Nuggect Nectar: how old is too old?

I actually bought a few 6packs dated 3/22 (got them when they were just 2 days old :-)) and still have one I was planning to share with family mid July on our annual vacation...this thread now has me nervous. I know it will lose some of the hop flavor but surely it will still be worth saving for a share, no? I also have saved a 6pack of Hopslam dated 2/9 for the same occasion...was this a bad idea?

 

This topic is getting more dire every time it pops up, which is every other day now it seems. CRAZY IDEA: try the beer and decide. There is no hard rule for this, but generally beer is good within 3 months. Some people (not the OP) around here need to re-examine their priorities if they are that concerned with getting an IPA that doesn't taste like it just came off the bottling line.

 

no bullshit, maybe it was a batch batch. The lil sumpin series falls off a lot faster when not cold stored too... not 3 weeks like the NN though... so maybe it was a bad one.

 

i wouldnt buy any that was more than a month old.

 

As others have said, you likely got a beer from a bad batch. Nugget Nectar at room temperature (which is the way it sits at the vast majority of stores) has no adverse effects after as little as three weeks.

Remember, from the time it is bottled to the time it gets to the retail store (which can take a while) it isn't under constant refrigeration.

 

I had a few over the weekend dated 2/22, that I found in my closet and they still taste fine. They are by no means bad when older, the nose is a little off and you lose a little on the taste. Otherwise it still tased good!

 

Not sure if it is or not, i know some breweries have in their contracts that it has to stay cold all the time... Surly does, I believe...

 

I don't know, Nugget Nectar has never really done it for me, it's good but I don't get all the excitement over it, I usually pass it by. Anyway at one point I had tasted a Nugget Nectar, Founders Double Trouble, and Bell's Hopslam, of course the Nugget Nectar was my least favorite. But I tried the same 3 beers after almost a year, and I found it had completely reversed, this time the Nugget Nectar was by far the best. None were nearly as good as fresh, I'm just saying Nugget Nectar might hold up longer than some other hoppy ales that really need to be drank fresh.

 

The strength of those beers will have mellowed but I would think they would quite enjoyable still. Keep 'em cold to give yourself the best odds. Hopefully your family appreciates the tremendous sacrifice of you having stared at those beers so long. Patience of Job my friend. Cheers.

 

Thanks for the reply. I thought that leaving them room temp would preserve the taste the best, clearly I'm still learning. As of a few minutes ago they are now in the fridge. And you're right about sacrifice, It's not been easy that's for sure. But I think it will be worth it to see the reaction from my brother in laws when I pull 6 Nugget Nectars and 6 Hopslams out of the cooler. Should be a good time...

 

From my limited experience and from other BAs on here; hoppy beers = store cold to preserve the hops as long as possible. Beers that benefit from aging (stouts, barrel aged, barleywines etc) should be stored at cellar temps NOT refrigerated as the cold inhibits the maturation process. Kudos for the restraint, hope to hell the relatives appreciate it lol. Nothing worse than saving a beer for a buddy/relative only to have them say "it's ok".

 

I just gave away my last 6-pack of NN that I got in March. I did so only because I knew I wasn't going to get to it within then next couple of months (see the thread on Tickers).

I would have no qualms whatsoever about drinking NN within 3 months as long as it has remained refrigerated. It isn't at its peak, but it is a fine beer. I just drank my last Hopslam from February and it was quite good - it was clearly not super fresh but it was still a fine beer to drink.

 

Haha yeah if I hear "it's ok" I might throw a punch! Luckily they understand the goodness of those beers and will very likely be pretty excited (even though the taste won't be as good as they originally were). Especially the NN, they can't get those where they live and I can. I actually got them both a 6pack each back in March and they loved it so I think it will be a hit. Let's hope!