Packaging dates on reviews?

I'm satisfied with putting the packaging date in my review, often with a comment regarding if it was purchased from a room temp shelf or a cooler.

 

I mention dates for the most part, as I rarely buy beers that are not dated unless it’s a recent release or seasonal.

 

I agree. Primarily with IPAs. I finally learned, the hard way, to check IPA dates. Some are not dated and I will pass them up unless it's something I've been after for a while. Some packages are dated and the contents not dated. Total Wine offers singles and many are not dated.

 

Buying singles off the shelf at Total Wine is a bad bet. They specialize is old stock and once they’re split they lose all control. If I want to try something I might split a 6, I ask the manager first but he’s always said ok. A better bet it’s fresher stock, but that’s certainly one place if it’s not dated I won’t buy it.

 

If packaged on dates were easily accessed and more people cared about them, then I think this would be great information to keep track of (especially because you could then see if there were correlations between freshness and overall score, which might suggest that a beer is best fresh- Behold the awesome power of Pearson's r). But I don't think the packaged-on dates are all that easy to come by and I definitely don't think the typical craft drinkers gives a shit about it.

 

I generally note the dates on my review most certainly if it’s an old beer so when I say “aroma muted” or “due to the age the hops taste a little stale” it has some relevance to the date I’ve noted for the reader.

 

Even though I include the package date in my notes, I don't think it usually matters. I generally drink what I have within two months as a general good practice. In my experience, my notes haven't wildly deviated from others who have had it much fresher. I do recall one specific example where it did matter: I had a four pack of one of the Fremont's Head Full series that was delightful. I intended to write notes but got an infected tooth and had to have it extracted. Beer was out of the question for a few weeks during recovery. The beer had significantly degraded by month two, the time I got back to it. Fremont themselves say that their Head Full series is best within three months. I included that info in my notes and withheld any kind of score.