Suggestions for beers to age

[uglysofa]

So I've been toying with the idea of cellaring some beers to age and was looking for some suggestions of specific beers that would be good to start with. I enjoy darker heavier beers. Stouts and porters are right up my alley along with barley wines and dark belgians. Suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[SumnerH]

So I've been toying with the idea of cellaring some beers to age and was looking for some suggestions of specific beers that would be good to start with. I enjoy darker heavier beers. Stouts and porters are right up my alley along with barley wines and dark belgians. Suggestions would be appreciated.

You're definitely in the right area. Dark, big beers often age well, especially big RISes and barleywines.

Dogfish Head Immort Ale is one that ages beautifully; a fresh one is nothing special, but a 2-year-old is a great beer. Anything that is too boozy/rocket-fuel-ish is worth giving a chance to age and mellow. Most bourbon stouts are better with a year or two on them. Stone Double Bastard turns from a weird but cool hop thing into a barleywinish win after a year; it's great fresh and aged, but totally different.

Orval is an enigma--it goes from good to meh to great to okay to fantastic to crappy to awesome, and it's tough to judge. But it's worth throwing 4 of them in the basement and trying one every 6 months. If you like sours, they often age really well.

 

[Mongrel]

Find The Abyss and/or Black Butte XX from Deschutes. Both age beautifully.

 

[uglysofa]

Argh I have to order Dogfish Head if I want it. It isn't carried in the state of Alabama. Throwing a few Orvals down there would be an interesting experiment.

 

[Homebrewtastic]

Something big. Something with bugs... or both.

Imperial Russian Stouts, Baltic Porters, Belgian Golden Strong (one of my favs)... all age well. The alcohols in them blend in with the beer over time and begin to register as sweetness on the palate.

Something to keep in mind when aging is that hop character and bitterness decrease over time. Close to 50% of the IBUs drop out in six months.

As sumner was talking about orval... it gets better because the bugs work on the beer and it changes it completely. If you get a fresh one it's bright and hoppy, then moves into musty, then sourish etc... etc...

 

[HItransplant]

Find The Abyss and/or Black Butte XX from Deschutes. Both age beautifully.

mmm agreed. and both are represented in my cellar as we speak. I opened my 09 abyss on new years eve 10/11, fantastic.

these are actually the two I was thinking about. Basically the higher the alcohol %, the more tollerant/better suited to aging (correct me if im wrong everyone).

have fun

 

[Mongrel]

The real beauty is that their waxed caps almost scream "don't open me yet, ****er!"

 

[HItransplant]

The real beauty is that their waxed caps almost scream "don't open me yet, ****er!"

thats what that squeaking sound was

 

[raestlyn]

Chimay Grand Reserva is great at 4 years old.

 

[Probably_Confused]

If you like inky black beer, Old Rasputin would age well. Or Goose Island's Burbon County Porter would be an interesting choice.