IPA Freshness?

I think Jai Alai holds its flavors very well. I would never say no to a 6 week old Jai Alai

 

Ive said this early in another thread. The freshest ipa ive ever had was a 4 day old 60 minute ipa from Dogfish Head. Ive never tasted a beer like that. IPA is my favorite style and in the 3 years since, ive not experienced anything like it. I dont sweat freshness. My limit on hoppy beers are 4 months or younger or it's not as enjoyable, but ill never forget that beer.

 

I have definitely noticed the same thing. Living in Florida gives me access to consistently fresh Jai Alai and its flavor profile seems to noticeably change for every week or so past the canning date. Don't get me wrong month old Jai Alai is still delicious but it definitely is not quite the same as when it is less than a week old. Jai Alai seems to fall off faster than most IPA's I've had but that might just be because I'm used to having it so fresh.

 

Pliny was a dramatic change I had one fresh (two days old) and one a month. different beer for sure.

 

I've had 5-month-old Torpedo in the past and barely-1-month-old Torpedo more recently -- both were good (and the 5-month-old one certainly hadn't magically lost all of the hop flavor/bitterness... though I remember reading several people say Torpedo or maybe Sierra Nevada beers in general stand up to age better than most, so maybe not all IPAs are in as good shape at that age...), but the fresher bottles had a very noticeable fruity flavor that was totally absent in the 5-month-old bottles mixed in with the other hop flavors.

Haven't had any "this is like a completely different beer" experiences with older vs. newer IPAs just yet, though.

 

dry hopping starts to lose taste and aroma anywhere from 2-4 weeks after carbonation. I think Nugget Nectar loses it the quickest.

Most IPAs take on a more maltier taste profile once the dry hop starts to fade.

 

One beer I've noticed that changes dramatically over time is Ithaca Flower Power.

 

I notice the same with many other examples.

Those who deny it is there, I wish would just graciously always buy the older examples on the shelves. Put their money where their mouths are.

 

I agree. My gf got me a nearly two month old six pack when she was in Tampa a few months ago. I drank it quickly due to its age, and it was already showing maltiness.I told her never to waste her m oney like that again.

 

When I visited FL the other year I finally got to try some Jai Alai and I was blown away. I love it and its great, readily available IPA down there. Once they finally distributed up north (NY) my buddy got some and wasnt very impressed. I had a can that he grabbed and it was over a month old and had definitely fallen off, not bad, but not the same. Some IPAs hold up great, some change rather fast. I got some 10 days old JA in a trade last week, fantastic!

Does anyone this the White Oak JA holds up better?

 

Jai Alai definitely changes over time. Unlike other parts of Florida, my area doesn't receive fresh Jai Alai on a consistent basis and I'm used to drinking three month old Jai Alai. In early January, I stumbled on 10 day old Jai Alai and was blown away by the difference in taste. I finished that sixer with quickness! WOJA does hold up better IMO @Twism86

 

A lot of IPAs seem to change over time, although I've only had Jai Alai once, so can't really speak to that particular one. And it's not always for the worse - lots of IPAs I've had fresh and then two weeks later were very different, and still amazeballs. I've come to the conclusion that some IPAs I actually like a bit better a couple weeks out, and some I have to split up into the "Drink Now" couple and "Hold Off You Impatient Turd" couple.

 

It's a well known fact around here that IPAs turn into barleywines after about a week

 

Its almost 100% dependent on how the beer is stored during that period. If not agitated and stored at a constant 33F, it may taste almost as fresh as the day it was canned.

 

Would you figure something like Hi-Res mellows and becomes more drinkable over the course of a week or 2 in the fridge? Because that stuff is delicious, but could be considered a tad... intense.

 

Well, no beer is going to get hoppier over time, only less hoppy. But if you have your fridge at 37-41F (about average fridge temperature) then you should notice just a slight diminished hop level in 1-2 weeks.

 

It ain't just IPAs, though. Big diff between a couple week old pils, for example, and a 3-4 month old, room temp stored bottle. There are styles that can handle time/temps better than others (i.e., stouts), but really there are a ton of styles that benefit from being drunk fresh.

 

Jai alai is the only beer I've noticed to change like this. Less than a month and it tastes like a light version of enjoy by with a little more tropical notes. Like, the perfect ipa. I like it better than pliny. Seems right about at 6 weeks it turns into a syrupy orange medicinal mess. Not sure why. Even my non ipa drinking wife could tell the difference on the first sip when I showed her. I don't know how u guys don't notice the change with this one. Maybe I have it too often so it's more obvious to me

 

I totally agree with this. I have been almost exclusively drinking Enjoy By 02/14/16 Unfiltered and Jai Alai for the past couple of weeks and have noticed the similarities between the two. I would describe Enjoy By as being like an Imperial IPA version of Jai Alai and vice versa: Jai Alai is like a regular IPA version of Enjoy By.