4 year vertical of KBS

[DogHair]

I've got a handful (or two) of beers in my cellar.

The Bruery Marron Acidife
Stone Imperial Russian Stout '10
Stone Old Guardian '09 + '10
Stone Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout '08
Stone Vertical Epic '08 + '09
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron - '08, '09, '11
Dogfish Head Olde School '09
Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra '07
Dogfish Head Squall '10 + '11
Dogfish Head Worldwide Stout '08
Avery The Czar '09
Three Floyds Behemoth '11
New Holland Envious '12
Bells Batch 9,000
Bells Batch 10,000
Bells Expedition Stout '08 + '12
Bells Hopslam '11
Goose Island Big John
Goose Island Nightstalker '09 + '10

I also just got rid of some DFH 120 IPA from '09 and '10 and other various beers I found out were too valuable for me to drink. It doesn't help that I work for a distributor and have knowledge and access to these wonderful liquid creations. It's a constant rotation, I have an addiction.

I will add that the two best beers that I've had that come to mind were a bottle of '08 DFH 120... it had almost a dessert-like quality to it and was scary drinkable for 18% ABV, and a '06 JW Lees Harvest Ale - Lagavulin Cask... just so smooth with the barleywine and scotch flavors mixing together perfectly.

Cheers!

Pretty nice list. I'll need to do an inventory. Right now I just add a few every so often. I'd recommended grabbing some fresh DFH World Wide Stout if you haven't. This is the last bottling.

I had a bottle of Batch 10,000 a couple weeks ago. Sadly not too exciting.

[awsmith4]

Pretty nice list. I'll need to do an inventory. Right now I just add a few every so often. I'd recommended grabbing some fresh DFH World Wide Stout if you haven't. This is the last bottling.

I had a bottle of Batch 10,000 a couple weeks ago. Sadly not too exciting.

I hadn't heard that, glad I grabbed two bottles last month in FL. We have 14% abv limit here in GA so WWS, 120, Raison D' Extra and the barleywine I can't remember are not available even though we get all the other DFH brews. Maybe I need to make another trip South.

[DogHair]

Fresh WWS is a bit like rocket fuel IMHO. A year or more in the bottle mellows it out considerably. I read somewhere they don't sell well so production is being stopped. Most people probably aren't interested in waiting a year to drink it.

[awsmith4]

I agree on the rocket fuel, I had it fresh a few years ago and now I only buy bottles to sit. Earlier this year I had a bottle dated '10 that I had been holding onto and I was really impressed how well it had started to come together.

[pdillon]

In terms of styles, definitely do not age IPAs. In fact, the opposite: drink as fresh as possible. Somebody mentioned Pliny earlier. It says specifically on the label: "Do not age." Although, I've never had the opportunity to get my hands on a bottle. My understanding is that Hop Stoopid is similar... both made with hop extract.

If you can buy Goose Island, they are good to start with. Several of their beers are made for cellaring and will develop for up to 5 years (at least that's what the bottles say). I think any saison with brettanomyces would be interesting, but that could just be my personal taste.

Here is my list of what I have in the closet right now:
Avery Hog Heaven
Lagunitas Gnarleywine
2x Goose Island Sofie
G.I. Fleur
2x G.I. Pepe Nero
Boulevard Saison Brett
2x Bells Export Stout
Deschutes Black Butte 23

[benvh]

I have a few right now: Sorachi Ace, a few 120 minutes, a 2009 Santa's Little Helper, Creme Brulee Stout and some other misc stouts.

Ben

[awsmith4]

My sampling tonight



2011 and 2012 North Coast Old Stock Ale. I broke out the 2011 so I could try the difference and I was pleasantly surprised how well the 2011 had melded into a fine sipper with no CO2 bit as the 2012 had. Both were good but the aged 2011 was like a fine liqueur compared to the slightly boozy and bitey 2012

[gmrv4]

The only beer that I cellar is Boulevard's Saison-Brett. It is due to be available at retailers tomorrow June 5th. I will be standing at the store when they open in the morning. Most places limit you to 2 bottles (750ml). Then I rush to the next store and the next to try to get up to 6 bottles. 6 is not hoarding as some folks are aiming to get dozens of bottles if they can. I have heard of people following the trucks out of the distributors lot.

[Perrito-Incognito]

I've got two bottles of Hardy's Ale 2004 (drink one every year or two from the two four packs I purchased).
2012 Three Floyds Dark Lord
2011 Three Floyds Dark Lord
2012 Surley Darkness
2011 Surley Darkness

[KipNoxzema]

I've cellared my homebrews for up to a year. I find the dark ones cellar the best. I bottle-condition and have had no problems.

[Rushman2112]

It's always so hot here beer seems to evaporate as soon as I get it home(!)

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

I added a 2012 Boulevard Rye On Rye to my small cellar. I hope I can pick another up in my next paycheck so I can try one. :D

[DogHair]

Split a 2008 DFH World Wide Stout and a 2008 Goose Island Burbon County tonight. Very good night.

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

Drinking some nogne and mikkeller barley wines tnight. :D I'm excited

[delamain]

I'm cellaring some different gueuzes, a few different fruit Cantillons, Chimay Blue, Pannepot, Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Keizer, De Molen Rasputin, A LOT of Unibroue (Trois Pistoles/Maudite/La Fin du Monde) and several years worth of Fuller's Vintage Ale.

I'd spend 20% of my income on beer if I lived in the US; alas I am Canadian, and a Newfoundlander at that, so our beer selection is horrible here. Absolutely horrible.

The best beers that I have are Belgians that I've bought overseas. There is nothing around here worth buying for the cellar - no barleywines or imperial stouts or Belgian quads or sours... It depresses me.

[awsmith4]

Broke out this gem tonight



Bitches Brew from the original release, it was even more refined and a simply fantastic beer