LCBO Winter Warmers 2007 release

[The_Jester]

Hi kids - I'm relatively new to the beer scene. (Although I've been enjoying it in various forms for 20 years now.) I've been getting some good counseling and instruction, but this very interesting thread has left me with a question:
What makes a beer worth aging? I know it's gotta be more than fancy packaging and expensive prices that makes beer worth putting away.
So, to keep it on topic, which of the Winter Warmers should be aged, and for how long?

[shintriad]

Hi kids - I'm relatively new to the beer scene. (Although I've been enjoying it in various forms for 20 years now.) I've been getting some good counseling and instruction, but this very interesting thread has left me with a question:
What makes a beer worth aging? I know it's gotta be more than fancy packaging and expensive prices that makes beer worth putting away.
So, to keep it on topic, which of the Winter Warmers should be aged, and for how long?

There's a pretty good introductory article here: http://www.ratebeer.com/Story.asp?StoryID=466

It's really kind of a crapshoot though. Not every beer cellars well, even when you think it should. And others will surprise you.

What it comes down to is this: Try all the beers fresh, and then cellar the ones that you feel would benefit from some aging, then give it a shot. The general rule I stick to is high-alcohol, dark, heavy, yeasty beers work best. LCBO doesn't carry too many beers that fit that profile, so you don't have much to worry about.

So, definitely Fullers, St. Ambroise, Mill Street (even though their B-wine sucks, might be worth vintaging), Aventinus, etc. Any strong ale, basically.

Here's my secret tip: Get a sixer of Creemore Urbock and vintage half of it. On its own it's not a bad beer, and while it was better years ago, I find it ages well. I have some five-year-old Urbock and it's super-fantastich.

[Duffey]

Here's my secret tip: Get a sixer of Creemore Urbock and vintage half of it. On its own it's not a bad beer, and while it was better years ago, I find it ages well. I have some five-year-old Urbock and it's super-fantastich.

I would never guess that a 6% moderately hopped beer would survive five years. What is it like now?

[Raptor2023]

Greg, an update. The Thomas Hardy's and the Brakspear number just went live. The THA is priced at $4.65 while the Brakspear at $3.50. Can't wait for them.

[Roland + Russell]

Just a quick note for those new to this board or the beer scene:

Thomas Hardy's Ale is suitable for cellaring for up to 25 years. Hopefully in the next few days store availability will show up on the LCBO site.

Best wishes of the season,

[shintriad]

Here's my secret tip: Get a sixer of Creemore Urbock and vintage half of it. On its own it's not a bad beer, and while it was better years ago, I find it ages well. I have some five-year-old Urbock and it's super-fantastich.

I would never guess that a 6% moderately hopped beer would survive five years. What is it like now?

Weird, huh? According to that article hops don't make that big a difference, but I'm just going to assume that, like a lot of ordinary wines, a lot of relatively ordinary beers can still handle aging.

The aging brings out some dark fruit, port and cocoa flavours. Subtle ones, mind you.

[hops are your friend]

Thomas Hardy's Ale is suitable for cellaring for up to 25 years. Hopefully in the next few days store availability will show up on the LCBO site.

Since the LCBO web site listed inventory at the Ottawa-South location, I went off this morning to get some. After looking on the shelves for a while, I asked an employee to check. His first trip to the back was unsuccessful, so he asked a few other employees. Another guy showed him where it was in the back, and so they brought some out for me. Things look okay so far.

When I got to the cashier, the bottles wouldn't scan so she had to ask for help. Some manager-type employee said something like "Those aren't for sale yet." and took off with one of them. He didn't offer any service-oriented words like "Sorry, we have to wait until this product is properly entered into our computer system. May we take your name and number and we'll call you when this product is really available?" He also didn't seem to realize that I had 11 more sitting in a box at the cash.

I asked the 2 employees at the cash if they would do anything to provide reasonable service, and suggested (multiple times) that taking my name and number would be a start.

Anyways, I expect the yellow sticky they wrote my name on is now tossed into the garbage somewhere. This store only has 45 bottles, so I guess I'll have to drop by every day or two for the next while...

[Bytowner]

He didn't say when they were going to be stocked out?

[hops are your friend]

He didn't say when they were going to be stocked out?

He said nothing directly to me, just the statement to the cashier that the Thomas Hardy could not be sold yet. He took the one beer the cashier was trying to scan and walked away. No attempt at anything resembling customer service.

[irishkyle21]

He said nothing directly to me, just the statement to the cashier that the Thomas Hardy could not be sold yet. He took the one beer the cashier was trying to scan and walked away. No attempt at anything resembling customer service.

And thats why I love the L.C.B.O

[Bytowner]

I've told my girlfriend to call the store every hour, on the hour

[fluke17]

Just got back from Cooper St. and picked up 8 bottles of Thomas Hardys - LCBO online shows 96 yesterday- were a couple more there at least sitting in an open box (not on shelf yet that I saw), but don't know how many cases in the back.
Steve

[hops are your friend]

Anyways, I expect the yellow sticky they wrote my name on is now tossed into the garbage somewhere. This store only has 45 bottles, so I guess I'll have to drop by every day or two for the next while...

It's a miracle! The LCBO called today to say that they could now sell me the 12 TH I had in my hands yesterday. They even offered to put it aside at the service counter. I picked them up this afternoon, so things worked out okay in the end.

FYI - There were only 17 bottles left on the shelf at the Ottawa-South store. Since they only started with 45 (weird number but that's what the online inventory claimed), I doubt there's much left in the back. At least some of the other Ottawa stores are starting to show inventory online.

[Bytowner]

If any of you clean out Orleans I WILL find you!

[lister]

Picked up four at Cooper St. The bottles finally made it on to the shelf, probably another box was brought out as there were more than a couple left on the shelf.