Beer Friday: Cellaring and Aging Beer

Most beer doesn’t age well. It’s a living, breathing liquid and it will eventually die. (If it’s been brewed by yours truly, it seems to die somewhere between the kettle and the carboy.) But a very select few beers actually improve with age—or more commonly, change into something equally interesting—and IHT takes a look a few that do. (Chimay, some lambics, beer that is actually bourbon.)

If you want to age some yourself, feel free, but be advised that it’s entirely possible you may be taking a good beer and making it just okay. Beer Advocate magazine includes reviews of cellared beers which may give you some idea of which ones age better than others.

Eftekhari recommends aging beer in a dark room, at no more than 20 degrees Celsius, or about 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Oliver recommends 10 to 13 degrees Celsius. If the bottle is corked, keep it on its side, Oliver said, and watch out for temperature fluctuations and light, which can ruin the beer. Like wine, beer can spoil during aging if air enters the bottle or if the cork or cap is infected.

Some beers really do get better with age [IHT] (Thanks, Jamie!)