Beer Cellars

[A]

Never had a thousand year old beer before

[Belgian]

Never had a thousand year old beer before

Yet another 04/10/2014 Orval, this one a day older so showing slight additional maturity, nice apple overtones, also the yeast lees I swirled in are settling out a bit so there's a touch more spiciness than the first totally clear (fully-settled) bottle I cracked yesterday. The right amount of lemony and bitter is shining through.

Such a great brew after raking the leaves. And here comes the snow, right on cue. Happy Friday guys!

[KW1]

I've got a LOT of beer cellaring for some years now. So many are hard to find and I don't have the selection available to me that I used to. Since many can't be easily replaced I've been reluctant to open them up so they are sitting. I used suggestions earlier on this site for beer styles good for cellaring, but some of my beers I just don't know enough about.

I'd consider putting a list together (PITA) if people wanted to give feedback.

[Masterplan]

Rummaging around in my cellar, found three 4-packs of DDC Aphrodite from 2015 that I didn't know I had. Yum!

[sofakingdrunk]

^^^^i had one a couple weeks ago and it's drinking really nicely right noe

[Tapsucker]

A buddy of mine was telling me about the pending Great Lakes 30th anniversary. It reminded me they I have a 25th anniversary bottle somewhere under the hay. I sure hope it's not a drain pour.

Maybe I should bring it to the tasting room and have the staff "certify" it.

[Craig]

Which style? I've had the 25th anniversary stout recently and it's still excellent. I've still got two of those in my cellar.

[Tapsucker]

Which style? I've had the 25th anniversary stout recently and it's still excellent. I've still got two of those in my cellar.

Yes, Imperial Stout. That's why I wasn't 'Russian' to drink it.

[Belgian]

Which style? I've had the 25th anniversary stout recently and it's still excellent. I've still got two of those in my cellar.

Yes, Imperial Stout. That's why I wasn't 'Russian' to drink it.

A good Russian Imperial Stout should age well forever. Not all of them do. I'm looking forward to opening my bottle of 25th anniversary. This is good news.

[Tapsucker]

A good Russian Imperial Stout should age well forever. Not all of them do. I'm looking forward to opening my bottle of 25th anniversary. This is good news.

The A Le Coq finds (though there may be others) confirm this. A good beer for the ages...

I have a few home brew imperial stouts and dopplebocks that have aged amazingly over 5-7 years, and that's with my hack-ass standards of QC, sanitation and basement bottling. Indestructible!

[Belgian]

A good Russian Imperial Stout should age well forever. Not all of them do. I'm looking forward to opening my bottle of 25th anniversary. This is good news.

Having a 2013 Amsterdam Tempest Imperial Stout, in remarkably fine shape with bold and rich flavors of dark fruit, black bread, coffee and chocolate. Solid creamy palate. This is a big beer style. I guess Tempest is now an extinct species? Fittingly it looks black as oil with the nice cognac highlights. I wonder if wax sealing the caps helps these stouts age better.

[Belgian]

Having a 2009 St-Ambroise Stout Impériale Russe, also in remarkably fine shape at 7.5 years of age. Also has bold and rich flavors of winey dark fruit, chocolate ganache torte and a dry hint of coffee liqueur. Solid creamy palate is supported by a remainder of bittering hop, ALL the rough edges are gone leaving a beautiful mellowing beast of a RIS - this is so much smoother than it was 7 years ago and so perfectly knit. If you still have a few you will see what I mean.

[TheSevenDuffs]

Having a 2009 St-Ambroise Stout Impériale Russe, also in remarkably fine shape at 7.5 years of age. Also has bold and rich flavors of winey dark fruit, chocolate ganache torte and a dry hint of coffee liqueur. Solid creamy palate is supported by a remainder of bittering hop, ALL the rough edges are gone leaving a beautiful mellowing beast of a RIS - this is so much smoother than it was 7 years ago and so perfectly knit. If you still have a few you will see what I mean.

Interesting. I opened up a bottle about a year ago and it was a sweet mess. I will dig up one of my remaining bottles and see how it's tasting...

[BeerIsGood]

I currently have Westy 12, Chimay Blue, Orval, Rochefort 10 and Peche Mortel that have all been aging for slightly over five years. I was out of the country for those five years. Otherwise I seriously doubt they would have made it that long. I love what happens to the aged Orval and Westy.

[beerstodiscover]

I finally cracked open the bottle of Bush Pilot Norseman that's been hiding in the corner of my fridge for 3 years. Lots of sweet, malty, fruity notes: raisins, apples, bread and molasses. Still some alcohol heat. I'm sure some of the sweet flavour comes from the brandy barrels, but it was hard for me to pick out. And it really doesn't taste like an eisbock, but very much like a barley wine. This is about the chewiest beer I've had, not surprising considering the 14.5% abv. The 750ml bottle was a little tough to put down between two people. If you have any Norseman, aim to share with 3 or more. Kudos to Bush Pilot for such an ambitious product.