Dg west deptford wrote:Huh? I thought beer just turned skunk with age. Or is that just with the IPA stuff I drink?
I thought that too. Then I learned I was wrong!
Many common beer types turn bad after awhile, primarily low-ABV% beers like lagers, IPAs, etc.
However, high-ABV% "heavy" beers like stouts are just like cigars! They get far better with age!
This blew my mind when somebody told me, but it's true.
You can try it yourself! Get a stout or stout-like beer that's 9% or higher ABV, put it in a dark corner of your basement for a few years. You may be amazed what happens. I was!
Now I'm a convert, with a collection of cases of stouts with different acquisition dates (MM/YY) sharpied on them... just like I do with cigars!
Flavors profile when new is usually bitterness and a relative simplicity of flavors. I mean, it's good and tasty, you can drink it immediately and it's nice. Most people DO drink them immediately. However, if you age them for a few years, the bitterness usually disappears mostly or completely, and that simplicity has turned into a very complex set of rich, coffee/cocoa flavors that are pretty amazing.
Try it! But
cool temperatures and protection from light are important, which is why basements (away from windows) work so well.
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