Would you drink it?

About 10 years ago, when I was not really into craft beers (at least not like I am now) I received a gift of assorted craft beers. I thought it was cool to leave them unopened behind my bar as decoration. Would you drink them this at this point?

 

List of beers involved:


Moretti La Rossa Doppio Malto (don't know what this is)

Goose Island Summertime (Kolsch)

Optimator Spatan (?)

Rock River Lager

Bohemia (?)

Berkshire Springs Stock Ale

Almaza Pilsner

Barbary Coast Gold Rush

Negra Modelo (which I don't mind, fresh)

Piedmont Porter (I'm guessing this is the gem in the batch)

 

I would taste them before throwing them out at least. lol

I doubt I would get past the first taste.

 

Beers have lasted and been drinkable for hundreds of years in bottles, if stored properly. Our own Mbowenz recently tried a beer that was brewed in 1852. There are still drinkable bottles brewed for Napoleon.

Beer is really no different than wine, homebrew or otherwise. Properly stored it can last and be drinkable for 100s of years.

To put it in perspective, in the Dec 07 Zymurgy Charlie Papazian reviewed bottles of homebrew going back to the first AHC competition that he had stored, and none of them went bad, some had not held up but most of them he felt were awesome...We're talking over 20 years worth of beers.

Stinkmuis is taking us on an old beer adventure in this thread- Found a beer treasure


This is a great thread about one of our guys tasting 4-5 years of his stored brew.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/revisiting-my-classics-160672/

And I brewed an og 1.150, 150 IBU barleywine that I won't be opening for 5 years.

Not to mention the fact that there are vertical tasting for certain beers like Stone epic, where people collect each years beer and then sample a flight of them going back in time.

I just had this expericence not too long ago... We tried 48 year old beer today. One was interesting and drinkable, and one was gnarly.

Now this isn't saying a beer won't change, or lose some of it's character, but still a drinkable beer. Gravity and storage conditions are the two bigger factors. But beer isn't as short lived as for example Budweiser with their silly born on dates, would have folks believe.

And anything vinegary or spoiled, your nose will know before it gets to your lips...but even if it does, nothing harmful can exist in there. So it may be unpleasant, but it won't hurt you.

More than likely they're all going to be skunked though.....but heinekin drinkers love that taste.

In other words, what do you have to lose?

 

I would definitely try them. Some might be less than desirable but they won't hurt you. Who knows, some might be fantastic! People around here have consumed much older beer.

 

They're in the fridge now. The one I'm really anxious to crack open (because I expect it to be so bad) is the pilsner that is in a green bottle. No way that will taste good.

This could be fun/funny.

 

But I want the bottles and am decluttering my bar. They'll either get imbibed or poured. So, what the hell?

 

I didn't clarify that they are leaving their current post one way or the other.

 

I'm going to bet the Optimator Spaten doppelbock, and the porter will have the most potential. And any lagers or lighter ales like the kolsh are going to be dumpers.

 

I have high hopes (relatively speaking) for the porter. The pilsner will be tasted for comic value.

 

That was horrible and had lots of suspicious stuff floating in it.

 

Everything I hoped it would be...dumped.

 

So much nastiness floating in there that I refused to even take a sip.

 

Damn, the La Rossa is an Italian Dopplebock. It might have been tasty back when it was new.

 

0 for 4. Yuck.

 

It was unbelievably sweet.

 

The best yet but still not worth drinking. Giving my taster a break before I taste the porter.

 

Nice to see the taste reviews with pictures.

 

It would be interesting to note how different it might have been if these same beers sat in a cool, dark space.

 

They've been in the basement bar for nearly 10 years. Temps from 60-75 and very little natural light.

 

Drinkable. But like the Italian Dopplebock, it has developed a strong sweetness. I also believe I've underestimated the age. Two bottles say "bottled in 1996".

 

That's a beautiful label.

 

I agree, cool label!

 

Yes and I am now annoyed with myself. I debated leaving that one alone and keeping it for decoration purposes. After some internal debate, I stripped it, washed the bottle, set with the rest...and then saw that it was a screw top. Damn waste.

 

My bets would be on the stock ale being the best after this time.

 

Yeah, I'm wondering. I just went back and re-looked at the beer list. Didn't see it the first time. Might redeem the whole experiment.

 

Experiment is on pause. I pulled an Edmund Fitz out if the fridge...man does it taste good after all those stinkers.

 

LOL....I was just going to ask if you had something to clear your palette and reward yourself for taking a bullet in the name of beer inquiry.