Expert: Ed Westemeier - 1/2/2010

Question
Through a series of gifts and personal interest, I have accumulated a small collection of "vintage" ales, made by Coopers, Fullers, Thomas Hardy, and Trader Joe's. What is the proper way to store these ales? Should the be stored on their side, like a wine bottle, or upright? Is there a certain temperature i should try to maintain? And finally, how long can these ales store?

Answer
Those bottles are crown capped, not corked, so keep them upright in a cool, dark place. For many people, that means that your cellar is fine.
You don't want long exposure to light, so keep them in a box or other completely enclosed place. Any temperature below normal room temperature is good -- no need to refrigerate them.

As for duration, it depends on the beer. I have had 10 year old Thomas Hardy's Ale that was magnificent (although nearly flat), but that was from the original Eldridge Pope brewery. I just tried a 1983 THA from the O'Hanlon's brewery  the other day, and didn't enjoy it at all -- still syrup-like.

I recommend trying them each year, beginning with the first year you have each one. You'll find that they change in a subtle way from year to year, and the change may or may not be to your liking. When you find one that seems really wonderful, then I recommend drinking the rest of that batch the same year, since it's probably at its peak and won't get any better with time.

Some beers get better with time, some get worse, and some just change character. Only your own taste buds can tell you which is which.

Enjoy!