The Bar Towel

Was looking through the "needs drinking" section of my cellar and noticed I have a few of these. Seems like its going a bit sour or off... also very cloying and sticky sweet. (I know its always like that but seems even more so now)

Anyone know how long these usually last in a cool environment? should I drink/give away all?

I can dispose of it for you.



I actually had some about a month ago and, quite frankly, it tasted quite similar to what I remember last fall. Quite big and, yes, sweet (a 10% black lager might be like that) and yes some tartness, but that's in the actual written profile of the beer.

But it just seems natural for people to freak out over the taste of this beer and dump whole bottles down the drain for some reason.

If you have 25 and plan on drinking one every year, that might be a bit much, but I certainly wouldn't freak out about it.

I remember there was a thread on here a while ago (that came via BA) that mentioned PB wouldn't last that long (because of the lack of caramel malt, or something.) And that it was the Weizenbock (also delicious) that would age well for ever - Longer than the old school days of Thomas Hardy.

This might well be true, but I don't think LTM has been around for THAT long to test this theory.

I'm not the best person to ask whether to drink a beer or not, because now that I'm a stay-at-home-dad for the fall and winter, my "cellar" (which I have been stocking for a while) is going to be my LCBO, and I'll likely have to start re-building come spring. My LTM BP won't last until January.

I know - this is long-winded, but to put this in perspective: I found a few Highballers a while ago in my crawl space from last year, and cracked one open - while it's not as vibrant as this year's it was actually quite drinkable. Point is, if a 5% fruit beer can survive a year in my humid crawl space, I wouldn't worry about the 10% porters.

Thanks Jeff.. Youre right I kinda freaked out at first from the sour note, but after about 10 sips I really got into the beer and forgot about that aspect all together. I think I have about 3 left at most so it shouldent be an issue drinking them at some point relatively soon

It's true people seem to judge beers VERY quickly and think they're bad / dump them out / tick a rate without really giving it a chance.

Beers, like wines deserves a chance to open up and engage the taste buds. You don't need to "get it all up front" unless you're the equivalent of an Aussie Shiraz Head (AKA total nervous-Nelly wine drinker who wants a big obvious flavor profile exploding immediately, followed with little else to challenge and develop the palate.)

Think of your early days as a beer novice, trying some classic beers for the first time. Orval and Dupont were just weird - as was a baltic porter like Okocim. Today we love the satisfying complexity of those same brews.

And that concludes today's soapbox sermon...

Glad to hear you're enjoying. It really is a nice beer, and it does have a sweet/sour characteristic that I think is quite unique and delicious.

If you feel the bottle is overwhelming you, there's no shame in stuffing a cork in it or even wrapping a piece of plastic wrap with some elastic for tomorrow - won't be quite as bubbly, but it'll let you off the hook for drinking the whole bottle if you don't want to.

a few things.

1. that beer's always needed breathing time. a good 30 min and let it warm up if it was kept in a fridge, and you're good
2. this discussion's an old discussion. brewery says the beer is fine
3. its not a beer that should be aged. brewery suggests drinking it fresh.

I took one out of the Cellar in June and it was fantastic at room temperature.