Undated FBS in Georgia?

It prob just got rubbed off. Did you check the other bottles for dates that were in the store?

 

If you can see the cardboard case it comes in, date is also printed on it..

 

2011 FBS should still have a bright yellow date on it. Prior years would not, but it would be in black ink and be very difficult to see against the beer. If you hold it up to the light and rotate the beer, you might be able to see it.

 

Another method of figuring out is to look for the raised two digit numbers that are directly on the glass bottle. They are at the bottom. Founders has said that this is not an official method of dating as the numbers come from the bottle maker and not the brewery, but sure enough my 2011's have a raised "06" and raised "11." This is also "29G" and "SG."

My 2012's have a few numbers: 32, 12 and a faint 14. Might help you identify if the bottles have similar numbers as mine.

 

what about the number on the side of the bottle, but below the label. I can see it in your pic (at the very bottom of your picture at about "5 oclock"). Is that a "12?" Those are the numbers I was referring. Sorry wasn't clearer.

 

This years breakfast stout batch has been sent out to the midwest atleast. It hit shelves last week. Does Georgia get really delayed distribution? I think it makes a lot of sense that it is the newest batch given that you know it was not on shelves previously, and the shop owner is someone you think is an "awesome dude." I would trust him, it would be a pretty odd lie for him to tell.

 

this looks like my bottles so maybe the dates just missed this batch. Cheers!

 

I have been in a store where mysteriously every pack of centennial and reds rye mysteriously had no date. One of the bottles had traces of yellow remaining. I asked an employee working there whom told me it shouldn't matter they should be good for up to a year. Needless to say I have not been their since, such a sketchy practice deceiving people that way.

 

My 08/01/12 neck stamped bottles have an 02 12 on the bottom. It seems KBS bottles are the only one where the second number coincides with year then.

 

Especially on hoppy beers like those

 

It's not unheard of for some batches of Founders beers to be completely missing the dates on the bottles. I work at a store here in Georgia and we're expecting our delivery of this same batch on Monday, so I'll try to confirm regarding the lack of dates on the bottles as well as the actual bottling date on the cases. AFAIK, any of the 2011 batches we received here last year had clear and readable dates on the bottles, so there is a very good chance you've got the 2012 batch in your hands here...

 

I picked up some fresh stuff this weekend that had no date as well. The bottles have 12 on the bottom, where I have some from last year that has the date, and also has 11 on the bottom of the bottle as well.

I think you've got the new stuff in hand. I KNOW I had fresh because the store I went to, didn't have it on the shelf. They acted like it was some hot ass beer that was super hard to find, and limited me to 1-4 pack to my purchase and had it behind the counter. Pretty stupid, I told them I only wanted one now, because it'll be easy as hell to find for the next 3 months. They shrugged, and said they'll shelve it when they get more, but for the time being..

Anyways... point is.. No date here, so I'm assuming it's fresh. The coffee was pretty loud, so it's more coffee forward than the 2011 I have here, so it's got that going for it.