I need one of those safes with a timer lock. And I need it to stay locked for 20 years, but I don’t think they make those. 

Which means I’m going to fail to cellar today’s Vicennial Father Time Old Ale from Colorado’s River North. Again. 

Last time we managed to snag a few cases of this 16.9% ABV Bourbon Barrel-Aged treat, I told myself I was going to stash it away for a special occasion. After all, the gurus of boozy beer at River North designed this pour to be cellared for up to two full decades! 

With each passing day, its baked apple, date, and brandy flavors will grow even smoother, richer, and more complex! 

Unfortunately, I never manage to cellar my bottles of Father Time at all. I get home, I stick the bottle in my basement and say to myself, “Philip, this time you’re hanging on to this brew for at least a year or two!” And half an hour later, I open it and drink the whole thing.  

But hey, maybe you have better self control than I do. You can stash this coveted Ale away and save it for a special occasion. Like maybe the 2038 Olympics. Or the 21st birthday of your one-year-old.  

If you do open it now though, you’re still in for a treat. You’ll probably wind up singing its praises like the fans on Untappd who gave it a gargantuan 4.37 rating. They all rave with comments like “absolute caramel bomb and, WOW check out that booze!” -@Garth R. 

If you’re impatient like me and Garth and don’t want to wait 20 years, open a bottle and pour it into a wide-bodied glass to let the Old Ale open up. Inhale deeply for pungent aromas of apple pie and Calvados. Let a sip sit on your tongue, and flavors of flambéed raisins and caramel confit flood the palate. On the finish, savor a final note of rich molasses.

And if you manage to cellar it, it’ll just get better over time! But no matter what, you better act fast. Because while this brew will improve for years in storage, it won’t last long on Tavour. 

Rated 4.37 on Untappd; 4.30 on Tavour

Tavour strictly supports independent beer. River North Brewery is certified independent by the Brewers Association