Bottled in 1959.....Whats the oldest beer you have ever drank?

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StroudCreek

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A friend of my Dads just gave me 2 bottles of beer his Dad bottled in 1959. They look OK through the bottle but they do have some sediment in the bottom. Do you guys think there is anyway the beer is still good?
 
Is it homebrew? If so, keep in mind it wasn't filtered/pasteurized. I don't even think a barleywine would hold up that long.

It might be interesting to pour one out and look at it or take a sniff, but drinking? You'd have to be a braver man than I. :drunk:
 
Pour it, look at it, smell it... if all clears your perception of good beer then take a swig... its not going to kill you.. it may hurt a bit but no biggie!
 
My buddy bought a home about a year ago and down in the fridge in the basement sat a 6 pack of 12 year old natty light. I drank 1, it had more character then the "fresh" stuff.
 
My buddy bought a home about a year ago and down in the fridge in the basement sat a 6 pack of 12 year old natty light. I drank 1, it had more character then the "fresh" stuff.

Wow that's crazy! I didn't know Natty Light came in anything other than 24 pack cans...;)
 
I just recently attended the San Louis Obispo Craft Beer Fest. They has a "tasting" of Anchor brewery's beers ranging from 1970 to 2010. 10 beers sampled in all, 70,74,81 etc. The older beers retained the spice flavor but virtually no evidence of hops. They were however,all good. Crack one open and enjoy!
 
I got to try a flagstaff beer from 1976 in the bicentennial can this weekend. It was an interesting experience.
 
I have had a 10yr stout a buddy brewed, no hop presence but still very good. Originally brewed as a 12%abv so I am sure that helped things a bit jn preserving it.
 
A friend of mine used to home brew back in the early eighties and had some bottles left over. He gave me those bottles and a case of them were still full. I cracked one open and took a swig, i thought he was going to puke. I thought the beer tasted fine. I ended up drinking two of them.
 
I recently went to a Vintage Beer Fest in chicago. I think the oldest beer i've ever had was there, and I think it was 1999.

They had older stuff, but cost several tickets for just a taster... meh.
 
Guy in my club brought in some porter that was in the attic of a friend (in FL - where your attic gets to 120 deg) that was brewed by 2 college students in the late 80's. It was in a a green Grolsch style bottle. We all tried some. It wasn't terrible, had some serious sherry notes going on from the heat and oxidation, but overall they must have had good sanitation practices because it was still sorta drinkable. I would say that oxidation kills most older homebrew. That being said, if the zombieapocolypse came and I needed a drink, I'd still drink that 20 year old brew.

Cheers.
 
Had a 1996 Samichlaus that we opened at a birthday party last fall (2012). It was probably one of the best beers I have ever consumed, better even than the Dark Lord we opened as well that night. It was nearly a religious experience. Of course it had been handled decently and stored at reasonable aging temperatures the entire time.
 
I had a can of 1982 World's Fair beer. You can find it from collectors all around here in Knoxville. It's was still carbonated. It did have some wierd floaties in the bottom. Granted, I shared a can with several people. This beer was never that great in the first place, but at least none of us got sick.
 
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