That Ood might have to go on the label..... or might that get taken the wrong way somehow?
Thanks for the insights! I considered making a mead, but, well, I like beer better. However, some honey or other simple sugars will almost certainly come into play!
After reading a bit about beer and wine aging, it seems like 3 key factors for good aging are tannins, alcohol, and pH. This makes me lean towards a real kitchen sink of an imperial stout in the general spirit of Abyss.
Since I'd actually like this beer to peak WAY later than normal, I'm wondering just how 'over the top' to go. At any rate, now I've got some more thoughts (and more questions!) on target metrics and possible ingredients.
-ABV: 12+%
-IBU: saturated (100+)
-SRM: moonless night at the bottom of the ocean
-Grains: English style ratios to hit my strength, and lots of dark malt for tannins (like, possibly I'd start with the RIS recipe in Brewing Classic Styles and up the chocolates/roasts by 25%-50%)
-Sugars: Molasses, maybe honey
-Hops: Does it even matter? Maybe I'll just throw 150 IBU of centennial or chinook in at the start of the boil. Judging from the few beers I've samples at 10 years old, there's not gonna be much hop anything left after 21 years. Any remaining bitterness would likely come from tannins.
-spices: Boy, I just don't know. Ever tasted a highly aged spiced beer? Was there any spice character left? Seems like something like cinnamon or anise would hold up awhile, as most beers I've tasted with those ingredients were completely overpowered
-oak and bulk-aging: And speaking of tannins! Anyone have insight on highly-oaked beers? Since I won't have access to barrels (or enough beer to fill them), I'm wondering how much oak-chip aging is too much? I know there are *general* guidelines a mere internet search away, but I'm more curious as to whether there's an effective saturation point within a range that will eventually be drinkable, or whether there's a point after which the beer is always going to taste like a used tea-bag no matter how long it sits around! Any wine geeks able to weigh in?
-bottle aging: I am thinking corks and cages are appropriate here, or maybe caps with a wax dip, but I would welcome input on other creative packaging notions for the long haul.
OK. Brain dump complete. Thanks again for the helpful replies.