Belgian Ales | What's Oldest You've Drank?

[mosesbotbol]

Looking at adding a couple of 5L Belgian Ales (Duvel or Chimay, possibly a Unibroue) for long term aging. My local B&M has 2007's. What's the oldest 1500+ ML Belgian ale you have tried?

I had a 4 year old Anchor Christmas Ale last year and it was heavenly.

[macpappy]

Does it still age in the bottle? I thought once it was put in glass bottles the aging process stops. Of course I've never actually been able to leave and ale in the bottle long enough to find out either.

I had some Chimay Blue sitting in the crawl space under my house in Cali (the coldest spot) and it wasn't too great aged (I preferred them when they were fresh)......I think I polished off the last bottle 2 years after I bought them. Just my experience though, no clue in general.

[mosesbotbol]

Belgian ales are "bottle conditioned" and continue to develop in the bottle like most wines. The bottles are stored upright unlike wine and can age for decades.

[landhoney]

I've had some old ones, but none in large formats.

[cherrybomb]

I've found that in order to age beers it is definitely advantageous to have a alcohol level of 10% or higher

[kaisersozei]

These aren't Belgian Ales, but I brewed a high-gravity Christmas Beer in 1995 as well as a "Starbucks Stout" (added 1 pot of Sulawesi coffee to the secondary) in 1996. I pop open 1 bottle of each at Christmas time, just to see how they are aging.

Absolutely fine, if you ask me!

Originally Posted by cherrybomb

I've found that in order to age beers it is definitely advantageous to have a alcohol level of 10% or higher

Very true. Some beers age well, and some are best fresh. A lot of belgian beers have lambics (controlled bacteria) introduced that produce funky flavors. These flavors change over time.

One thing to note. Just like wines, you really need to control temperature when aging beer. You also need to keep them out of UV light. Hops do not react well to IV light.

Not all beers weather the years very well, in fact most should be consumed within a just a few months if not weeks of bottling. However! Big beers like barleywines and IPA and IIPA and many Belgian or Belgian-style beers can be put away just like a fine wine. I have a closet full of aging beers! Right now, other than some old homebrewed barleywines, I think the oldest commercial beer I have is a 1992 Cuvee Rene Gueuze. The oldest beer I have ever had the pleasure of tasting was some that a friend of mine brought to a tasting done at my house. My tasting notes for these two beers are below:

12. Thomas Hardy’s (1975) - Yep, that’s right, 1975! Pete dusted off a few vintage bottles for us to try. PFFST on opening, always a good sign! Beautiful tawny, copper color. The aroma is malty, with hints of smoke, wine and bitter chocolate. Smells like the bottom of a well-used barrel. Salty, leather, tobacco flavors merge with licorice and caramelized raisins. The smoke turns to bacon-like flavors. It moves like mercury in the snifter. The flavors are almost maduro cigar-like. This is a well-worn boot; it fits and feels so good! Outstanding beer!!

13. Thomas Hardy’s (1974) – Another from Pete’s collection! It’s cloudy, almost chunky in appearance. Raisins and plums are prevalent in the aroma, followed by a hint of smokiness and some alcohol in the nose. Some lactic, vinous components in the flavor hit first, followed by the same leather and tobacco as in the ’75 version. This one finishes quicker, with some tartness balanced by a candi sugar sweetness that merges into a dry finish. Exceptional!


So, don't be afraid to put away some big beers for a few years. If kept in cool, dark environs they will be fine, and maybe even taste better than ever!

Bob R in OKC (aged beeer aficionado!)

Thanks Bob

and nice review!

[Bubba - NJ]

I buy quite a few Chimay red every year and usually hold them til the following Christmas for consumption . This is hands down my favorite Trappist Ale and beer for that fact . This stuff is amazing fresh and even better after a years wait . I can hardly wait . I do buy it in the 1.5 size . Is there a larger bottle available ? I've seen a huge bottle of the blue but I don't reall like that one . I just searched their web site and didn't see a Jero of the red anywhere .

[mosesbotbol]

It's hard to find them aged, unless you want to buy something that has been more of display beer at a B&M and I do not trust store floor items for serious aging. Wines take a beating in the store during the winter. The dry heat can just kill wine and beer if you want to age. Most places do not have jero's of Chimay just sitting in the cellar.

This is the time of the year the importers start bringing them in, so now it the time to order a fresh on to age. They're usually about $150-200, so it's worth making sure this going to pan out in the long run.

I hope 10 years from now, I even have interest in opening a bottle of beer that big and expensive (and that I have enough friends to help me enjoy).

I like chimay, hands down. It doesn't matter how old it is, i like it.

[Brandon]

I've had the 500th Anniversary Chimay (1986) that was excellent. I had a bunch of Chimay Grand Reserve bottles from 1999/2000 that are now finished. I still have a 1.5L bottle of Chimay from 1999.

I drank a 9 yo bottle of Chimay Grande Reserve that I found under a layer of dust in a small German liquor store.

Ambrosia!!