Chilled Beer (IPA hop flavor and aroma)

[Facinerous]

Short story.

I goto the store. I buy a six pack of whatever. I get home with chilled beer and have one, but I don't put it in the fridge. As the night would progress the beer would warm up and I would have a few more. Enjoying every one. Even the next day with room temp beer, I still enjoy it. Warm vs cool beer has a different flavor profile.

So it goes with my homebrew. I do a batch, let the bottles condition. Sometimes I chill the beer (for testing purposes of course) sometimes I don't. So I brewed a very low bittered, high hop aroma/flavor beer a few weeks back. Bottled, and conditioned.

Its very delicious. Everything I wanted it to be. This was always served warm. A week went by without my having one. Then I tried one, room temp, and the hop flavor and aroma was completely gone to me! Just more bitter. "Oh no!" I thought to myself. I waited to long to drink my IPA and lost my flavor... Not so fast.

My girlfriend, being the smart lady she is, put one of my beers in the fridge for me. Always looking ahead. So tonight I got home and cracked it open. The flavor, it returned. So intrigued I am by this. (yoda speak) I almost always enjoy my ales warm, this is truly the first time I have decided that my IPA is better chilled than warm.

Anyone else experience this? Is there some logic to this story that I am unaware of?

Of course. Lagers must be chilled IMO. Thats just me for those who would disagree.

 

[mbbransc]

If IPAs are too cold, their hoppiness is masked. But I still prefer mine between 38*-42*. Room temp is too warm for my preference.

But chilled helps preserve their hoppiness as well (doesn't fade as fast). As soon as I've determined my IPAs are ready to drink, I put them all in the fridge.