It has officially been a year since I started the beer cellar. You can go back to last February and check out the blog when this whole effort began. The original plan was to taste aged versions of beer against their current release counterparts to determine if beer-aging was, in fact, beneficial. I've heard arguments from both sides. Naturally, I just had to find out for myself! And with no real "aged beer" outlets to frequent, one just has to age them personally.
One of the beers I cellared is the Russian River 'Redemption', of which I am a big fan. A Blonde Ale produced in 375ml cork-finished bottle. According to the side of the bottle, Russian River Brewery says it will hold up for one year in the cellar. I had intended for this beer to be my thermometer on how the aging would show for some of the longer-term beers. With only a year of age, I wasn't really expecting a wildly different showing , but I was certainly chomping at the bit to find out!
The Aged 'Batch 009' Redemption showed soft lemon and floral notes with a pronounced yeasty/bread aroma. Prevalent hoppiness with very mellow fruit/citrus characteristics. A notably creamy mouthfeel. Savory components stand out and, despite its strong hop flavor, nicely balanced. Kara, on the other hand, felt that, in comparison to the fresh version, this beer just tasted old and tired.
The Fresh 'Batch 011' Redemption, to Kara's point, was much more vibrant with crisp lemon flavor and a much fresher hop flavor (leaning into that marijuana smell). The citrus flavors were much racier and the "taco shell" savoriness that I always note in Russian River beer was back. The creamy mousse-like mouthfeel was also still present, but with the prickly texture of youth.
I agree with Kara's point that the aged 'Redemption' shows tired. But it's the same case with aged Champagne: if what you like is the freshness and the bubbles, then you're never going to like old Champagne. I found the aging of this particular beer interesting, but unnecessary. It's certainly not worth the effort to rotate a stockpile of cases of 'Redemption' for a year.
On the other hand, Kara made a pot of chicken chili on this particular evening. I actually thought the aged 'Redemption' was a better pairing with the meal. The vibrant lemon character of the fresh batch didn't meld as well. The mellow style of the aged batch was a better fit and I was actually quite glad to have it.
Am I still excited about the future of this endeavor? I must say, I have higher hopes about the results of the higher-alcohol Barleywine styles now than the Golden Ales. I'm not going to get off the ride, though. My game plan is laid out and I intend to see it through. Next stop: Russian River 'Damnation' and Sour Ales. See you there soon!
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