I won’t get too many opportunities in my beery life like the one that recently came to me via my inbox at BeerSweden.
When a nice chap called Magnus got in touch with me to say he had some crates of old beer bottles cluttering up his house in Umeå and asked me if I’d be interested in looking at them I jumped at the chance. After all I love tasting vintage beers and that sense of anticipation and of the unknown as you open the bottle to see whether the effects of time have ravaged the beer or made it ravishing.
In amongst a lot of bottles of Carlsberg and other European pale lagers (which all bore fantastic ‘retro’ labelling but I dread to think what they would taste like now almost two decades on….) I found 15 bottles of beers that I am hoping may have stood up well against the test of time. I’m particularly excited about a few of them, specifically:
Leffe Vieille Cuvee 8 – an 8.2% Belgium Strong Ale (RB 93p) from 1994
EKU 28 – an 11% Eisbock from the Kulmbacher brewery in Germany and a previous holder of the ‘World’s Strongest Beer’ title. 1993 vintage.
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock – 7.3% and the highest ranked doppelbock in the world. 1994 vintage.
Samichlaus Bier – a 14% doppelbock that was another ‘World’s Strongest Beer’ back in the day. 1994 vintage.
Courage Imperial Russian Stout – a classic! 10% and now retired. 1992 vintage.
Gales Prize Old Ale – brewed at the Horndean Brewery before it was bought by Fullers. 9% old ale. 1993 vintage.
Alexander Rodenbach – a 6% sour ale aged in oak cask for 2 years. The third best rated sour ale in the world. 1993 vintage.
Orval – an iconic Trappist ale from 1993.
I’m almost trembling with excitement about all these beers (although the Adnams Broadside might be a little ‘tired’ by now….) and will be opening at least one of them on an upcoming BSTV episode so I can share the experience of drinking a beer released the same year we were getting sick and tired of listening to this and being shocked (or titillated) at the cinema by this.
A big beery thank you to Magnus for giving me the opportunity to taste so many vintage beers. Magnus still has a number of bottles left that might appeal to collectors of Scandinavian beer brands (all from the early 1990s) so if you’re interested get in touch and I’ll hook you up.
I think you should run a contest, where the winner gets to join you in sampling one of those beers.
I’m drooling.
The last foru are probably the cream of the crop!
Nice list! Rodenbach Alexander is not the top rated sour in the world by the way.
Wägo – whoops, didn’t see those Lost Abbeys above it. Still, I’ll settle for third best in the world
People like Magnus give you hope there is still kindness and good out there, my nominee to Swedish heroes is set!
Can’t say I don’t envy you. A lot. I think one of the most incredible beers I’ve had was a 1983 vintage, I think, De Dolle Oerbier, which I tried back in 2006.
Dammit, I’d like to try a Rodenbach Alexander. Enjoy!
I remember the Samiclaus of old as a lot better than the new ones. They are made for some heavy christmas chocolate cake. And I hope my 2005 has aged well as I will pop it for christmas this year.