Hi Everyone!
First time posting and was wondering if anyone has brewed a beer that has aged really well for a lonng period of time. I am expecting my first kid in a couple of weeks and I wanted to brew a beer that I could age and share with her on her 21st birthday. I was thinking of some kind of saison, wild ale, or RIS. Any recommendations, tips, and feedback are appreciated. Thanks for the help!
First, 21 years is a long time to age a beer and it could very likely become an oxidized mess. Second, a big ABV beer would be best for aging. So, a RIS like you mentioned would work. My favorite “big beer” is an American Barleywine. I make one every year and bottle it and they can improve with age.
Yes, 21 years is a looooonnnng time to age a beer - even one that is strong/heavy and with darker malts or high in melanoidins that is more likely to stand up to aging. I’d say it’s a real long shot. My experience has been that very strong beers, like in the 9 - 14% ABV range, that I’ve either brewed or purchased have been good for perhaps up to 5-6 years at best before starting to degrade and take on less pleasant character. Most haven’t lasted that long before oxidation/aging/staling gets the best of them. Sorry to be the bearer of bad new. And yes if you wish to attempt this you’ll definitely want a “big” beer such as a strong barleywine or RIS.
I think English Barleywine is probably the best option. Oxidation is unavoidable in a beer that old, and the sherry like character of oxidation works best in that style more than about any other.
Also, I should have said in the first place… Welcome to the forum Garrett! And congrats on welcoming your first child to the world. A momentous event indeed. I’m glad you found your way here to the forum. Please do utilize the collective experience of folks here to broach questions and solicit input. Cheers!
Best of luck brewing, Garrett. As others have said, a high ABV brew is possibly your best bet.
I’ve been brewing for a long time, and a few years ago, an old friend stopped by with half of a six-pack of extract-based imperial stout that I had brewed and given him as a Christmas present - 18 years previously! He found it as he was cleaning out a closet. (I couldn’t believe it, but the musty records I had of that brew could not be denied) Since I was surrounded by a hoard of BJCP judges at the time, we opened some and evaluated. Color was still fairly dark and clear, slight carbonation (still!), and strong overtones of prunes (not ‘dark fruits’, that’s too polite, it was definitely prunes).
I can’t say that an 18 year old RIS was the best beer I’ve ever had, but it was better than I would ever have expected.
I have a similar story, but not 18 years. A friend brought over a Barleywine that I made and gave him 10 years prior. It had some nice sherry notes and surprisingly had some bitterness and hop flavor. This beer was in the back of his refrigerator for 10 years and was bottle conditioned, so I think those factors help prevent some staling.
Perhaps a mead might work.
These are all great ideas! Thanks so much for the feedback. I know I am definitely taking a shot in the dark here but figured I’d give it a try. Recently at our homebrew meeting one guy brought in a bottle of an old ale from 1988 (the year i was born) and I thought that was pretty cool. I think I am going to do a RIS and monitor it every year to see how it tastes. Thanks again for all your help!
Congrats, Garrett!
We made a mead for each of our two kids – with around 40 bottles each, the goal is to open one every once in awhile (e.g., on their birthday, for me and family to enjoy), and then turn over the bulk of the bottles once the kiddos are situated as adults, for them to continue aging and enjoying. The first mead (much like the first kid) was a learning experience (there is a TON I would do differently; I’ll withhold judgement on my parenting), but has aged out pretty well (7.5 years now). The second mead went much more smoothly (I suppose like the second kid!)…we’re opening a bottle on his third birthday in a few weeks. Various family members helped with mead production and bottling too, so these are extra-special batches. May you have equally happy memories as your craft your brew!
I tried a Flanders Red I was going to save for 21 years. Open a bottle a year after packaging to check the progress… it failed before packaging. Love the concept. I need a better approach.
+1 One of my brew buddies made an English Barleywine for the birth of his youngest daughter. They opened it when she turned 21 and the beer was very sherry-like but still great as he told me. I have some 27 year old bottles of Thomas Hardy’s Ale here that are still delicious after aging that long.
BTW, my brew buddy and I make a barleywine every year hand have them going back 6 years now. They have aged very well.
I should also say welcome to the forum and congrats on the birth of your daughter, Garrett
I went Flanders Red because I figured it might be the least offensive to a potential non beer drinker. Kind of “wine-esque”. But I guess a barleywine can have some magical powers after years.
I have one bottle left from a batch of cherry mead (18%) that I brewed over 17 years ago. The last one I tried was last year at a homebrew club meeting that everyone there thought was really good.
One of the best beers I ever had was a 1988 Thomas Hardy’s Old Ale when it was about 20 something years old. However, it was a sweet spot for sure. The same day I sampled one two years older that was not good at all.
I once had a chance to try a 54 year old bottle of Ballantine Burton Ale. Not really recognisable as beer.
I tried an '86 a couple of years ago that had turned to vinegar, but I have some as old as 2001 in my cellar that are still in good shape. I just tasted my oldest homebrew batch of barleywine from 2012 last month and it was still quite enjoyable.
I once had a chance to try a 54 year old bottle of Ballantine Burton Ale. Not really recognisable as beer.
You are a brave man.
Mead is a great idea as well. However I have never done it haha. Thanks again for all the responses!
Naw, not really…it tasted a bit like watered down scotch