Vintage Beer

Like good wine, certain beers can be aged under the right conditions, a process that enhances and changes their flavors in interesting and delicious ways. Good candidates for aging are high-alcohol brews, bottle-conditioned beers with yeast in the bottle, barleywines, lambics, and winter ales. Patrick Dawson explains how to identify a cellar-worthy beer, how to plan and set up a beer cellar, what to look for when tasting vintage beers, and the fascinating science behind the aging process. He also includes a comprehensive buying guide to help you select already-aged beers (from the readily available to the tantalizingly rare) to enjoy as your own collection is aging.