Beers To Cellar

[pmolou]

I'm looking to buy and cellar some beers and was wondering what recommendations people have...
I was thinking of getting some sour ones as they always improve with age... and possibly some strong imperial stouts... old ales... belgians???

anyway just looking for some recommendations to start off my cellar

cheers phil

 

[manticle]

Darker trappist beer - chimay, rochefort, orval, westmalle etc
Lambics - cantillon, lindemans
Coopers vintage ales

 

[kook]

My first question would be - do you have a suitable area for storage (i.e. temperature) ?

It's not going to be all that beneficial for you storing them at Australian room temperatures if you want to keep them for an extended period of time.

I'd love to start a cellar, but unfortunately I don't have a cellar

Once you've got the right environment, sours are a good option, but it is worth trying other beers too. Big stouts, belgian strongs, even IPA can be interesting, if only to see the changes that occur with age.

 

[sinkas]

sours dont improve with age, they are always shit-house

make sure you like the beer you bother to cellar, no point in waiting 5 or 20 years to taste a beer you wouldnt have liked to begin with anyway

 

[fitnessfan]

A beer I love to age is Coopers Vintage Ale, going to get a carton or two more when finances permit.

 

[stew41]

I agree with the cellar conditions comment. Whilst beer doesn't appear as sensitive to cellar conditions when compared to wine, I do think it's important to have a stable temp environment under 18 degrees.

Anyway, I've had favourable cellaring experiences with Chimay Blue and Red, most Cantillons, Boon, Thomas Hardy and Red Hill Imperial. I've had more misses than hits with cellaring but I guess that's part of the adventure. I'm fortunate enough to soon be in a position to construct a proper 2000 bottle wine cellar and I'll be limiting beer cellaring to the above mentioned but most other lambics I can get my hands on. Rochefort might be worth a look as well.

cheers