The trusty assistant made a major score recently and the bounty included two bottles of
North Coast Brewing Company's Old Stock Ale (2009). She made the score by making nice with the local Whole Foods distributor - read into that what you will. According to said distributor, Old Stock Ale can be aged for up to five years. So, the plan is put together a nice "now and later" theme. This, obviously, is the "now" piece. The "later" piece will come in approximately five years.
We'll be honest and say that even assuming we don't outright lose the second bottle it's a long shot that we'll get to the "later" piece. Five years is a long time to write as a hobby for our four loyal readers. In five years nobody will be blogging; at least that's the
Nostradamus prophecy. (Are we the only ones who notice a striking resemblance to
Old Rasputin?) Hell,
twitter will be wordy and we'll all be part of an entirely new social network that will invariably make us less social. So, our recommendation is that you play it smart and purchase two bottles of Old Stock Ale and run this experiment on your own. In five years, God willing, we'll all come together and compare notes at the Dumbarton's Beer reunion.
Old Stock Ale is Excellent. The strong whiskey aroma almost scared us off but we make the big bucks to swallow our fear and take a gulp. You don't really gulp Old Stock Ale but when you get around to it you'll notice a chocolate milk flavor with hints of whiskey and espresso. If you were to drink a cold Irish coffee in beer form it's Old Stock Ale. The color is dark brown with red accents. The head is big but light and dies quickly. There's some lingering lace along the trip. If we have one recommendation, it is to let the beer sit for a few minutes after the pour. The carbonation starts out somewhat strong but mellows out as you make a run to the bottom of the glass.
