The Dirt
Aging beer is fun, but tough. It's not about keeping it in the right conditions or anything like that. It's tough because the beers that are best for aging...are the most difficult to put away and avoid drinking for years. Fortunately I hid this one in my wine fridge, and completely forgot about it until 2 years later. Boy did it pay off.
I don't think I've had this beer straight from the store, and I'm sure it would be great, but aging 2 years hit the ball out of the park. It poured dark and thick, which got me excited from the start. At first it had heavy dark chocolate tones and a silky disappearance that left you excited for the next sip. As it warmed up, the beer got a bit more complex, with a mocha dry back end, great malt and roastiness, and eventually a little spice in the middle. But overall it was very smooth and you could tell it mellowed a bit with the aging.
Worth it?
I have no idea what I paid for the 22oz. bomber, probably like $6, and it was more than worth it. And as tough as it was to let it sit, that was WELL worth the wait as well. This may be one of the best beers I've ever had. It had it all, from start to finish, and from cold to warmed. I couldn't get over the smoothness and flavor profiles, as they were intense, but perfectly balanced. I'm going to have to buy a case of this next time and try them over different aging periods...if I can hold myself off from them over time.
The Final Word
No comments:
Post a Comment