I found some type of code on the bottom of the bottle, but does anyone have any links or anything to explain it? I tried searching on the BR website to no avail. Thanks.
The codes printed near the bottom of beer bottles are usually those of the bottle manufacturer, not the brewery.
Sigh. Well no sign of BR bottling dates then. I read that it's in dark ink on the neck of the bottle, but couldn't find it. Why the hell don't they put bottling dates on their bottles? >_>
I hope that's an 8 month old Big Bear you got...if not probably not gonna be very good. I've had a few old Racer 5's and Hop Rod's and they were pathetic compared to fresh bottles I've had...when fresh a couple of my favorite, go to brews but a shell of their former selves when they are older than a couple months or so (IMO).
And it's....*drumroll*....Hop Head Rye. Guess I ain't reviewin' it now. It's not horrible, but I assume a fresh bottle is a gajillion times better.
Sigh. I ALWAYS do that. I fail. Although...hmmm...what would a mix of the two be like? Probably nasty.
I always get a sample of bear republic beers at the bar before ordering. I know it sucks but i end up ordering about 1 out of every 25 samples. It's always horribly old.
Some breweries use a Julian dating system where the first number is the last number of the year i.e. 2088... like Sierra Nevada Others use only the date of the year, like Lagunitas where the first three numbers are the date of this year i.e. 088... If the OP is getting a date stamp of 082 it could be really fresh or bottled in 2000, but with a stout who really cares.
all the bear republic bottles I've been buying lately have the dates near the bottom of the bottle, written upside down. And there are no other dates/text on the bottles anywhere, so I'm assuming it's not the actual bottle manufacture date.
I've been wanting to try some Racer 5, but as hard as I look, I can never find the dates on their bottles. Makes it an easy decision when Sweetwater, Bell's, and SN are sitting there with clearly legible dates.
+1. I sometimes will take a chance if a case has just come in at a bottle shop that I trust. However, usually I pass on Bear Republic stuff cause there is no telling how old it is. I'm glad that Green Flash started clearly dating their bottles. Hopefully Bear Republic will follow suit.....
Drinking this as i type, bottling date 6/12/12... a little over 5 months old. I'm reviewing it on paper and i'm thinking it'll average out to about a 4.3, when i put it on BA. It has ranged from a fridge temp (60?) to basically room temp at this very second. I have about 4 oz left of the bomber and i'm starting to smell soy sauce, but the taste remains the same. If this was a racer 5/x, xp PA, i'd be pissed seeing that bottling date. I'm annoyed with this one because i tasted some funky, dank hops and i'm curious if they would be more pronounced, if this was fresh.
Lol i just kinda guessed, i have no idea what the temp is. I'll just say '"fridge temp" I actually posted this in this thread on accident. I had two things going on on my phone and posted it in the wrong spot.
Ugh, well I just learned a cruel and swift lesson in checking your dates before you buy something! So I was at my local beer store last week on a quest for some Hop Slam, and I decided to browse their aisle for some beer that looked appealing. I usually don't buy from them since they're overpriced to sin, as I passed on some $8.99/bottle BCBS. However, I saw a 4 pack of Hop Rod Rye sitting on the shelf, something I hadn't noticed the other 2 times I've been to this store in the last 2 months. It was priced at $9.99, which didn't seem to insanely gouge worthy (though higher than the value price I usually see Bear Republic stuff at). I snatched it. A week goes by (all you hop heads are already cringing I waited a week =D ), I open one RIGHT after a beautiful Hop Slam. I took a whiff, "MALT BOMB" is what I immediately thought. As I sipped, I got some faded molasses and fruits, faded hops, and insane maltiness. My friend was incredibly disappointed, and we were both right about to write the lauded and supposedly beautiful Hop Rod Rye off overrated. The beer was bad, but I wouldn't quite say drain pour worthy. I definitely would never drink Hop Rod again if this was my first impression of it fresh. *HOWEVER* Later that night, I inspected the bottle for the date once again, since it wasn't really visible to me when I first looked at the store. After taking a fort night to finally find this cryptically hidden "upside down beneath the logo" date, it read: 080312. That's right, a 17 month old bottle of Malt Rod Rye was sitting on the shelf. The dust should've been my first cue to run, as it was indication they probably forgot about it in the back. Long story short: I have 3 bottles of Malt Rod Rye sitting in my cellar. What to do? Is there a market for people who like old IPA's?
