Found some old beer...

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artyboy

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My dad bought a restaurant a couple of years ago and there were a few bottles of beer sitting in his cooler from the previous owner. One is a Breckenridge Christmas ale from 1996 in a 1l fliptop bottle. It's hand numbered. Another is an amber ale from Coors Field from 1995 in the same type of bottle. There are also two bottles of belgium dobble in corked champagne bottles. I'm pretty positive that the amber will be horrible. The Christmas ale might be bad, too. The dobbles intrigue me. They don't have dates on them so they might still be good. Do old, unopened beer bottles have any collectability? Are they even safe to try? I'm leary but I'm also intrigued. So what would you do?

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They're completely safe to try. I'd actually be most interested in the christmas ale, as it probably has a higher alcohol content. Either way, expect some oxidation and less carbonation. Give us your thoughts!
 
I have a cellar of old beers, some going back to the mid-nineties. Drink them and enjoy them for what they are. If they have been kept cold since new then chances are they are pretty good.
 
That Coors one says "double" at the top so I'm guessing it's a bit higher ABV as well.

I would say there is some collectible value in those, especially given that they have apparently been cellared the whole time and the packaging looks to be in perfect condition.
 
That Coors one says "double" at the top so I'm guessing it's a bit higher ABV as well.

Actually it says "Double B", I assume for "Blake Bomber"

And FYI, that's not a Coors beer. It's from Breckenridge Brewery, on Blake Street along with Coors Field in Denver. Probably a special run they did.
 
The amber is named after the 1995 Colorado Rockies nickname. They called them the Blake Street Bombers. That's where the "Double B Amber Ale" comes from. It's 6% ABV. Given the history and the condition maybe I'll just hang onto it. It's also numbered 638 of only 1995.
 
I have found that any bottle that is numbered or clearly states the year it was brewed is ideal for cellaring. I have a super small cellar with around 30 bottles and love the hobby. Maybe this will get you into it!

Enjoy!
 
The amber is named after the 1995 Colorado Rockies nickname. They called them the Blake Street Bombers. That's where the "Double B Amber Ale" comes from. It's 6% ABV. Given the history and the condition maybe I'll just hang onto it. It's also numbered 638 of only 1995.

My guess is there's probably fewer than 100 left nowadays. Possibly fewer than 10.
 
Beer is made to be drank, or drunk, or drinken. We would have a special tasting of all those beers at some point if we were lucky enough to find them, you can always keep the bottles.
 
I would probably try to sell them on ebay or something... you never know if someone is a collector and would be willing to pay good money for them.

Failing making some quick cash off of them - DRINK 'EM!

And if you are not poor as S*** like me - skip step one and just crack those suckers open
 
I went by my buddy who owns a coin/cards/comic store after work today. I described the amber to him and he went into the back room, grabbed a case of them and asked me if that's what it was.

As for the tasting idea I'll probably end up bringing them to a homebrew club meeting. It's always fun to show up with weird stuff. Nothing is worse than saving them for a "special occasion" and then having everyone else at the table snub their nose because they're not into beer.
 
I have a can of Japanese beer my brother brought home from Japan, it was never cellared, I am sure it is a Lager, it is a millennium beer, with some fancy packaging, wonder if it is worth cracking open... ten years.
 
I'd drink them... especially if they've been stored properly. I've just recently started keeping special releases form local breweries in my "cellar" (closet where i bottle condition).

looking forward to cracking them open in a few years....
 
I cracked one of the Affligem Dobbels. I haven't really ever done tasting notes but here's what I came up with.

Thick off white head dissipated quickly. Some light lacing that doesn't stick around long

Very deep, clear, dark red.

Fruit fills the nose with a hint of malt and alcohol.

Stale, not unpleasant flavor up front followed by raisins. That staleness follows all the way down.

Lots of carbonation with a thinish moderate body.

Finishes with a sharp, malty bittersweet. The sweetness lingers.

I like it. I think I'll just let the other bottle live in the fridge for a while.
 
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