Beginnger’s Guide to Aging Beer

Indiana is finally coming to age when it comes to quality craft beer. It seems like every time you turn your head a new brewery is popping up, or a new out-of-this-world beer is being brewed creating collector item type beers. 

Here in Indiana, we are given the opportunity to collect some of these beers (if one is so lucky to get their hands on them) not only from the great breweries in the state but also other premier beers from the Midwest and sometimes from around the country. The craft beer era has created what we like to call the “Beer Snob,” someone that is so passionate about craft beer that drinking and collecting beer is not only a hobby but a way of life. Most of these Beer Snobs receive a bad reputation of having a pompous attitude when it comes to their beer selections, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. 

Drinking, finding, and collecting great beer can be seen to some almost as a work of art, and similar to many hobbies, Beer Cellaring or Aging is becoming hugely popular with the Brew Geeks. 

If you are looking to get into Beer Cellaring, I have come up with a few pointers that can help you grow your beer collection over time, age your beer correctly, become more knowledgeable about how aging works, and become the talk of the town in your beer-friendly community. I know many people who age beer, and these tips will help you become not only a Beer Snob but a well-respected member of the Cellaring community. We will start from the beginning. 

FINDING GOOD BEER TO AGE: FIND FRIENDS
It is easy to become a fan of beer and to find great beers around the area. However, most breweries get caught up with the idea that if you make a kick ass beer, make it in small batches. Make the demand grow so high that people will spend ridiculous amounts of money for your brew and make it to where it will be nearly impossible for people to find it. This is what makes Beer Cellaring so fun; half the battle is finding it. My suggestion is to start by finding a friend who already has a good collection. They will tell you what beers to look for. If you can, befriend a distributor or a liquor store owner. This may sound bad at first, but once these people get to know you, they will open their arms to a world of beer you may have never even seen before. Another excellent idea is to find a bottle trading event. If you have an excess of a beer you’re holding on to and find the right person, chances are they will trade you for one of their own. 

FINDING THE RIGHT BEER TO AGE: LOOK CLOSELY
There are certain types of beer to look for when wanting to age beer. You can age an IPA or Wheat if you’d like, but those kinds of beers are easy to find and don’t age well. You want to look for beers that are nine percent or more in ABV; those tend to age the best. You also want to look for darker style beers; varieties like stouts (any type) porters (Baltic, Lambic), sours, or barleywines. These are your best bets when it comes to starting your collection. Anything bourbon barreled, or smoked will likely grow in flavor over time if aged correctly. Aging will help soften harsh notes found in the beer, allow the beer to increase in complexity, and reveal individual flavors found deep within the beer. Some good, hard-to-find beers to look for in the Midwest are the Upland Sours, Three Floyds Dark Lord, Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout, and Bells Black Note Stout.