Hosting A Small/Vertical Tasting

We have a couple of friends who are as nuts as we are about beer.  Especially about saving beer...for years.  Why do we do this?  So we can have a vertical tasting...we can compare a beer to itself based on the year it was brewed.  Example: We have four vintages of Pumpkinator (an imperial pumpkin beer from Saint Arnold, Houston) - 2011, 2012, 2014 & 2016.  In a vertical tasting, we can see how the beer's character has changed with age, different conditions, and the brew master's recipe itself.

In addition, we have a vertical of  Avery's Rumpkin and Tweak (2014 & 2015 - I'm heading out today to see if I can find a 2016 or 2017), and of Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot Barleywine (2015 and 2016).  One friend has a three year vertical of Old Horizontal from Victory, and the other has a couple of Stickee Monkees from Firestone Walker.

The key to a good vertical tasting is to pour a snifter of each vintage and try them against each other, rather than drinking all of one year before moving on to the next.  Let the beer breathe for a bit.  Slosh it around in the glass and get some air into it.  Put your hand over the top of the glass and swirl the beer around, then tent your hand and stick your nose in the glass to get a real sense of the aromas you've just released.  We find that the older the beer, the mellower it becomes.  The alcohol smooths out, flavors integrate and become less pronounced, and the mouthfeel usually gets a bit stickier.  Younger beers tend to show off all the flavors, older beers attenuate and secret bolder flavors into a more satisfying mix.

It's unfortunate that IPAs, Pales and Sessions are not appropriate for verticals...the hops just doesn't hold up over time.  Double IPAs are a little better at keeping their flavors, but the best options are the bigger beers, Porters, Stouts, Imperial Stouts, Barleywines, Belgians...you get the idea.

It's also vital that you have some good food to pair with each style.  Of course I'm always at the ready with some good nosh for a beer tasting.  Blue and creamy cheeses, milk and dark chocolates, salty crackers, caramels, stone fruit (jam, dried or fresh), a variety of nuts and olives, and cured meats.  Be sure to have plenty of water on hand, as well.

Cheers to a good tasting!  Enjoy!