ABV: 17.5%, apparently.
There’s something fascinating about things as old as this. Granted it’s not a centuries-old bottle of wine or a 60-year Macallan. But this is a 14-year old beer, which is the oldest I’ve seen readily available and certainly the oldest I’ve consumed. This beer was brewed when I was 11. Something about that is just… awesome. Anyway, on to the beer itself. At the time, it was supposed to be the strongest yet brewed. It was done with a large amount of maple syrup, presumably to load the beer up with sugar for MASSIVE fermentation.
I read up on reviews before writing this one just to see what I was in for. Most of the reviews were pretty negative, with unexpected language. “Soy sauce?” “Animal feed?” What the… I had to dig in.
The beer pours absolutely black, only tiny hints of deep amber on the edges of the glass, with no head whatsoever. (It should be noted that there is a thick sludge on the bottom of the bottle that is tricky to keep out. I couldn’t.) Then the smell. And the flavor. Good God, the flavor! I got soy sauce, and I got animal feed. But I also got molasses, toffee, chocolate, and licorice. Oh, and booze. Lots and lots of booze. The only flavor noticeably absent is hops. None whatsoever. This is just weird.
As it slides down your throat, it burns just enough to remind you that it is, indeed, massively alcoholic. It leaves behind a very pleasant combination of chocolate, licorice and molasses, but also a cloying sweetness. The sweetness sticks and prevents continuous drinking. Two quick sips is too much. Definitely an all night type beer.
I can understand why some people would not like this beer. I can even understand why some people would hate this beer. It’s weird, no doubt. Me, I love this beer. Maybe it’s because it’s more than half as old as me, or maybe it’s because it’s totally blowing my mind. I wouldn’t dare touch another bottle for a month (if I had one, that is), but as a beer experience it ranks pretty high up on my list.
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I have to bottles that I have been saving since 1994
I have taken very good care of them
I liked it then
I will love it now
I’m sure you will love it. It’s an amazing beer!
I bought a case from the first batch from a Summit brew master in the Twin Cites in 1994. Drank one at 23 yrs old and didn’t get it. I gave my dad one as a gift. He tucked it in the back of the fridge. I found it on turkey day. 16 yrs later. I wounder if it will age more or does it peak?
Honestly I can’t imagine how much it would change if you let it keep on sitting. I guess maybe the powerful alcohol flavor could mellow out, but then again it was still incredibly strong at 15 years of aging when I had it.
I have 14 unopened bottles of 1994