Why do some hoppy beers hold up so well?

I have noticed this as well. I'm not sure if this is correct but I think the more character a beer gets from dry hop the more susceptible it is to dropping off quick. The more hops that are boiled and if for longer periods may last longer. Maybe there is also a difference versus whole cones and pellets as well.

 

LOL

I'm knew here, but I still know that HOPS are a PRESERVATIVE and Barley Wines are SUPPOSED to be aged, my beer guy wont even drink a barleywine without atleast a year of age on it.

 

I would say that Sierra Nevada and Victory have superior bottling lines. Also it depends on the hop profile. For example the bitter/piney/resinous profile seems lasts longer than the tropical mango/ apricot thing.

 

I've also wondered about that. I've noticed that Double Jack lasts for a long time, longer than any other hoppy beer I've ever had. I've drank 10 month-old bottles of Double Jack that were just brimming with hop flavor, and drank 2 month-old bottles of other beers where the hops have fallen off completely. Hopefully someone has an answer

 

And yet Sierra Nevada believes that Bigfoot should be had fresh, and it's great that way.

 

I think they say that as a simple marketing term.

Also might want to tell that to the guys I've seen do 5+ year old verticals of Bigfoot and other barleywines....

I'm just sayin, I read your post, I understand your question.
I dont think your basic question can be answered simply, it most likely has to do with an unmeasurable amount of factors, everything from light exposure in the factory, to light exposure during shipping, to light exposure during its shelf life, to type of hops, to method of adding hops, to freshness of hops and infinity other factors.

 

My guess is that it must be the hops used, and possibly the malt and abv as well since DIPAs seem to hold up a lot better than IPAs. Even among DIPAs, though, you have some that fade remarkably quickly. Southern Tier 2XIPA is the fastest fading beer I've ever had. Fresh it's quite good, but it's mediocre 3-4 weeks after bottling. Meanwhile beers like Hopslam and Abrasive are fantastic still with 3-4 months on them. Year-old Devil Dancer is hoppier than month-old 2XIPA.

 

A lot might have to do with how the beer is stored, handled, etc. during shipping and at the store. Some of it could also have to do with the alpha acid levels in some hops compared to others. There are really a lot of factors that could go into it.

 

I have always noticed sierra nevada beers tend to preserve their hoppiness longer than any other beer. I think maybe it has something to do with the flavor profile, sierra nevada seems to be more geared towards the bitter end of the spectrum. Ive found most beers with hop flavors more towards the citrus/fruity end seem to disappear quicker. I had a sierra nevada northern hemisphere wet hop that was still awesome after half a year. I had another one that was a year old and it had definately lost a lot by then.

 

Your comparing apples to oranges....

Triple IPA's are SOOOO much different than a DIPA, same goes for a DIPA vs just an IPA.

Like comparing DFH 120 to DFH 90, obviously they dont have the same shelf life even though there both extremely hoppy.

Alcohol most likely has a GIGANTIC role here, obviously.

 

Just a guess, maybe the hop style used? I'm drinking a 31-32 day old PTE now and it's fucking great.

 

I had a stone ruination 10th anniversary 2 nights ago...it was still amazing.

 

maybe cause double jack is just the best ipa

 

I'm just curious, does anyone know why "scientifically" coffee and hop aroma's and flavors drop off in a beer with age? what is the chemical process going on there?

 

without reading all replies, being that the op examples are 20 minutes separated then maybe it's the water. i don't know. i am no chemist.

 

2XIPA is 8.2%, so it's pretty valid to compare to Abrasive, Hopslam, and the like. Hell, I know lower abv single IPAs that hold up better than that beer. And not all big DIPAs hold up equally. Double Crooked Tree, for instance, fades far faster than Devil Dancer.

 

I don't think breweries use different hops for a recipe, they all also use pellets for brewing since it is more convenient and pellets stay fresher than actual hop flowers. Now for dry hopping goes, this gives aroma and character to a brew but will not help it stay fresh longer.

I think that for a project I will work with the public on taste of fresh and old IPAs, as this seems to be question asked often. In the olden days hops were used to preserve beer, but now people believe the fresher the IPA's the better. A blind study conducted of old IPA's and new IPA's would show true results on tastes since knowing the bottling date may change the perception of taste.