Do any of you guys "cellar" your beers? How many do you have stashed away? I'm at about 375 in various cupboards and boxes strewn about the condo. I've definitely fallen into buying beers to drink and collect. It's sad. I need to start drinking some of these because they aren't getting better with age.

You should being the First Mate and the Wee One over our place sometime. I've got a whole beer fridge full of mostly 22's to sample.

I have 3 and one of them I don't think even needs to be cellared.

I have cellared:

1x Sprecher Scotch Style Ale (2009), 25oz
2x Founders Backwoods Bastard (2011), 12oz
1x Founders KBS (2011), 12oz
1x Founders Imperial Stout (2012), 12oz
1x Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin (2011), 12oz
1x Goose Island Burb Co Stout (2009), 22oz


and I think that's it. I also have some of the WI beers left, though really only the Satin Solstice Winter Stout might be good aged.

We've been wanting to come visit. YOU GIRLS GO ENTERTAIN YOURSELVES WHILE WE GET DRUNK. What could go wrong?

Hey Kyle, will you post a Top 5 of your favorite Belgians that can be had within the US? I'd like to give them all tries. I just never know where to start with them (I mean I've had your Rochefort, Kwak, Palm, Duvel, Chimay, et al), but looking to dig a little deeper the next time I'm at a good beer store.

Top of my head:

Caracole - Amber. Quietly an amazingly smooth, balanced, perfect beer. Not well known, not too pricey, and I like it as much as anything but maybe the next selection...
St Bernardus - Abt 12. Fucking killer, and well known. Hard to top.
Westmalle - Tripel. A classic, but you didn't list it.
Corsendonk - Any of them. "What belgians should taste like." No surprises, just excellent execution.
Orval - Trappist Ale. One of the real trappist-made products, a little harder to find but it's here, and it's very very good.

Aw fuck I forgot Straffe Hendrick. That is some wonderful stuff as well, it's not too pricey usually, and they have decent distribution.

I think I can get all 5 of those. Might be a plan for my weekend...

One of my favorite liquor stores got new coolers and updated their beer selection last week, so I was able to try a few new beers in bottle form tonight.

Green Flash Rayon Vert Belgian style IPA
Great Divide Nomad Pilsner

and I shamefully consumed a Shocktop Wheat IPA as well.

I highly recommend the Rayon Vert. The Nomad is decent as well, but it doesn't really remind me of a Bohemian Pilsner or fit the style.

Shocktop... blech.

Just let me know when's good for youse.

Awesome info on the Belgian's: I was just telling Derris a couple weeks ago that I want to expand my palette into Belgians this year. I've had a couple (Abt 12, Duvel, Chimay etc) and have definitely tried all the Amurican versions of the styles, but it's pretty freaking overwhelming if you don't know what's up.

Speaking of primers for beer style's, Rate Beer's 2012 lists are out; I guess they aren't so much rankings as "lists of ten beers in each style that are all Gold Medal quality" Link

Side note: I always see them on these lists but does Three Floyds have distribution anywhere? Same with Cigar City down in Tampa.

Just looked at Three Floyds website. Apparently it's only available in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky and limited releases in Ohio.

The unseasonably warm temps I guess had me having an odd craving for a wheat beer, so I gave a tray to some Weihenstephan Kristall Weissbier over the weekend. I'd never had a kristall weissbier before, which apparently is just a weissbier that has been filtered. This one had a really great taste to it, even if I think I probably prefer the unfiltered varieties myself. Still, well worth drinking and if you like the taste of a weissbier but prefer something not so cloudy this would be exactly what you need. I could see myself knocking back quite a few of these on a hot day for sure.

i just started last winter. so far i have:

1 2011 Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti
1 2011 Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti
1 2011 Great Divide Barrel Aged Yeti
1 2011 Goose Island Pepe Nero
1 2011 Dry Dock Bligh's Barleywine
1 2011 Deschutes Black Butte XXIII
2 2011 Deschutes The Abyss

it's hard not to pull one of these when my fridge is empty, but so far so good....

over the weekend:



Chattanooga Brew Co's Hill City Black Lager - very tasty


best of the bunch: Caldera Vas Deferens was exceptional and Yazoo Sly Rye Porter is consistently good (one of my favorite brews)

Yeah definitely not available here. I've only had their Gumbalhead Wheat beer and it was delicious. Had it at a bar in Chicago and it was the only offering of their on the menu.

Bloor, I've seen a couple of Cigar City's beers but randomly. The last time was in Athens at 5 points bottle. Only a couple offerings. I swear that may be because I think they just ignore some of the state's distribution laws. Case in point, Bear Republic doesn't have distribution here but I was able to get a sixer of Racer 5 there last year. Only place I've seen it in the state.

Oh and as far as cellaring. I try to do when I can but if I get something worth cellaring, I usually have so little quantity that I'll just drink 'em.

The only thing I have right now:

Rochefort 10 - 1
St. Bernardus 12 - 1
Founder's KBS 2011 - 1
North Coast Old Stock Ale 2010 - 1
Stone Russian Imperial Stout 2011 -1
St. Martens Brune 2011 - 1

I still need to try one of these Rye Porters and haven't been able to come across any around here. Still up for some mailing? Anything from this part of the world you'd like to get some of, just let me know and I can send something back your way...although I have never mailed liquids so whether they arrive in tact is anyone's guess.

Hell, I've tried a fair amount now but I still feel like I've only scratched the surface of stuff. I just took cues from this thread and started grabbing things and also getting suggestions from the guys at HC.

Here are some that would top my list so far:

St. Bernardus 12 - actually anything by these guys is stellar but this is really the 800lb gorilla. So good and complex.
Rochefort - 10 - This or the 8 are incredible. These and St. Bernie have yet to be topped for me in the "Strong Dark Ale" category.
Tripel Karmeliet - my favorite Tripel. Just all funky and grassy and sweet.
Fantome Saison - better than the Saison Dupont IMO. Just tastes like Spring in a bottle to me.
St. Feuillien - Triple - just below the Karmeliet but only by a hair. They have other offerings just as good.
Caracole - Nostradamus or Troublette - haven't had anything bad from these guys yet

There is just something really unidentifiable that the Belgians do. Maybe it's that specific funky yeasty smell/taste or maybe it's the water. I don't know. When drinking them I just feel I'm drinking something that has been perfected over the course of hundreds of years. I try to pair cheese or something with them when I can.

if I can find them in bottles, I'll be sure to save a couple for mailing. They have been difficult to come by as of late, even on draught.

if anyone is up for a trip to Nashville, this beer fest was pretty fun last year

here are the breweries that will be pouring, and they added a Belgium tent at the last minute last year: http://www.eastnashvillebeerfest.com/breweries

Not a big deal if they are scarce, if you happen to come across a couple that would be cool, but don't worry at all if not. Just let me know if you do.

That's a terrific start! I've found that Abyss doesn't really age well and I'm not sure why. I still have bottles from 2008 and they are nowhere close to being as good as fresh bottles. Black Butte always ages wonderfully. Had a XXI a few months ago and it was incredible. I just got a Bligh's in a trade basically because of reputation. I had a small sample a month ago and I wasn't impressed. I'm hoping this bottle is better. BA Yeti needs time. I wouldn't think about opening that for at least 6 months.