Let's be honest. The stash is an extension of one's own day dreams and we know that such dreams can vary. Sure, there are the questions of reasonable budget and reasonable storage but there is the need to have balance. At this point in the winter, for example, I am a little light on hop bomb IPAs and Belgian browns. I am doing fine for lambics but need a few more imperial stouts. I even have an Infinium for what it's worth. I am not talking cases. At one time or another it sits between 120 to 200 bottles or so of various shapes sizes and homelands. Bigger than back in '05. By '06 it was evolving nicely. Not too much but enough to that there are enough sorts that I can have something surprising.
This is as much a question of what goes into the stash as what is removed when - and as I have a stateside shopping session coming up it is timely. Nothing epic but I need to find something I can pull out in August or next December (if not 2015) and have my further future me thank my nearer future me. So, what should I add? Any ideas? What are you stockpiling?
Comments
Gary Gillman - February 16, 2011 1:58 PM
Alan, my suggestion would be to lay in some newly-brewed, bottled-conditioned ales or stouts. If you do this, this will serve as a kind of March beer of yore, where it comes into best shape by the next harvest time more or less. To ensure a fairly fresh product (so it isn't too far aged already), I would go with any Ontario or U.S. bottle-conditioned beer you can find provided at least 5% ABV, or again any unfiltered porter or stout over that strength.
If you need to or decide to use filtered beers, I'd make them strong ones, at least 6% but preferably more. The weaker they are, the less likely they will age well in the time frames you mentioned.
For top quality refreshing beers, keep some Czechvar or Urquell in the fridge, in Toronto we are getting them at about 4 and 3 months respectively from packaging and they are primo. Ditto King Pilsener or Steamwhistle pilsener,made locally as you know but very much in the Germano-Czech lager tradition and very good. You can do a long aging (6-9 months) in the lagering style if you could obtain unfiltered lager, but there is the rub. Creemore Keller Beer works fine for this purpose, but it is only brewed in early summer I believe. I am not aware of any others easily available, but you could ask ay the U.S. outlets you frequent. I was surprised how a lengthy lagering really did improve the drink in many ways.
My cellar is very basic: a cardboard box filled mostly with various porters and stouts, and cold lagers and imported U.K. ales in the fridge for current consumption.
Gary
Stan Hieronymus - February 16, 2011 9:15 PM
Stay light on hop bomb IPAs - I mean light in balance. By all means buy them, but drink them as fresh as you can. American hop aromas are not built to last.
Craig - February 16, 2011 10:18 PM
I buy a six pack a week. Yeah, yeah I know, it's expensive. But it forces me to go to the beer distributor an see what's out there. I have one beer, while making dinner. On Fridays (okay maybe on Thursdays too) I hit the Lionheart Pub right after work and sample a few of their offerings on draft. It makes the whole process active, rather than passive. I HAVE to go somewhere. It keeps me from drinking too much and I get a great variety.
Tom - February 17, 2011 1:44 AM
I've been very much enjoying the various Great Divide Yetis that I have salted away--22 oz. bottles of the different oak-aged versions as well as 12 oz. bottles of the regular variety--and all have rewarded me for my investment in time.