[erockrph]

There are a lot of stores in my area that have built up a huge craft beer section. The problem is that the stock just doesn't get turned over. I've stopped buying APA's/IPA's unless they have a "born on" date within 2-3 months, or they are a current seasonal release. I actually have better luck at stores with a small selection because I know that the common stuff like Harpoon IPA, SNPA, etc. gets turned around pretty quick.

It wasn't until I started brewing my own beer that I realized the stuff I've been buying is generally no good. Nothing beats a good fresh IPA.

[DrewG]

There are a lot of stores in my area that have built up a huge craft beer section. The problem is that the stock just doesn't get turned over. I've stopped buying APA's/IPA's unless they have a "born on" date within 2-3 months, or they are a current seasonal release. I actually have better luck at stores with a small selection because I know that the common stuff like Harpoon IPA, SNPA, etc. gets turned around pretty quick.

I had the same issue with my local beer store, to the point that I won't buy ANY beer from them unless its date stamped. They have a huge selection, and a great staff, but it seems that nothing ever gets tossed. They were kind enough to order me a Stone beer I had brewed a clone of a while back that isn't available in our area. I went in and picked it up, and it was a year past the "best by". Huge chunks of proteins floating around in it, really nasty.  So in that case it's not just the store, but the distributor as well. They did refund my money, however. "Meijer", which is a Midwestern mega-grocery store chain out here, now has an entire MI/Craft beer section with a high turnover of product, and as much as I want to spend my $ with the little guys it's hard to turn down fresh beer at a better price.

[kramerog]

I only buy IPAs from a tap or in cans.  Bottles are too much of a crap shoot.

[Jimmy K]

I only buy IPAs from a tap or in cans.  Bottles are too much of a crap shoot.

I had an IPA on draft at a brewery that was great. Bought a sixpack of cans and it was crap - I presume it wasn't as fresh (no date). I don't think there is anything about cans that will preserve hop character.

[bwana]

I also enjoy fresh IPA's although I also like the maturity of my homebrew after 8 weeks. It is all about your style of balance.

[Pinski]

I only buy IPAs from a tap or in cans.  Bottles are too much of a crap shoot.

I had an IPA on draft at a brewery that was great. Bought a sixpack of cans and it was crap - I presume it wasn't as fresh (no date). I don't think there is anything about cans that will preserve hop character.

They'll prevent light strike.

[Jimmy K]

I only buy IPAs from a tap or in cans.  Bottles are too much of a crap shoot.

I had an IPA on draft at a brewery that was great. Bought a sixpack of cans and it was crap - I presume it wasn't as fresh (no date). I don't think there is anything about cans that will preserve hop character.

They'll prevent light strike.

Definately true, but I guess I'd consider that a separate problem.

[BrewingRover]

Which brings me to the point: Why don't all breweries date stamp their bottles? Why would you want some nasty old oxidized beer out there? Anyone unfamiliar (or uneducated) with that beer is going think poorly of it. I think it's Goose Island that goes so far as to put an actual "best by" date on their bottles. As a consumer, I really appreciate that.

The trouble with "best by" is it doesn't tell you when it was bottled. Fuller's beers have a "best before" date, but it must be a year or more after bottling. The last time I bought their ESB, it was oxidized and nothing like the beer I've had in England.

[alcaponejunior]

I had a 120 minute IPA that was over four years old.  Cloyingly sweet, but then it's pretty damn cloyingly sweet when it's fresh too.  I've had about ten bottles of it ranging from 4+ years old to as fresh as it gets.  I can't say I have a preference in that one, TBH.

I had a one year old bigfoot ale that was still damn delicious.  It's very hoppy fresh, and was still pretty hoppy after a year.  But that's barleywine. 

Now aged pliny would be a sacrilege... 

Two-hearted and hopslam would be wrong to age, although again, aging pliny would be a crime against humanity.

As a general rule, I agree that IPAs should be fresh. 

[weithman5]

fundamentally, i am sick of ipa's. it seems that the places around here carry 4-5 different brewers of ipa and they all taste like old asparagus.  Apparently the good Lord has forbid them from carrying a bock, or dunkel, or  even much in the way of amber ales, porters etc

[DrewG]

The trouble with "best by" is it doesn't tell you when it was bottled. Fuller's beers have a "best before" date, but it must be a year or more after bottling. The last time I bought their ESB, it was oxidized and nothing like the beer I've had in England.

Founders has "bottled on" dates, which is nice. I'm with you on the Fullers beers, though

[Jimmy K]

The trouble with "best by" is it doesn't tell you when it was bottled. Fuller's beers have a "best before" date, but it must be a year or more after bottling. The last time I bought their ESB, it was oxidized and nothing like the beer I've had in England.

And really, no brewery is going to print a best buy date that is within a month or 2, or even 4, of production, which is what's needed. It would kill them.

[repo]

The trouble with "best by" is it doesn't tell you when it was bottled. Fuller's beers have a "best before" date, but it must be a year or more after bottling. The last time I bought their ESB, it was oxidized and nothing like the beer I've had in England.

And really, no brewery is going to print a best buy date that is within a month or 2, or even 4, of production, which is what's needed. It would kill them.

Well that is just not true, Stone has it at 90  days on some beers and 120 days on some other beers. They are in the process of opening the largest restaurant in San Diego. Here is a link, I'm sure you will find more breweries that do it also.  https://sites.google.com/site/freshbeeronly/u-s-breweries

[euge]

Budweiser has been doing it for at least 14 years. And they will pull out of date stock.

[timmyt]

Many breweries stamp a number on the can or bottle that signifies the day number of the year, some are 5 digit numbers with the last 3 digits being the numerical day of the year that it was bottled! for instance 19324, meaning that it was bottled on the 324th day of the year! So there is a reference as to how old or how fresh the beer is! Firestone Walker stamps bottled on dates right at the start of the neck on their bottles and is very hard to see unless you hold it up to the light but it is there and many other breweries do this as well! The problem is that the print is so small and hard to see that many of us never know that its there!