Wine enthusiasts know that cellaring is a skill. Every wine has its own aging curve, improving at times, worsening at others and eventually falling apart (which might not be for decades, but still, it happens). Well, I believe this is true for beer cellaring as well.

Which leads me to my occasional, ongoing project of thinning out my beer cellar. I mentioned a few weeks back that during some basement cleaning I pulled out a few bottles from my cellar for pruning. I have been slowly working my way through them. Today’s victim? A 2008 bottle of Rogue Old Crustacean Barley Wine.

It opens with a rich caramel aroma, touches of raisin, brown sugar, a medium level of piney hops and a whiff of alcohol. It is medium copper and finds a way to build a rounded, light tan head. There is a bit of haze.

The front of the sip offers thick, sweet candy and toffee which is quickly overtaken by a sharp, piney hop bitterness. I also get a fairly high level of complex dark fruit and a big hit of alcohol. The hop linger is angular and pungent. The beer has a velvety mouthfeel and a noted alcohol residue.

I, sadly, cannot report that this was a winner. It lacks the richness I want from a Barley Wine. It is too lopsided and sharp. The hops are jarring and the alcohol too hot. It feels more like an oxidized double IPA than a barley wine.

Is this beer at the end of its life cycle? Is it just in a bad phase? I am not sure. I remember sampling it fresh and at the time thinking it needed more balance, as it was too hop forward. However I don’t recall the hops being as sharp then. The unfortunate aftertaste clearly developed in the cellar.

Too bad. I had hoped for more from this beer. Maybe my next one will be more satisfactory.