How old is your oldest beer? (And is it drinkable)

[Cicada]

In August 2012 my dad unearthed a few bottles of a brew he did in August 1999. It was terrible but he drank them all. The yeast sediment at the bottom looked like bath tub scum. It was a great experience though because a week later we got all of his old stuff out again and brewed my first batch!

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

In August 2012 my dad unearthed a few bottles of a brew he did in August 1999. It was terrible but he drank them all. The yeast sediment at the bottom looked like bath tub scum. It was a great experience though because a week later we got all of his old stuff out again and brewed my first batch!

What type of beer was it? What style?


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[sandyeggoxj]

I just drank a Imperial Black IPA last night that I brewed around Christmas of 2010. It was tasty. Force carb'd and bottled from a keg. Lost all the hop character but it was still good. I thought it was going to be garbage and I was planning to pour it down the drain. Ended up enjoying it.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/old-beer-467670/

 

[wbstevens1]

I have about 6 bottles left of a 125 ibu imperial ipa that will be three years old in May. It is still carbonated but has mellowed out substantially and tastes more like a barley wine at this point. Still pretty good though. I used 14 ounces of Amarillo and citra in that 5 gallon batch. 11.5% abv. Last year I found one bottle of my first home brew batch ever, about 5-6 years old. It was a pale ale (partial mash) kit, but when I drank it last year it tasted like a flat coors... I use oxygen barrier caps which probably helps some on longevity.
I also have a 4 year old dfh 120 min I'm saving for a rainy day. I'll update if I decide to open it.

 

[Cicada]

What type of beer was it? What style?


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Something really basic like an American pale ale or something. When we went to the homebrew shop to get our ingredients for that next brew he told the cashier about it, who thought it was the grossest thing he'd ever heard


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[aStoutObserver]

The oldest beer I've got is my 2nd brew. It was a partial pumpkin. Very good six months ago, today I doubt it.

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[Hackwood]

I have a Chimay on tap that is 1-1/2 years old that is still very tasty!

 

[JPFuller]

Last summer (2013) I drank a bottle of beer I brewed in 1986, along with a bottle of cellar stored Thomas Hardy's from 1990 or 1992 (Can't remember which). Both were very similar, and drinkable, they had restrained but present carbonation, no hop aroma, very little perceived bitterness and were malty, raisiny and port like. Both were dark and clear. In 1986 I was still brewing extract with grains, leaf hops and most likely partial boils on the stove, and it lasted well for a beer 25+ years old

 

[solbes]

Last summer (2013) I drank a bottle of beer I brewed in 1986, along with a bottle of cellar stored Thomas Hardy's from 1990 or 1992 (Can't remember which). Both were very similar, and drinkable, they had restrained but present carbonation, no hop aroma, very little perceived bitterness and were malty, raisiny and port like. Both were dark and clear. In 1986 I was still brewing extract with grains, leaf hops and most likely partial boils on the stove, and it lasted well for a beer 25+ years old

Dang. You must brew like a ninja to avoid oxidation for 25 years

Right around 2-3 years is where I normally taste the oxidation setting in.

 

[tootal]

I forgot about a beer I had in a keg. The keg had lost it's pressure and I figured the worst. I had just cleaned some good kegs so I transferred it over and recarbonated it by force carbonation. Got a glass and it was wonderful! We had done 60 gallons with our brew club at a micro brewery for "Teach a friend to home brew day". It was a hopped up version of skull splitter from England. It is known as Sling Blade! After it fermented we pumped all the fermenters into a 53 gallon Rye Whiskey Barrel and left it for 6 months. It's still excellent after 2 years!

 

[mdennytoo]

15 days -hic!-

 

[HumulusHead]

Longest I ever held onto a beer was a Rye-ish IPA-ish beer that me and a buddy brewed.

I held on to it for so long because it was the first beer I ever brewed, I just felt like I needed to hold onto it...

Brewed it in Fall of 2009, drank it in summer of '12. Almost three years old.

It was better than I remembered them initially tasting, but maybe that was the time lapse talking too...

But that beer was a thinking beer, if you know what I mean? Made me happier than most beers I've drank in the past.

 

[Meadiator]

I forgot about a beer I had in a keg. The keg had lost it's pressure and I figured the worst. I had just cleaned some good kegs so I transferred it over and recarbonated it by force carbonation. Got a glass and it was wonderful! We had done 60 gallons with our brew club at a micro brewery for "Teach a friend to home brew day". It was a hopped up version of skull splitter from England. It is known as Sling Blade! After it fermented we pumped all the fermenters into a 53 gallon Rye Whiskey Barrel and left it for 6 months. It's still excellent after 2 years!

I wonder if it's possible to recarb old beers in that circumstance. I know it's unethical, but it'd be an interesting experiment

 

[skw]

When I started brewing, I read some of the "time will heal all beers" threads. Inspired by the "forgot my horrible brew in the fridge, it was incredible a year later!", I kept a bottle each of my early kit 'n kilo brews. A year later, I started brewing AG and opened some of my early brews.

They may have been good at the time. My beers are so much better now. I drank the last bottle from my November pale ale yesterday and am now looking forward to brewing it again - it'll be so much better this time!

I tend to dry hop a lot, they're better fresh.

 

[RD400F]

I brewed a Chimay clone in Jan. 2013 and it was my first beer. It wasn't very good about 8 months in and considered throwing out a couple bottles I had left but decided against. Opened one a month ago and it surprised me with how good it was. Now I have one last bottle, tempted to open it but I keep wondering how it will be come next January.

 

[Calichusetts]

My 14% bourbon barleywine is beginning to fall off after 15 months. Only got a few left but no idea when I will drink them