BIN905
-
A Great Beer Debate
Ageing Beer?
People have known for centuries that ageing wine can add complexity, soften tannins, integrate flavors, and generally improve a bottle of wine. In fact, many of the most collectible and sought after wines are so valuable because they are made with the intent of ageing the wine; think of Barolo, Cru Classe Bordeaux, Grand Cru Burgundy, Penfolds Grange, etc. While these wines can be tannic, rough, abrasive and unapproachable in their youth they have the capacity to age for decades, and morph into something magical.
Onto the crux of my article, what about ageing beer?
I’m certainly not going to advocate cellaring that 24 of Canadian your buddy brought over to your Superbowl party. Run of the mill beers are meant to be consumed now, maybe not on the Monday after Superbowl, but within 3-6 months of their production. Just like there is lots of wine produced for immediate consumption most beer is produced for the same purpose. The beers I’m talking about cellaring are the cream of the proverbial beer crop; the special styles, the iconic producers, and the exceptional quality that can make some beers tremendously age worthy.
When thinking of beers to cellar what you should be looking for are Vintage dated beers, Imperial Stouts, Belgian Strong Ales, Lambic beers, and Old Ales. These are the kind of beers made to rigorous standards, often bottled larger formats (750ml and up) and sometimes sealed with a cork. If the idea of ageing beer piques your interest it is these beers that can age beautifully and develop magnificent and beautiful character over time.
My recommendation to you is to buy yourself a few of these beers, multiples of each work best (in case you can’t help but drink a few) then lay the beers down to age and try one every year or so. Head on down to Bin905 for some great advice and some fantastic prices to help get your beer cellar started, you’ll be amazed how rewarding it can be.
Here are a few great possibilities available at Bin905:
Les Trois Mousquetaires, Porter Baltique
Chimay, Pères Trappists, Grande Reserve (Blue Cap)
St. Bernardus, Abt 12, Belgium Strong Ale
Region: worldwide
