Craft Beer:Better with Age?
Patience is a virtue. For certain craft beer styles, that same adage applies. While many craft beers are best enjoyed fresh, others benefit from aging — developing deeper flavors and complex aromas over time. If you’re ready to explore beer cellaring, here are some essential tips to do it right.
Top Three Rules for Aging Beer
1. Choose beers with one of the three “S’s” – strong, sour, or smoked.
As a general rule, beer should have at least 8% ABV, noticeable acidity, or a smoky character to age well. These styles can develop richer, more nuanced flavors over time.
2. Cellar your beer in a dark, cool place.
Ultraviolet light can create off-flavors in beer, so keep your bottles away from sunlight. Ideal cellar temperatures range from 50°F to 65°F — warmer conditions speed up the aging process but can lead to instability.
3. Taste the beer periodically.
Not every beer improves with time. Taste your brews occasionally to see how they’re developing — and if they’re past their prime, enjoy them while they’re still great!
Two Factors That Impact Cellaring
1. Oxidation
Oxidation occurs when beer is exposed to air, creating flavors reminiscent of wet cardboard. While light beers suffer from oxidation, stronger ales like Scotch ales can gain complexity from it. Larger bottles may reduce the risk of over-oxidation due to less air in the headspace.
2. Bacteria
Bacterial contamination can cause sourness and ruin the beer’s flavor, though it’s not harmful to health. Wild yeasts or bacteria introduced during fermentation are often to blame. Controlling storage conditions helps minimize unwanted bacterial activity.
Beers That Age Well
Alaskan Brewing’s Smoked Porter
The dark, robust body and smoky flavor of the Alaskan Smoked Porter make it a cellar classic. Each year’s limited “vintage” evolves like fine wine — with smoke fading and malt complexity emerging over time. Some enthusiasts are still enjoying bottles from the early 1990s.
Bell’s Brewing’s Eccentric Ale
This limited edition American Strong Ale is brewed with juniper, ginger, coriander, maple syrup, and more — creating layers of flavor that mature beautifully over time. Available only on Eccentric Day, this brew is famous for its longevity and cellaring potential.
Three Floyds Brewing’s Dark Lord
This legendary Russian-style Imperial Stout is released only once a year on Dark Lord Day. With its dense, sweet malt profile and high ABV, it’s a prime candidate for long-term aging — if you can resist drinking it right away.
Trial and Error
There’s no fixed formula for aging beer. Generally, try aging bottles for at least one year, then sample at intervals (1, 5, and 10 years) to compare results. Beer aging is part science, part art — and completely personal.
Cellaring offers a rewarding journey into flavor evolution. With careful storage and patience, you can experience how time transforms your favorite craft beers into something extraordinary.
Cheers!
