Starting a Home Cellar (or Huntin' Whales Bro)

I pulled a beer from our closet and had it in the refrigerator, then opened it, sent a picture to my brother, we texted about how I wasn't sure on the bottle's age. He said “Sounds like Russian Roulette”. I was pretty comfortable in my choice and the beer was in perfect condition. But it got me to thinking, to beer folks and established craft beer fans, this is normal practice, but to someone getting into beer it might be a challenge so here’s how to get started. 

First you need some place that stays fairly stable temperature wise, it could be as simple as an interior closet of your home. Next, what ages well? First anything higher alcohol is a good place to start, say over 6% and higher. Barleywine, Imperial Stouts, or sours can age well. The exception is IPAs, while myth of IPA origin talks about the hops helping preserve on the long trip to India, the reality is if you like that hoppy character it will degrade over time.

So in fans speak seeking out such beers are often called, Hunting Whales. Often people would age, or cellar, such beers for months or years. They would seek them out from hard to find breweries or rare finds at a bottle shop. Tasting with friends was a special shared occasion. Now that craft beer has grown, getting access to these releases doesn’t seem to hold the same charm, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t worth seeking out.

As for starter beers…

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, yes I know it’s InBev but it’s reliable. These days there still may be some on shelves at your local grocery or bottle shop, it is released annually on Black Friday. These days there are a number of variations to the beer as well.

Trader Joe’s Vintage ale, we have had vertical flights, tasting of the same beer over multiple years and this is great at showing off how age can change beer. My only caution is because the cork and cage bottling don’t push much past 5 years as oxidation starts to turn it. I hate to admit it I found a 2013 Vintage hiding away recently and while we will try it I don’t have high expectations.  

Orval, because of the Brettanomyces yeast this beer is known for evolving over time, comparing fresh and aged examples allows the yeast to shine.

Or have a favorite local that is rock solid in quality and they have a unique offering come up, splurge and buy two of them, one to enjoy now and one to age for a while. All it takes is a little space and patience.