Virtually any beer over 6 percent ABV is a likely candidate for cellaring. Here’s a short list of some of my favorites and when I would recommend drinking them.
—A.M.
Barley Wines
Anchor Old Foghorn—1-3 years
Thomas Hardy’s Ale—3-10 years
J.W. Lees Harvest Ale—2-5 years
Rogue Old Crustacean—3-5 years
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot—2-4 years
Alaskan Big Nugget—2-4 years
Midnight Sun Arctic Devil—2-5 years
Glacier Brewhouse Big Woody—2-5 years
North Coast Old Stock Ale—1-4 years
Elysian Cyclops—1-3 years
Stone Old Guardian—2-4 years
Flying Dog Horn Dog—1-3 years
Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws—2-5 years
Full Sail Old Boardhead—2-5 years
BridgePort Old Knucklehead—2-4 years
Boundary Bay Old Bounder—2-5 years
Big Time Old Wooly—2-4 years
Dogfish Head Olde School—2-4 years
Strong Ales
Alaskan Smoked Porter—1-5 years
Fuller’s Vintage Ale—2-3 years
Full Sail Imperial Porter—1-2 years
Gale’s Prize Old Ale—1-5 years
Harvey’s Elizabethan Ale—1-5 years
Samuel Adams Triple Bock—2-5 years
Samuel Adams Millennium—5-10 years
Samuel Adams Utopias—3-10 years
Dogfish Head Immort Ale-2-4 years
Fish Old Woody—1-3 years
Hair of the Dog Adam—2-5 years
Hair of the Dog Fred—1-3 years
Unibroue Terrible—1-3 years
Unibroue 10, 11, 12—2-4 years
Unibroue Fin du Monde—1-4 years
Unibroue Trois Pistoles—2-4 years
Ommegang Three Philosophers—2-4 years
Imperial Stouts
A. LeCoq Russian Imperial Stout—1-4 years
North Coast Old Rasputin—1-4 years
Rogue Imperial Stout—3-5 years
Snoqualmie Falls Mad Russian 1999– now!
Boundary Bay Imperial Oatmeal Stout—1-4 years
Moylan’s Imperial Stout—2-4 years
Great Divide Yeti Stout—1-3 years
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout—2-5 years
Samuel Smith Imperial Stout —1-3 years
Wheat Wines
Big Time Old Sol—1-3 years
Belgian Ales
Chimay Cinq Cents (red)—1-4 years
Chimay Grande Reserve (blue)—2-5 years
Chimay Blanche (white)—1-3 years
Westmalle Trappist Tripel—1-4 years
Westamalle Trappist Dubbel—1-2 years
Orval Trappist Ale—1-3 years
Rochefort 8—1-3 years
Rochefort 10—2-5 years
Westvleteren 12—2-5 years
Abbaye De Rocs Grand Cru—2-5 years
Abbaye De Rocs Noel—2-5 years
Duvel—1-3 years
Scaldis Noel—2-5 years
La Chouffe N’Ice—2-5 years
Liefmans Goudenband—1-3 years
Lindemans Cuvée René—1-3 year
Rodenbach Grand Cru—2-4 years
Vapeur En Folie—2-6 years
Vapeur Saison de Pipax— 2-4 years
Strong Lagers
Samiclaus—1-4 years
EKU 28—1-3 years
Silver Gulch Grand Reserve—1-3 years
Hermannator Eisbock—1-3 years
Paulaner Salvator—1-2 years