So anyway, about the egg nog-- I never even considered aging it, until I saw Alton Brown's Good Eats episode about it. He suggested letting it age for up to a year.
I was like, wait, WAT??? Raw eggs, heavy whipping cream, sugar, and booze-- sitting and aging for a YEAR? NO WAI!
But two years ago I accidentally forgot about one mason jar of the stuff I'd put back for a relative, who never came by to pick it up. It was hidden at the back of the beer fridge. I discovered it about 6 months after Christmas, and decided to let it go until the following Toast To George party.
So after we'd made our new batch (and by "we" I mean my i s c & a aggie wife), and let it sit in the fridge overnight, I pulled out the aged one and poured a cup, next to a cup of the fresh one, and did a taste test. And man oh man if Alton Brown wasn't 100% correct. It had aged really well. It was more mellow and smoother, not quite as creamy/frothy because it has "relaxed" for a year, but it was pretty tasty.
So last year I put back a half-gallon of the stuff instead of just a pint. Now it's at the back of my beer fridge, just taunting me. That first really cold night a couple days ago, I almost broke down and opened it up. But I checked myself. It'll be even better next month.
Mmmmmmmmm rich, creamery nog.