Re: beer hauls
 

Stone is the brewery from which Arrogant Bastard hails

Re: beer hauls
 

Grassy-a$$, Al-b...Now one more question before I totally threadjack. I see here and there, "put some away for
a few years, you'll be glad you did." At the risk of starting a fight over 'aging' I come from the bourbon community,
where once it's in glass, time stops. Besides the analogy to Cuban Cigars, i.e., the price will never be going DOWN,
so when you see the good stuff, grab it, what could one logically expect a beer like that to do over time?
Or maybe, which beers seem to benefit from time in the cool and dark.

Re: beer hauls
 

Haha, sorry, i just thought this was funny as hell.

Re: beer hauls
 

I've personally never been able to age beers, even in cases. I just drink them all. :sh

Cigars are easier for me to set aside.....easier to horde tons in coolers then to have a ton of beers lying around. I just don't have the space for it.

In general though Imperial stouts are ones to age. IPA's in general you wouldn't want to age.

Re: beer hauls
 

Yes, as per my retardedly high ABV bourbons I like beers that are very brutal and 9%-21% ABV. Thus the Double Bastard/Arrogant Bastard, even the Stone Ruination. I guess I would call them "aggressive beers". Anything from Stone's usually is a great example. The Russian Imperial Stout is another good one.

Re: beer hauls
 

Others here will have far more sound advice but here is my try at advice:

Start here

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/101/

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/101/store.php


This is merely a starter article but it helped me. I started a year or so ago aging beers and its been more of an experiment than anything. Some I have held onto longer tasted better within months but lost something within a year, others sucked totally after aging and some have been better every time I try them. IPAs and other hoppy beers lose hoppiness as they age but very complex beers can benefit from time as flavors meld, as cigars. And just as stronger Cubans tend to fair longer in aging, stronger beers do as well. Some beers I've had that had a strong 'alcohol' taste became less harsh as they aged while some beers that were tasty to begin with became boring as they aged.

Re: beer hauls
 

+1 I love aggressive beers but damn Stone brewery....their Russian IS is hard to come by.

Re: beer hauls
 

Not really, technically it is a seasonal release that in some places (here) sits on shelves for months. However, the next release will be shipped shortly along with a Belgian variation

http://atlantabeermaster.com/stones-odd-russian/

Re: beer hauls
 

Yeah I agree, there really is no season it just hits the local a few random times a year. Even out of season.

Re: beer hauls
 

Exactly what the Stone rep told me at a tasting at my local B&M. He didn't even have any to try that night

Re: beer hauls
 

Thanks for the heads up. If my B&M doesn't have any when it releases I may have to find another place even though he has been good to me when it comes to getting limited production beers. It seems the more I expand my knowledge of beer the more I'm noticing he can't get a hold of the ones I want.

Re: beer hauls
 

Sorry to keep posting links but this is how I find good stores and bars when I travel

http://beeradvocate.com/beerfly/

You may have to sign up, not sure but worth it. When I was meeting Bao and Moe in Worcester, MA I was able to locate Austin Liquors, which had a great selection of stuff including GIBCS and some others I was looking for.

Re: beer hauls
 

The best beers to age are high ABV, bottle conditioned ales. This includes the Imperial stouts Bill mentioned, but also barleywines, double IPAs, Christmas ales, and many Belgians. The reason is that the yeast in these bad boys will continue to work on the beer, causing changes over time.

If you have the patience, it can pay off. Most of the beers I age are homebrews, some go back to the mid-90s. I shared a 1996 (I think) "mystery stout" at a herf a few months ago, and it was like a smooth sherry.

Re: beer hauls
 

Barleywines & Imperial Stouts are my favorites to age.
Also bourbon barrel beers such as Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Re: beer hauls
 

Well in the other thread I told the tale of the Thelonius Bit(hes Brew that I had seen, of course it was only a mental
picture and it was the regular Brother Thelonius belgian ale, but of course, I rushed back to the store today.
We had a Wicked bout of severe weather here last night, and work had no power. As I move electrons around
to make funny pictures for a living, no need for me to stick around. And for some reason Buster's opens
really early, lol. So I march in there to collect my bit(hes brew. Which isn't. So instead of doing what I SHOULD,
Marching right back out, what do we ALL do? That's right, we make yesterday look like a coin in the fountain.
More or less, anyway, I mean I did not break the bank. Alcohol marketers love me, cause I never saw
a gift set I didn't want to buy, and I 'needed a glass', then I figured people seem to like the hoppy hoppenstein
or whatever, and I thought I'd try another rack on color alone and went for that russian stuff.

Thanks to all who replied with answers to my newb question. Here, for you, are more pics of glass.

Re: beer hauls
 

Those all get the :tu :tu in my book. Victory makes some great beer--Hop Wallop is an excellent specimen. Imperial IPA, and if you're not a citrusy hop fan, it might be a little much. I love it, though!

Re: beer hauls
 

Brad = Winning!

I really dig those, Brad! And now you have a great Chimay goblet to down the goods.

Trappist Ales 4 Life!

Re: beer hauls
 

Damn Brad! Well done :tu Those Old Rasputins are tasty :dr

Re: beer hauls
 

You will not be disappointed. Buy as many as you can afford. It is outstanding stuff.

Re: beer hauls
 

Got me a pair of Mephistopheles today. They were only $9 a piece.