Oldest Beer You've Had?

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Rodolphe01

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I just cracked a Veltins Pilsener that was 4 years 4 months past its best before...

The cap was rusty and it had about as much carbonation as a Mild with just a slight hiss when I opened it. It was surprisingly pale still, until the sludge plopped into the glass, I was expecting it to have darkened considerably. I had 2 sips and I think it might have been a good beer, 4 years ago!

So this makes me wonder, what's the oldest beer you've had that was still OK? Obviously some beers age well.
 
Last year when I was in Antwerp, I had a 1984 Courage Russian Imperial Stout. It was lovely. Nothing wrong with it at all. Obviously that's a beer that can age well. I had many other beers that were old as well, but that was the oldest by about 10 years.
 
One of the very few dining places........ lets say Lake Eildon way that didnt survive the GFC had a 2 year spell. The new chef cleaned out the coolroom and among other things were lotsa beers :icon_cheers: left behind. The malt you get from a refridgerated 3 year plus Crownie was good, very good.
 
No way I can beat Scotty's one, but I cleaned out my old fridge and found a mates stout that had been forgotten in there for at least 2 years, cracked it immediately and it was sensational! :lol:
 
I currently have 5 Chimay 1994 Grand Reserve collection which has a gold label. I drank 1 already and found past its peak but enjoyed it all the same.

Interesting read
Old beers
 
I have a couple of bottles left of Hahn millenium ale. Wonder if that'd be any good 11 years later!
 
A couple of years ago I had a Cooper's Stout of which the label was still in fluid ounces. Pre-dates the metric system, so pre-1966? It wasn't bad, either. I've still got one, and winter's coming...
 
My oldest would be a 2006 Christmas Ale at Red Hill a few months ago. Was actually much nicer than the fresh stuff. Scored a couple bottles which I put under the house for later in the year.
 
A couple of years ago I had a Cooper's Stout of which the label was still in fluid ounces. Pre-dates the metric system, so pre-1966? It wasn't bad, either. I've still got one, and winter's coming...

The only metric system that began in 1966 was our currency, weights and measurements didnt come in till the early 1970s so i doubt your stout is quite as old as you think.
 
I have a couple of bottles left of Hahn millenium ale. Wonder if that'd be any good 11 years later!

I can happily and confidently confirm that it is not.
But still a fun beer to have on the shelf, I've got one too.
 
A couple of years ago I had a Cooper's Stout of which the label was still in fluid ounces. Pre-dates the metric system, so pre-1966? It wasn't bad, either. I've still got one, and winter's coming...

The only metric system that began in 1966 was our currency, weights and measurements didnt come in till the early 1970s so i doubt your stout is quite as old as you think.

Even so, post a pic in the what's in the glass thread when you do, mate.
That's awesome!
 
Winkle and I knocked over a bottle of Coopers Vintage circa 2000 a couple of months back - being the wine snob I am I also brought along a couple of stubbies of the current release as well for a side-by-side comparison. The 2000 was lurvely, smooth, still well carbed, not syruppy but a tad chewier than most beers yet still with a dryness that kept the beer honest. It held up a lot better than I would have anticipated, which was a surprise. The bottles haven't kept badly, but they weren't babied either. I still have another two stubbies of the 2000 to consume, which will happen at some stage (I bought those as an extended cellaring experiment if anyone is wondering).

FWIW - the current version was horrid and rough in comparison. The difference was noticable and somewhat surprising. I wonder if the brewing standards have been maintained over the years....
 
Kit and Kilo Wander Lager (ale) Old bloke who taught me how to brew and couldn't drink heavy beer anymore. he said it was a few year old and was smooth and incredibly drinkable.
 
Terrible head retention...SHIT BEER!
 
Was a joke, mate. Would be amazing to have a taste something like that.
 
I bought about 90 tallie bottles off a bloke that gave up brewing long ago, He told me as I was putting them in the car "there might be a few unopened in there mate. If there is, they would have to be at least 10 years old". Sure enough, I found a few unopened homebrews. I put one in the fridge and chilled it. It was a dark ale of sorts. It wasn't horrible, but I wasn't too interested in finishing it :D

So mines an at least 10 year homebrew.
 

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