How important is fresh beer to you?

So you only drink at breweries? Seems a bit snobbish.
Fresh matters for some styles, such as IPA's and lagers, but heartier styles with a higher ABV can be aged for some time. I don't know how a beer that is on tap will age, but I imagine that it will not age as well as a bottle.

 

It has always been as "you" like it, twas ever thus.
There are others that hold a different definition of fresh, don't think badly of us...

 

If you're 1 for 1, or 50/50, then I'm at 1 for 100. And even that is conservative for draught beer. Bottled beer is much more likely in my opinion to be stale or old. Keg beer often is pretty lame, yet not what I would call stale.

 

Sounds delicious. I doubt that the keg was tapped for seven years though. Probably aged in a refrigerated room.

 

I guess that depends on the beer.

 

I live in Alaska. Things take a while to get here. I've learned not to be picky about this.

Though it's really only a big issue with IPAs. If I can get an IPA that was bottled 3 months ago, that equals fresh here. I've NEVER seen anything with a date more recent than like two months old.

 

I only drink beer made to order.

 

It does. Draft=draught=Keg I guess...nomenclature...

 

maybe hit places with a better curated (ie. less taps better rotation) menu. Nothing wrong with seeking the freshest you can get but even brew pubs/ brewery tap rooms sometimes have beer that are slow movers.
You want the freshest beer you can have brew your own and you dictate the release and consumption pace.

 

All the establishments I frequent for beer usually move a lot of volume and are constantly changing. I'm also fortunate enough to know one of the distribution guys for my area, so I have a pretty good idea of who sits on too many kegs. I haven't had made issues with freshness when it comes to draft beer.

For bottles, I always always check the dates on IPAs. Everything else it depends. Unless I'm eyeing a specific IPA, I tend to take the one that has a good date on it. Nothing better than a fresh Union Jack or Racer 5.

 

Freshness matters, of course - but I don't go to any extremes or take any hard stances. It's mostly IPAs and similar pales that are really in the discussion here, and I just won't buy an IPA that's past three months (preferring them within two months, but exceptions occur) and I also prefer DIPAs to be within 6 months. If there's nothing around that qualifies, then I'll just choose from one of dozens of others beers.

 

I strongly disagree that it's "mostly IPAs and similar pales" where freshness matters most. In fact, I'd say in 99% of the beers produced worldwide, freshness is of absolute paramount importance to enjoying them at their best.

 

I work Tuesday-Saturday nights and seldom get to go drink at breweries or restaurants. 95% is bottles and cans at home or with friends after work. I check dates now on IPA's after getting a few bad bottles. Mostly drink dark and barrel aged so the longer the wait, the better the brew.

 

I disagree with this. Love stouts the longer I wait. Maybe part of it is anticipation and plays into my overall enjoyment.

 

I won't go out of my way for freshness but I will never buy an IPA or IIPA that I know has been sitting and collecting dust.

 

All stouts?