Stone Vertical Epic

[brewmonkey]

Sometimes you run across a beer that is like a fine wine or a small batch bourbon. These beers do exist and when they are released they are gone in the blink of an eye.

To see how expensive some of these get here is an example. This auction on ebay is for 1 case each of 3 consecutive years of Stone Brewing companies vertical epic. Stone is the same company that makes Arrogant Bastard in San Marcos, CA.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

edit for clarification: one case when dealing in "bigger beers" is 12 12oz bottles.

[Roguish Lawyer]

Zero bids at this time, I see. Often happens with high start prices.

[brewmonkey]

I am betting he will get what he is looking for. These auctions usually attract a flurry of bids in the last hour. It is posted on a beer forum that I belong to and has generated some interest. While I would agree he is asking to much for it, the 020202 is a rare vinatge that was apparently the best out of the ones done already and it has collectors looking high and low.

If I were him I would have waited until he had a few more years worth (05 & 06) and then split them up into lots of 1 of each year for $200 a lot, making it about $40 a bottle. He would make more money that way and he would most likely sell them all.

I know I have had some beers that have cost me close to $50 a bottle when I found them. Thomas Hardy was a beer (Barleywine style) from Englans that was commanding about $10 a bottle average for some of the current vintages. Then the brewery closed and they stopped making it, it shot up to $20 a bottle within weeks. It took me a while to find some of the older vintages but they were worth it.

[Team Sergeant]

Brew,

Why does one pay such a price for beer? Beer does not get better with age, does it?

[brewmonkey]

It all depends on the beer. The more alcohol in the beer the longer it will cellar. Some beers like Thomas Hardy have been known to be best at about 20 years old.

Several things make it a beer worth laying down but the key ones would be the alcohol content (should be 12.5% or higher) and bottle conditioned.

What you are looking for would be subtle changes in the beer. As it ages the hop character will become more subtle and the malt flavor will really shine through. The oxidation notes also will start to have some effects such as bringing on the same flavors we would expect to find in a port or madeira wine, those raisiny plum notes. Sadly the oxidation is what will also ruin the beer soonrer or later. Another factor in the aging would be the types of grain used in the brew. The more caramel/crytal malts used (color & flavor malt) the better chance you stand of having a beer that will really have the character you are looking for.

The best way to see this is to find a beer that has its vintage on the label and do a sampling across the years. Stones vertical epic would be a bad choice as they are not brewing the same beer each year. JE Lee's Harvest Ale if you can find it is similar to Thmoas Hardy in that it is an English Barleywine style, they brew the same recipe each year and they do label the beer with the year it was bottled. In a side by side over a period of 5 years batches you would notice the subtle differences that time has brought on.

Another good place to look is at your local brewpubs. I know I kept several years worth of my Barleywine in the icehouse for this. A lot of brewers do that as well.

I keep using Barleywines as the example as they are one of the more popular styles that are also known for their alcohol content. Other styles would be Imperial Stouts and Imperial India Pale Ales.

If you would like to try something like this and cannot find JW Lees in your area I can get it here going back usually 5-7 years. I would be glad to ship some for a tasting in your area.

[Team Sergeant]

Thanks for the beer lesson! I learn something new every day!

(I now feel much more beer enlightened!)

[The Reaper]

I found the Samuel Smith Oartmeal Stout and I think I could skip dinner after drinking it.

Very heavy, but tasty!

Didn't know I could age it though.

I take it that 3 year old Budweiser in the can may not improve with age, but it probably doesn't get any worse either (till is actually eats through the can)?

I have noticed that after the first few beers, the rest seem to be a blur. Not sure that I would want to taste test five $50 bottles in one night.

TR

[brewmonkey]

Now this won't work with your run of the mill beers like anything made by AB, Coors, SABMiller or say the regular beers made by pubs like Pale Ales or wheats. They are generally good for about 90-180 days from the bottling dates depending on how they were bottled.

The best beer would be that on tap at the pub as it is usually on a cycle. I know that when I brewed "run of the mill" beers from the day I brewed it till the day it was gone was generally about 7 weeks. That is 1 week primary fermentation, 1 week in secondary, 1 week in bright tank and 4 weeks on tap. Once the beer was moved from the bright tank to the serving tank I had to start the next batch or I would not have any when the first batch was gone. That is what you call fresh beer!

[brewmonkey]

Originally posted by The Reaper
I found the Samuel Smith Oartmeal Stout and I think I could skip dinner after drinking it.

Very heavy, but tasty!

Didn't know I could age it though.

I take it that 3 year old Budweiser in the can may not improve with age, but it probably doesn't get any worse either (till is actually eats through the can)?

I have noticed that after the first few beers, the rest seem to be a blur. Not sure that I would want to taste test five $50 bottles in one night.

TR

When it comes to the $50 beers I wouldn't either. Those are rare beers like the early Thomas Hardy vintages or some of the obscure brands from Europe. JW Lees can be found for about $3-4 a bottle (8oz though).

Budweiser and the likes are pasteurized and quite stable in the can for a period of time. As the can is sealed the effects of oxygen would be limited to what it picked up during the canning process. With bottles even though the cap sits tight on the crown it will never be airtight and oxidation will continue to occur. There are oxygen barrier caps that will help delay this effect but they won't work forever.

A big concern for any brewer who packages beer in any container is the oxygen pickup and transfer. Trying to keep it to a minimum is tough, especially when the beer is going to be agitated during the process. Generally a method used during bottling is called FOB'ing (Foam on Beer). At the end of the bottling a quick jet of deareated brewing water is jetted (like .5ml or less) into the beer. This causes the beer to foam and take up head space. The more space taken is less space for oxygen pickup.

I have the same problem after 4-5 beers. No matter what you are drinking they all start to blend together in taste. If the night is going to be one where that is likely I drink the most flavorfull bears first and save the pale ales and wheats for last. But I also rarely drink more then 2-3 beers in a sitting anymore.