Fresh IPAs...Does it really matter?

There's no single right answer to your question. It depends on you and the beer.

For example, Nugget Nectar, while not an IPA, relies heavily on hop flavors. I find that when I have it less than two weeks old it has a harshness that smooths out and disappears at about 2 weeks. Then for about a month it hold pretty steady at what is its peak for me. After than the hop presence begins to recede as the beer changes. I still enjoy it 2 months of age, but for me the peak is that one month period between two and six weeks after bottling/canning.

For other beers its different.

For me this is why I like to avoid the one-and-done pattern of seeking out new beers all the time. Getting to know a beer is much more fun than just drinking something new all the time.

 

IMO Stone Brewing provides a proper best by timeframe of 90 days for their hoppy beers (e.g., Stone IPA).

A hoppy beer in a can (with little oxygen introduced during canning) and continuously stored cold (brewery to wholesale distributor to retailer to consumer) may likely still be pretty good at the 3+ month mark.

Cheers!

 

Depending on what your definition of fresh is - I actually like my IPA's with a hint of age on them. Nothing crazy, but 3-6 weeks mellows out some harsh notes on many hop bombs.

 

Tom,

Do you continuously store your Nugget Nectar cold?

Cheers!

 

Yea it matters but not to the extent that people on this site would have you believe.

 

On July 1st I did a blind taste test with Pliny dated 03/02 and Pliny dated 06/05, granted three months discrepancy is a long time and the old pliny was 4 months old but the difference was drastic and I ended up pouring out the old Pliny after drinking the fresh one. I also did this same blind taste test with the last two releases of Enjoy by and the result was the same.

Not sure where the cut off of freshness for IPAs is but there is no doubt these good IPAs, whether gradually or precipitously, fall off.

 

The head brewer has said that he prefers it at 10 weeks.

 

Not enough space in the fridge. I get it within a few days of bottling, put some in the fridge and the rest of the case is kept cool in the basement.

 

How were your beers stored (what temperature)?

Cheers!

 

I personally think you mind is playing tricks but I perseonally dont think 8 weeks is old.

 

What? I mean I do the same as you but im confused what your post has to do with mine lol

 

I do the same exact thing. I would be willing to bet that if we obtained fresh canned Nugget Nectar and stored it cold (refrigerator) it would still taste 'good' at the 3 month mark. I will conduct this exercise next year.

Cheers!

 

He meant to reply to me.

Cheers!

 

In my opinion, I definitely think that hop flavours fade after a relatively short period of time (a few months or so). I always prefer a fresh IPA over a not-so-fresh IPA and never usually buy an IPA if it's any older than a few months.

 

Oh haha. Yup that makes sense. Cheers.

 

my biggest suggestion is to never drink fresh IPA's so you never learn the difference because if it is your sort of thing then it leads to big disappointments down the road

 

With a IPA/DIPA you're unfamiliar with...probably not or not as much.

With one you've been drinking regularly for the past 2+ years and very familiar with, YES.

 

The Pliny was stored at room temperature. The enjoy by was stored in the fridge. I do have access to a cellar, perhaps I should do it again and see if the cellar storage changes anything.

 

Freshness is important with any hoppy beer, especially if the person is trying the beer for the first time. They have to know what to expect from the beer every time they have after their first time drinking it. I suggest to people starting to drink craft beer to make sure they get the freshest example possible the first time they drink a beer for that reason.

 

IPAs should be refrigerated. Where is that chart people post here all the time? Storing an IPA at room temperature RAPIDLY speeds staleness.