Starter kit for a beer cellar?

I would recommend big stouts or strong ales. The higher the abv the longer it can stand the test of time.

Also wild ales and gueuze tend to age gracefully.

 

Wild Ales not so much...some, but not all of them like Gueuze.

Anyway. For starters, I think it's probably a good idea to stick with beers in styles you like that are available in 12 oz bottles as 4 or 6-packs that are fairly cheap ($2-3/bottle), bonus if they have dates on the label already. The reasons for this are:

1. You want to only age beers in styles you actually want to drink. Don't buy barleywines to age if you don't like malty, bitter beers.
2. You want beers that are made continuously that aren't hard to get so that you can build a vertical.
3. You'll want small bottles incase you don't like how it aged.
4. 3 x 22 oz bottles means you get the try the beer 3 times; 6 x 12 oz means you get to try it 6 times as it ages
5. Supposedly small format bottles age more rapidly, so you'll get to cherish the fruit of your labors more quickly
6. You want to try the bottles over time, so if they don't cost $10 each, you'll be more likely to open them.

Prime Beginner Candidates:

• Sierra Nevada Bigfoot - dated, big barleywine that definitely changes over time. The hops oxidize and fade, bitterness recedes, malt comes out more. this beer changes a lot
• Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout - Not my favorite stout, but it ages well since it already has a lot of dark fruit flavors that will continue to be accentuated over time.
• Chimay Grande Reserve (Blue) or Premiere (Red) - big, assertive Belgian dark beers. Available in small bottles also. I'd stay away from the White because that's a beer that I love fresh.
• North Coast Old Rasputin - It's the prototypical American Imperial Stout.
• Victory Storm King - Another Imperial Stout, this time with lots of hoppiness due to late additions. Another beer that changes drastically over time
• Anchor Our Special Ale - made for aging, released every year around the holidays. They also sell 1.5 liter bottles for pretty cheap ($15-20) if you want to play around with aging large format bottles. It's a spiced brown ale, so the spice flavors will fade overtime, but not completely
• Great Divide Yeti - now in 12 oz bottles, a great stout that I don't have personal experience with, but I'm sure will age gracefully.

I would suggest 6-8 bottles of each to store and taking detailed notes in a dedicated notebook for these beers.
As you decide to expand, I would definitely consider lambics from Cantillon, Drie Fonteinen, and Girardin if you like sour beer. You can also move up to larger format (22 oz or 750ml) bottles or more expensive beer like Deschuttes Abyss, Firestone Walker Abacus and Parabola, Dogfish 120 minute and World Wide Stout, JW Lees Harvest, etc.

 

My general rule for Double IPA's is DRINK THEM NOW!