The defense of aging

Reads 6134 • Replies 90 • Started Saturday, October 25, 2014 3:50:47 AM CT

The forums you're viewing are the static, archived version. You won't be able to post or reply here.
Our new, modern forums are here:
RateBeer Forums

Thread Frozen

Message madmitch76 P beers 36962 º places 240 º 11:38 Wed 10/29/2014 Can also think of a few Mikkellers that were pretty awful new, but with a couple of years on them, wow!
Message SilkTork P beers 7751 º places 111 º 17:05 Wed 10/29/2014 Originally posted by GarethYoung ’Aging well’, by the way, doesn’t mean a beer is still going to taste great after 30 years. In my experience, if a beer tastes good old, then the older the better. Some of the best beers I’ve had - period - have been over 30 years old. The importance is in the handling of really old beers when opening and pouring. I messed up a 1902 Kings Ale once. I’ve not made that mistake again.
Message SilkTork P beers 7751 º places 111 º 17:12 Wed 10/29/2014 Originally posted by madmitch76 wow! This is the most important thread in this post.

Message Scopey P beers 24200 º places 727 º 02:35 Thu 10/30/2014 Originally posted by Leighton Put me in the ’cellaring/aging can be good’ camp. There are a range of styles and specific beers that I think not only change, but also get better with some years. The example I always go to is Fullers Vintage Ale. I’ve now done a few vertical tastings with this beer, each with around 8+ different vintages and in different groups of people with different palates. The consensus among these groups of disparate palates is that the beer hits its peak at around 3-5 years - but in some instances can continue to improve even longer (the 1999 vintage, which I’ve had a few times each with more than 12 years of age, has been phenomenal.) I don’t know anyone who prefers fresh Fullers Vintage to one with a few years on it. +1
Message Scopey P beers 24200 º places 727 º 02:38 Thu 10/30/2014 In light of this thread I plan on hitting some 2010 beers this weekend - Pannepot, Westy 8 & Orval. I would be pretty surprised if any of these weren’t delicious, but only time will tell (so to speak).
Message Scopey P beers 24200 º places 727 º 02:42 Thu 10/30/2014 A few of us had a 1994 Samuel Adams Triple Bock last week. The beers avg. rating is 2.8, whereas we went for 3.7, 3.7, 3.8 & 4. Seems like age has worked its magic on that beast.
Message MagicDave6 P beers 1 º places 1 º 02:54 Thu 10/30/2014 99.999% of beers should not be aged. But some age amazingly. However it is also pot luck, as iv opened a Fou Foune(yes not nessesarily ment to be aged) and a Hoegaarden Julius(iv got a case which iv been aging for ages, and the majority of the bottles have been amazing) which have been drain pours.

Message lithy beers 2996 º places 156 º 04:41 Thu 10/30/2014 Originally posted by Scopey A few of us had a 1994 Samuel Adams Triple Bock last week. The beers avg. rating is 2.8, whereas we went for 3.7, 3.7, 3.8 & 4. Seems like age has worked its magic on that beast. Actually it just shows how polarizing oxidation is. There is probably not another beer on this site with a nearly bimodal distribution. I’m not a premium anymore, but check out the stats for the beer.
Message KyotoLefty P beers 15097 º places 1059 º 05:10 Thu 10/30/2014 Triple Bock has more issues than just age. I have had two, about the same age, and they were like night and day. Don’t know what the problem is (I am sure someone here does), but they are either heavenly or simply hellish. Cork? Batch? It is not just people’s tastes, though that sure plays in as well.
Message BBB63 beers 6567 º places 146 º 16:18 Sat 11/1/2014 Avery the Beast Batch 1, a decade old bottle revisited, aged by me this whole time: Displays a ton of rich caramel, marzipan, mint, walnut, burnt sugars, oak and the expected oxidization. Long gone is the abrasive bitterness of its youth and the aggressive alcohol while still present is much more integrated. Yeah this big baby is drinking more like a finely aged Barleywine or English Strong Ale but the degradation of the hop oils have led to a slightly unwelcome sea water like undertone as it warms to near room temperature. 8/3/6/3/14 Nuff said