Most expired beer I ever purchased

I made a mix a six one time of all expired beer at Valley Liquors in Hackettstown, NJ. Avoid their mix a six at all costs.

 

That's an understatement...

 

26220 w loomis rd
Wind Lake, 53185.

 

Wait, are we talking about cellared beers or just recent purchases?

I think my biggest shelf turd purchase (not purchased and then sat on in a cellar) was a few bottles of Raison D'Extra at the end of last year. Released in 2007.

 

Six week old Pliny a friend brought to a tasting. Excuse me, I meant ex-friend.

 

A few days ago a friend brought a New Belgium 1554 that was dated 2007 to a tasting.

It was...bad. Good thing he also brought some Kuhnhenn mead!

 

A store had old shelf beers, mix and match a six pack for $6. That is about the price of some single bottle of beers was going to buy, so why not.

They were all about 1-2 years old, or even older as 2 years past the "Best By" date.

Troegs Reckoning and Smuttynose Porter held up great.
Troegs Sunshine Pils and Mission Blonde were actually both still fantastic.
Brekenridge Vanilla Porter gushed out of the bottle and was spoiled.
Victory St. Boisterous was okay, tons and tons of big floaties.

 

I once got a few bombers of Victory Baltic Thunder that were 6 months out. I had no idea what to expect, but they were 99 cents and there were three cases of it at the store. When I tried one, I went back to the store for more, but they were all gone. Then I lost one in my basement for a year. When I found it, it was no longer the same--so "smoothed" out, it was barely a porter.

I also recovered a 1L stout and 4 pints of brown ale that was homebrewed in the 1980s--they were hiding in the cellar behind a bunch of empty bottles. The stout was 25 years old when I found it. Amazingly, it survived really well and with no oxidation or other off notes. The brown was 27 years old and not quite as lucky. There's still a clear malt flavor (it was extract based with crystal and chocolate malt added), but it's a bit thin, no hops left at all and boozy as hell. Both were over 10% when we bottled them. But, apparently, we did something right back then as none of them turned after all this time. And both were unfiltered.

Last week I saw a 2 year old Harpoon Leviathan Rye on the shelf of a store (not one of my regulars). I thought it was a bit old to just be sitting there and a lot of the selection was dusty and seemed abandoned. Their manager was visibly annoyed at me and claimed that at 2 years it was at its peak. This year's Leviathan is IIPA and it's marvelous, but I can't imagine what would happen to it after two years sitting on a shelf at 68F year round, with halogen spotlights pointed directly at it. I didn't buy it.

 

Man, I love this beer and had a recent batch and it sucked. Was disappointed, I hope it's better next time around.

 

Whoa whoa whoa. You mean GI quality has gone downhill since the inbev aquisition? No way!

 

A 1 1/2 year old can of Dale's Pale Ale, didn't realize the date was on the bottom of the can until I got home. Also had a bottle of Ithaca Flower Power almost as old as that, they were both almost all bitterness and no hop flavor.

 

Because inbev has anything to do with the way they make Pere Jaques, right?

 

Purchased a So. Tier mixed 6pk. recently [2XIPA, Unearthly, Iniquity]. All were bottled 1/2013 or 2/2013. The 2XIPA was reduced to a strong pale ale, the Unearthly was OK and the Iniquity was fantastic.
If I ever have occasion to purchase a bottle at a bar or restaurant, I always ask for it to be brought out unopened. I've sent many a bottle back. If I'm going to pay a premium for something the establishment adds nothing to, besides having storage space, I want to get what I'm paying for.

 

I heard this year's AleSmith YuleSmith Holiday Ale (Summer) was supposed to be super juicy so I looked for it at my bottle shop. I found it, right next to the winter Holiday Ale that was weirdly still available. Dropped $10, went home and choked it down only to find that it was THREE FUCKING YEARS OLD! The guys at the bottle shop kept all the YuleSmith that didn't sell in the back, and then put it all out whenever the new release is supposed to be out. Tricky pricks.

 

You will live through this.

 

6 month old Hop-15. The store usually puts their more desirable beers up at the register and thats where this one was, baited and hooked me. Told my buddy about it and he asked how fresh it was. That's when I looked at the date and was said "Oohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh".

 

I have three bottles of Weyerbacher Zotten left. They are not improving...

 

From Zotten to Rotten? (Ne'er shoulda gotten...)

 

Had this at a bar last month in Amherst, where Central Waters is made! Yet I'm served a yr old CW IPA.