Beer that improves with age

Tim a écrit :

- Harvey's Le Coq Imperial Double Stout

- Gale's Prize Old Ale

and of course, loads of belgian beers, many oof which I actually find a lot better after 18 months in the cellar (not as thick and sweet) The usual suspects would be for example :

- Rochefort 8

- Rochefort 10

- Chimay blue label

- Orval

- Westvleteren 12

- De Ranke Guldenberg

- Liefmans Goudenband

- Boon Geuze (20 years BBE)

- most Cantillon produce (if you can bear such very dry and very sour lambics, they've got 30 Years BBE)

Some non-belgian contenders would be :

- Lancelot XI.I (Brittanny)

- Baladin Noël (Italy)

- Baladin Elixir (Italy)

- Unibroue Maudite (Quebec)

- Unibroue Fin du Monde (Quebec)

- Eggenberger Samichlaus (Austria). Not bottle-conditioned, but at 14+ %, it's rather immune to the test of time. ;o) ...

Basically, the criteria would be :

1. bottle-conditioned (ie. with a live yeast)

1. either over 7 % ABV or over 6 % ABV if the hopping is on the heavy side

2. a decent cellar, stable at 12-14°C, with very little light and stable, moderate humidity.

... and then, well, it's a hit-and-miss affair, really. Some stronger beers seem to be unstable over time for no particular reason, whilst a few lighter ones stand pretty well the test of time. It's a bit of a "try as you go" process.

One point to look out for are corks. Whilst I've never had a problem with the corks used on Prize Old Ale, I've had quite a few 75cl belgins where the cork had tainted the beer, and believe me, it's very annoying. To that respect, crown-corks can survive pretty well more than 15 years, and won't give a nasty taste to your beer.

As to traditional gueuzes, they can't really get any sourer or smell any mustier, so they've got rather indicative BBEs

Hope this helps !

Laurent

Thanks for all of this - haven't tried the Harvey's or Gales, so I will hunt them out.

Tim

Get them quick. After this year the Prize will be brewed by Fullers (so they say) so it won't be the pukka version.

And with Fuller's on the prowl for further pubs whose to say Harvey's won't be on their shopping list :-(

John B

Fuller's seems to have become the current public house enemy number one. If they destroy Harvey's as well there's no hope.

m.

To be fair they committed themselves to keep Gale's branding in the Gale's estate, along with Fuller's brewed Gale's beers.

But are they are keeping to their word?

The last 'Gale's' pub I went in was awash with Pride bar towels, Pride badged glasses and on the bar - wait for it - London Pride, ESB and HSB.

So that was a big commitment that seems to have been dropped already :-(

And while we are at it, add Palmers to the risk list.

John B