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Vintage Beer: A Taster's Guide to Brews That Improve over Time
2014 Gold Medal Winner from the North American Guild of Beer Writers for Best Beer Book
Like good wine, certain beers can be aged under the right conditions to enhance and change their flavors in interesting and delicious ways. Good candidates for cellaring are either strong, sour, or smoked beers, such as barleywines, rauchbiers, and lambics. Patrick Dawson gives a list of easy-to-follow rules that lay the groundwork for identifying these cellar-worthy beers and then delves into the mysteries behind how and why they age as they do. Beer styles known for aging well are discussed and detailed profiles of commonly available beers that fall into these categories are included. There is also a short travel guide for bars and restaurants that specialize in vintage beer gives readers a way to taste what this new craft beer frontier is all about.
Like good wine, certain beers can be aged under the right conditions to enhance and change their flavors in interesting and delicious ways. Good candidates for cellaring are either strong, sour, or smoked beers, such as barleywines, rauchbiers, and lambics. Patrick Dawson gives a list of easy-to-follow rules that lay the groundwork for identifying these cellar-worthy beers and then delves into the mysteries behind how and why they age as they do. Beer styles known for aging well are discussed and detailed profiles of commonly available beers that fall into these categories are included. There is also a short travel guide for bars and restaurants that specialize in vintage beer gives readers a way to taste what this new craft beer frontier is all about.
160 pages, Paperback
First published March 11, 2014
14 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 17, 2015
Fantastic book for those even remotely interested in cellaring beer. Dawson has written a book that is both easy to read, and extremely informative. I can see myself referring back to this book to recall things he's taught me. I could have done with a few less beer reviews, but it was nice to see.
October 7, 2022
Mein Einstieg in die Welt des Vintage Biers. Für mich als Anfänger steht alles drin, was man wissen muss.
Welches Bier kann wie lange lagern, welche Biere sind überhaupt zum Lagern geeignet, auf was muss ich im Keller achten. Und so weiter.
Für mich ein wirklich hilfreiches Buch zum Thema Bierreifung.
Welches Bier kann wie lange lagern, welche Biere sind überhaupt zum Lagern geeignet, auf was muss ich im Keller achten. Und so weiter.
Für mich ein wirklich hilfreiches Buch zum Thema Bierreifung.
February 19, 2018
Very easy to read and very informative about informing you of what happens when you age a beer and why some styles are better than others to age and why some you should always drink as fresh as possible. I will continue to use this as a reference.
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January 1, 2023It's a good introduction to the world of vintage beer and beer cellaring, but maybe a bit short. I would have liked to see a more extensive list of cellar-worthy beer, as many of the examples can be challenging to get outside the US.
February 2, 2025
Amazing read! Couldn’t put the book down to be honest! Ample examples of cellar worthy beers, taste notes of fresh and aged beers and loads of information on how to construct a beer cellar - recommend
December 28, 2017
Very informative, easily the best book on aging beers ever
October 11, 2018
Covers the basics of aging and aged beers quite well, with the addition of some practical tips, suggestions and tasting notes.
April 28, 2020
Great guide to aging beers that was recommended to me by a master cicerone at a tasting
January 27, 2021
Very helpful! I'll feel much more confident attempting to age some special beers.
August 9, 2021
Awesome resource for anyone interested in aging beer, at any level.
July 3, 2022
used this book as a guide for my beer expert (zytholoog) thesis about characteristics for cellaring and aging beer.
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February 20, 2025Thorough and easy to understand.
September 26, 2013
I'll admit, when I first picked up this book I didn't know a thing about aging beer. I'm happy to say that now I know a decent amount. Aging the right kind of beer with the right environment can develop new flavors and create an entirely different experience.
This book is very approachable. I liked that the beginning starts off with a personal story of the first time the author tried an aged beer. The writing is complex enough to get the point across yet simple enough that I understood almost everything. There were only a few things I had to ask my homebrewing fiancé. It starts off explaining what exactly makes a beer a good one to age, then moves to what different styles work the best. I found the information on tasting especially interesting, explaining the factors to look for when tasting any beer. There are also sections on how to make your own beer cellar as well as how to manage it. If you want an immediate taste of an aged beer, the appendix provides different bars that serve them.
The photography in the book was beautiful and vibrant. All of the charts helped to present information in an easy to understand manner.
Now I want to try the process of aging beer! I recommend this book to any beer drinker.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for review*
This book is very approachable. I liked that the beginning starts off with a personal story of the first time the author tried an aged beer. The writing is complex enough to get the point across yet simple enough that I understood almost everything. There were only a few things I had to ask my homebrewing fiancé. It starts off explaining what exactly makes a beer a good one to age, then moves to what different styles work the best. I found the information on tasting especially interesting, explaining the factors to look for when tasting any beer. There are also sections on how to make your own beer cellar as well as how to manage it. If you want an immediate taste of an aged beer, the appendix provides different bars that serve them.
The photography in the book was beautiful and vibrant. All of the charts helped to present information in an easy to understand manner.
Now I want to try the process of aging beer! I recommend this book to any beer drinker.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for review*
October 28, 2024
[2024 update: I do have a couple of verticals, one of them ten years and counting, and several many others aging in my cellar. And last year I eventually drank a beer that was 22 years old, though I’d only had it for eight]
Fascinating wealth of knowledge in compact form. Lots of chemistry to reread a few times for it to sink in. A list of cellar able beers, some of which I've been unimpressed with "fresh" as well. I don't know that I'll ever have the patience to sit some beers for as long as he did - ten years! wow! The longest I've aged a beer is 18 months. Still...food for thought. Or, rather, beer for thought.
Fascinating wealth of knowledge in compact form. Lots of chemistry to reread a few times for it to sink in. A list of cellar able beers, some of which I've been unimpressed with "fresh" as well. I don't know that I'll ever have the patience to sit some beers for as long as he did - ten years! wow! The longest I've aged a beer is 18 months. Still...food for thought. Or, rather, beer for thought.
May 5, 2015
The thought of aging beer may have never crossed your mind. Dawson creates an easy to read, well thought out explanation of what styles of beer age well and others that do not. There is a guide in the back that takes you though certain beers' flavors over a 14 year period.
This book is great for craft beer drinkers who want to take their hobby to a new level. It's also good for home brewers who may want to start aging their ales (and lagers) to a new level.
This book is great for craft beer drinkers who want to take their hobby to a new level. It's also good for home brewers who may want to start aging their ales (and lagers) to a new level.
September 27, 2013
I am going to be perfectly honest, before I read this book I had no idea that beer could be aged. However, after reading this book I am really considering trying this out.
This was a really interesting book about beer, and I really enjoyed it. If you are a homebrewer check this one out.
Received copy to review from NetGalley.
This was a really interesting book about beer, and I really enjoyed it. If you are a homebrewer check this one out.
Received copy to review from NetGalley.
October 5, 2015
Pretty good read. The author does aim at the American market but refers constantly to European beers. Whilst not alienating, as a Brit, it would have been nice to be directed to beers and vintage beer bars commonly found in the UK. That's my only real criticism. The writing is great and pretty concise (if occasionally cheesy). The pictures are well chosen. Recommend for all beer lovers.
October 28, 2013
Aging beer? Isn't that the opposite of what you do with it? Well, after picking up this book, I've come to find out that about 1% of beers crafted today actually do better when aged. This is a great book for any beer aficionado!
March 6, 2015
This is a low threshold must-read for any fan of craft beer with an interest in cellaring. A quick and easy read with a combination of both technical and practical insights. I have to say that I definitely acquired some useful information as a result of reading this book. Well worth your time.
January 7, 2017
Short read but filled with great information for anyone interested in aging beer and the processes that take which make cellaring of beer worthwhile. I imagine I'll be using it as a reference for some time.
October 24, 2014
Jeg er ikke alene! Der er heldigvis andre nørder som mig derude. Åh gud, internettet...
God og grundig bog. Nyttig viden og fif. Blev meget tørstig. Må! Have! Ølkælder!
God og grundig bog. Nyttig viden og fif. Blev meget tørstig. Må! Have! Ølkælder!
June 29, 2015
A pretty cool guide to high quality aged vintage beers and aging your own beers. Dawson could have been a bit more brief in some areas and a bit more in depth in areas like sourcing and pairing.
December 30, 2015
Wanted a little more information, but what was there was good
January 15, 2017
It's the most comprehensive book on cellaring and aging beer I've ever seen. This is an absolute must read for all beer geeks, nerds, aficionados, and even the snobs among us!
May 3, 2016
Read my review of this book at Whats Brewing magazine. You can find it here on page 22:
http://www.whatsbrewing.ca/magazine/
http://www.whatsbrewing.ca/magazine/
November 7, 2016
Loved this short but information-filled book! Can't wait to search out some classic brews and track how they change. Cheers!
August 2, 2014
Very specific beer topic. Very well done.
I will reference this book for years to come.
I will reference this book for years to come.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews