Can Time Improve Beer Once Packaged?

[dave ziegler]

At Home I have a Bottle of original Narragansett in a amber Bottle from 1962 I got from someone who had it sitting in a basement or somewhere like that looking at it it looks to be fine but, It most likely would not be it even looks a little fizzy? I offten thought should I chill it up and see what it is like but being a regular Beer it would I guess be rotten. Just thought about it reading these Stories!

Dave Z

Beer Its Not Just A Beverage Beer Is Food

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

[HighTower]

For those of you familiar with Cooper's Beer from Australia, they release an "Extra Strong Vintage Ale" annually. It is 7.5% and they have said some of them have up to 5 years cellaring potential.

Here is a press release from last year's vintage.

I just got back from Sydney, and found a case and a half in my Dad's garage from the original 1999 release. I took a 6 pack for a friend of mine that now works for Coopers. It will be interesting to see if this beer is still good.

Would have grabbed some for myself, but I just don't drink beer.

Scott

[malto]

I've got a bottle of the Sam Adams Triple Bock, and the last year they made it was 1996. Maybe I'll bring it next fall. It's a tiny bottle, though, so there won't be much to go around.

don't be surprised if it tastes like soy sauce....this beer is either love it or hate it and you may feel like you're trying to wash the taste outta your mouth for days (like me) or you may like it.....SA was "experimenting " and I don't know what it was, maybe the maple syrup, but this beer did not hold up at all

lots of beers are made to age but it's not an exact science...whether it tastes better, worse, or just the same are clearly just opinion. I've had some big beers too young and IMO they were much improved after a couple years in the cellar. I've had others that had gone too far to sherry and wet cardboard.I have some gueze in my cellar with a best before date of 2021.

I tried a Thomas Hardy from the first year, 1968, and it was quite interesting but tasted nothing like a bottle even ten years old.As others have noted, stick to big ales be they imperial stouts or Belgian quads and you could get some interesting results...

[Gillman]

I agree. Only the stoutest ales and barley wines really improve - sometimes -with long aging. Sometimes upwards of a year seems even to improve beers of lesser body. I continue to believe that keeping some lagers cold, especially if not pasteurised, continues a kind of cold lagering.

Only barley wines, which indeed can have a deeply fruity/soy-like taste, are "designed" for long aging IMO and perhaps too some Imperial and strong stouts. If these are bottle-conditioned, aging can make them even better because the yeast in the bottle consumes the residual oxygen in the container which retards oxidation.

However, all things being equal, beer tastes best when sampled soon after bottling or canning or (of course) in draught service.

One thing I cannot abide, like the last writer, is the tell-tale sherry-like flavors of old beer much less cardboardy beer. Even a little of it puts me off and I find too it affects the digestibility of the beer. Perhaps a very little of it does not hurt, but personally I like almost all beers fresh off the line.

Gary

[Phischy]

I"ve been brewing like a mad man and starting to age some of my big beers. I've got three I've put to rest and all are over 10% ABV. A big Imperial Stout I'll tap at Xmas, a tripple chocolate porter (although I may have fermented this a bit warm and it may taste a bit hot) and recently a Hair of the Dog Adam clone, which is of the Olde Ale style....sort of belgian-ish. I've got 2 other kegs in storage and 2 other beers fermenting right now and in 2 weeks I"ll be doing another 2 beers. Football season is a killer!

Generally the lighter or hoppier the sooner it needs to be consumed as low alcohol means it won't self preserve and the hop acids dissipate within a few months.

[TBoner]

Phischy, I've got a few homebrewed strong ales set back to age, too. I also have a bunch of Anchor Old Foghorn, SN Bigfoot, and my favorite, North Coast Old Stock Ale setting about and aging: it will be a lovely vertical tasting one day.

I stumbled across a Chimay Grande Reserve from 1986 when dusty hunting, and I do mean to open that soon: stories abound of the port-like character it can take on with a couple of decades of age on it, but of course I don't know how this was treated prior to my acquisition of the bottle last year.

I'll post taste notes when I open it.

Regards,