Are verticals really worth it?

But it sounds like it was beneficial to you in that you found that you preferred the fresher beer to the older one. "Are verticals worth it?" is a different question than "Is aging beer worth it?" (despite the overlap). You might personally answer the first question with a "yes" since verticals have helped you arrive at your answer to the second question (as a "no").

 

I have done four different verticals, big ones that is, and its honestly 505/50. I have done BCBS for 10 years, DFH 120 for 6 years, Founders Imperial Stout for 4 years, Old Backus for 4 years, and Abyss for 5 years. The first three were fun, and the last two were extremely disappointing. I have another 7 year of DFH 120 and a 5 year Founders Backwoods Bastard in the basement, beyond that, I think I am done with verticals for good,

 

Inaccurate. Exclude barleywines (and maybe a couple other styles) from this statement and then you're on to something.

 

The simple answer is that it's a luxury. If you have the money and it's not a big deal, why not try it?

 

Barleywines are just about the only style I think ages well. Even than they only improve for one year. That's just my opinion and you may think otherwise. It's not a big deal.

 

Worked for me with the Alaskan Smoked Porters. All had variations in years I had them, and within the years that they were bottled. None disappointed me, but there were definitely favourites.

 

So first off I’d say that I’m in the camp that most beers don’t improve but all beers change with time. It’s that change that I find fun and worth the time and effort.

I rarely do verticals because it’s so much beer to drink at once. Yes you can split it over a few days but the side by side is hard to beat especially when you have 4+ years and the nuances can be easily forgotten or missed. However, when I do verticals my friends really enjoy it and that makes it even more worth it. For my friends that are newer to craft beer it really opens their eyes to how a flavor profile/ingredients can develop and for my more experienced friends it’s educational and hopefully just as fun.

So overall I’d say verticals are worth it, for my myself and more importantly my friends

 

Sharing a 10y Bigfoot is fun, trying 10 versions of Bigfoot back2back isn't everyone's cup of tea.

 

It is worth it if you would like to experience in a sudden moment how beer gets slowly worse over time.