Is Bottle Dating Really THAT Difficult?

I do - the local distributor is not doing its contracted job and the local brewery rep (if one exists) isn't holding the distributor's feet to fire to follow that contract. At least, for the SN Torpedo, which Sierra Nevada give a 150 day shelf life. The Founder's beer, at over 9% might be given a longer than average shelf life and for Firestone Walker, while the have a Report Expired Beer webpage, I don't see where they list their recommended shelf life. Also, it should be noted that many distributors won't take back partial cases and/or won't combine a single brewer's beers to make up a case for credit/replacement.

Not an uncommon situation (in fact, all too common) to find beers on the shelves past the brewers' desired dates but that does not mean the brewery approves of it. And the fact that an increasing number of brewers have consumer-friendly date coding means they do expect the consumer to be the final "inspector".

But, even if you are buying beer older than the brewery would like, I doubt anyone here minds - it is just another way to clear those shelves of old stock so the retailer can order fresh. I will note that the frequent refrain of the out-of-code beer drinker of "it tasted fine..." really doesn't say much. Few beers go from "Fresh" to "Undrinkable" when the clock strikes midnight on the "best by" day. Stale beer can only really be judged in a side-by-side of a fresh sample of the same beer.

 

I definitely don't think breweries would want their old beers to be drunk and rated badly, but I do think they want people to try their beer, and sometimes getting access to it means it being a few months old, unless we all move to super hyper-local breweries in the region instead of on a national distribution scale. If you don't want an old beer don't buy it. I honestly didn't even look at the date when I got the single Torpedo, but after I poured it and tried it I saw a white date on the side back of the paper label, dated 12/?/14. I noticed it wasn't too bitter and hoppy but it tasted fine to me. I think maybe consumers should just be a little less judgmental about the product they consume. Not everything in life is going to be perfect. I like bottle dates, but I think the consumers are making this harder for the brewery as a whole. Obviously fresher beer is preferred but it can't always be the case for everyone to drink super fresh beer unless you have less consumers of it. Should the brewer produce less of it? That means less beer for everybody. The wider distribution to all states should be the solution but that's a tricky legal issue I suppose.

 

Wider distribution equals that many more hands and that much less control over your own product. I think it also establishes a false confidence.

 

(No comment).

My post above which you replied to, discussed the breweries' own shelf life recommendations, typically 3-6 months (not any demand for "super-fresh" beer) - they've been telling consumers in ads for decades to drink fresh beer - not the other way around.

Wouldn't it be more consumers - enough to keep the turnover time on the retailer shelves shorter the brewery's desired shelf life period.

 

I think the average somewhat ill informed consumer a.k.a. the vast majority really, doesn't care about dates. They assume and hope that the retailer or distributor is selling an up to date product. I couldnt tell you the times I have seen people simply grab a sixer and walk off. We are the minority here.

But I want to take a time out to give kudos to a local brewery La Cumbre.

They started canning in 2012, and right away started using a pricing gun to stick a canned on date on each of the 4 packs they sell. Not until mid 2015, when they got a brand new brew house, that they got a canning date stamper. I'm sure it was on their wishlist initially.

One of their initial stamped batches read:


Since that time, just 4-5 months into their stamping, they have since evolved into this current stamping:


Their bombers still have individually price gun tagged bottled on dates.

Breweries need to stand by their product, and make this sort of thing a priority. Now they still have some minor "squished" or off balance dates where you can barely make it out. But the effort, and change, is there.

Many places seem to just hope that consumers are stupid, and that once they get their stuff in the store, it's up to the stores to be blamed etc.

Some breweries I have seen seem to make no effort to change or evolve. Maybe La Cumbre felt they needed to stand out a bit from all of the incoming distributed out of state beers. It is to be commended.

 

JK, maybe Sam (@bulletrain76) can provide some input here.

Cheers!

 

Kudos to La Cumbre for providing both a canned on date and a best by date!!

@Sixpoint

Cheers!

 

Geez, I hope not. I'm lazy and don't want to have to start carrying around a pen and pad to jot down all those June and July '15 sixpacks of Pivo I keep finding (I guess those are still within code if they're using 5 or 6 months, but, man, I want my pils under 3 months, California brewery or not.)

And a reasonable 3 months-based "best by" date, as well.

 

This does pose a good question. La Cumbre is quite popular around my state. They sell well. Their new brewhouse is ready to start a nearly full distro to another state. The beer itself is great. This sort of stamping isn't really needed as I'm sure many places have deliveries weekly or bi weekly. Before this new stamping, I haven't seen a sticker topped four pack older than 2 months in a store, EVER. They may just want to make it a point of re emphasization (made that word up) that their product is labeled, and you know EVERYTHING about it, compared to another local product or newly distributed IPA from out of state that gives very little indication of anything.

I can see a lesser popular brewery struggling to want to display just how old, and how NOT well their beer is selling would not want to display their born on date. "Hey We have some 3 month old IPA being sold at a local grocery store. We had to sell them 25 cases just to get it in the store".

It's almost that knock out blow for the more popular and better tasting places to do this sort of thing to get a 2-3 step jump over others who aren't quite as worthy.


I can see both arguments at play.. But ultimately, its not fair to consumers to have to buy a undated beer of a brewery that is sorta popular, and then wonder how fresh it is. Higher level breweries should highlight their freshness. While I understand the ones that don't sell too quickly may not want to highlight anything. They will hide.

So pretty much any brewery I now see without any sort of date, I do wonder, just what are you hiding?

 

What i mean by making it harder is, breweries have to figure out ways to make their beers fresh for people's taste buds because people want fresh beer. Beer doesn't exactly go bad like most food does. It has a longer shelf life and tastes just fine to some people even after 3 or 6 months. With more small batch local fresher 35 day shelf life or 3 month or less beer, the people who don't get it in that time won't be able to try it. More exclusive beer means less for the masses...

 

Yes, it does indeed make you wonder.

Cheers!

 

Provide packaged on dates to the consumers and let them decide. Is providing information to the consumers so they can make an informed purchasing decision a 'bad' thing?

Cheers!

 

Absolutely not. Like I've said once or twice in this thread, I want and like packaging or bottling/canned dates. My point is that the undated bottles could be a result of either less resources and finances to afford it, or an unwillingness to abide by consumer freshness demand. It does sort of go around the consumer demands which is unfriendly in a way, but some people don't mind older beer, and don't always look at the date like most of you do. I am a consumer too you know. I don't even work at a distributor, store or brewery, though I would like to.

 

I consider that vague information. We all know friends who may say "we'll see or call you in a bit". Well. What's a bit? In the same vain with consumer products, we may see those infomercials with the long paragraph that is displayed for half a second on the bottom of the screen of commercials. BEER is finally getting competitive in all aspects. So the shake out may come with those places that want to be vague, and have no blame placed on them for shitty products.

I can understand a brewery selling a pallet of lager to a distributor, and who knows what happens from there. Maybe they want to sit on it for 9 weeks until your other crap sells? At some point, you're selling crap and need to recognize that crap may not sell too well from here on out. No sugar coating that.

You can't just produce, produce, produce without actual sales. So maybe some places need to slow down on making beers before trying to pawn them off on distributors that are already over stocked. Distributors may take anything and everything at a discount though. I understand the whole spectrum. But luckily We have choices!

 

I have the same problem in my area: lots of July dated Pivo Pils. It has been quite a while since I have purchased Pivo Pils. I actually had a conversation with the Firestone Walker local sales rep on this issue last spring at a Firestone Walker tasting. That discussion did not go too well; she did not appreciate hearing my thoughts on this topic.

Oh well, there are lots of tasty SEPA brewed Pilsners to choose from (and they are fresh). I have to do some food shopping later today and I have already written Sly Fox Pikeland Pils on my shopping list.

Cheers!

 

This is where the brewery's sales rep has to 'step up' and work with the wholesale distributor to move that product since it is ultimately the brewery who will get a besmirched here. When was the last time you heard a beer consumer who purchased a beer that tasted 'old and tired' blame the wholesale distributor vs. the brewery for this situation?

Cheers!

 

Speaking of which, I was at a local beer store (not totally craft centric) on Friday. I guess they got a deal on Guiness because they were stacking at least 100 cases on a side area floor space prepping for St. Patricks Day (I assume). 100 cases would pretty much cover half of their "extra" floor space.

Ultimately, I guess if stuff sells above what retailers bought them for, places will stay open and we'll continue to buy. Distributors will offer deals, sales, or like what AB INBEV is trying, those incentives run deep. So don't be surprised if you're Holiday Guiness in March of 2016 is dated August 2015 (if you can find it).

Another theory I have. Maybe people like what aged beer has become. Some become less hoppy or less prominent flavors. I read a thread here about temp. changes on beer. Maybe a certain change over time is what the vasty majority prefers? I like many local ipas that aren't day old fresh, but that 2 week to 1 month zone is money.

 

I had to laugh when I saw my first "July" sixpack earlier this month - I'd been checking numerous stores in the area in the weeks before that and could only find June canned Pivo. "Well, I guess that's an improvement..."

Sadly, the NJ craft beer buyer has seemingly gone beyond Sly Fox - I don't find it often and I'm sure the last time I did within recent weeks they had "Best before" dates of December. Pikeland Pils would be my house beer (well, one of them...) if I could get a steady supply of it fresh cases.

 

Do you get Neshaminy Creek Trauger Pils in your area? I really like that Pilsner too.

@nc41

Cheers!

 

Yeah, I've had it but, despite most of their beers now being date coded with a "price sticker" I have yet to again find the Pils sixes with any stickers (even the ones that are commonly partially "rubbed" off - apparently during shipping). Makes me wonder if those are old stock from the distributor (Hunterdon).