Advice on a trade snag?

I'm not completely in the know on all the beer release happenings, though I'm learning and have gained quite a bit of knowledge, and so even I'm sort of certain that WB Gose was released a while back. Am I correct in stating that this is something of a seasonal release? And if so, if one is seeking this particular beer one should more or less know it's release history and know damn well asking for/seeking out this beer would result in getting, well, 8 month old beer. If I'm wrong on any of the above, chalk it up to my ignorance but if I'm correct, you're not at fault and have done nothing wrong.

Cheers. I hope your trade partner wises up and understands their "predicament" is self inflicted. Honestly, do gose beers really lose that much over this amount of time?! Maybe they do and I'll myself find out soon as I still have a Gose Gone Wild.

 

Gose ages well. It's similar to other sours. Fresh beer is much more important when you're drinking hoppy or delicate beers. I doubt many people would be able to tell a big difference between a fresh and a 8 month old WB Gose, and those people wouldn't be looking to make a trade for them this late in the season anyways.

 

@timmaaww I believe it's just a matter of preference. Goses tend to be very bright and crisp initially, then as the age, the acidity tends to drop off and the brew tends to round out a bit to show off its other flavor profiles. If he liked the bite of a Gose, he should've specified fresh, and this wouldn't be a problem.

I think clearer communication just needs to come across the front end of this conversation, and take that into account on your next trade.

 

To my understanding, there isn't any "fresh" Westbrook Gose right now, so I would have assumed my trading partner knew that. I mean depending on how sour (sorry pun not intended) the relationship is, perhaps you could send him a little something extra in the next trade to smooth it over and show a good gesture?

 

I dont know anything about this style of beer, but in general when people trade for a beer, if they are concerned about the age of beer, they should explicitly ask before the trade. When trading for IPAs I always ask about bottled on date.

In your case negative feedback would not be warranted.

 

I can't remember where, but somewhere a d I think it's right on the can, westbrook says to consume Gose within either 60 or 90 days, can't remember which.

In any event, OP, would you want someone sending YOU 8 month old beer?

You build your reputation here, act accordingly

 

Not your fault at all. If I'm trading for something and I'm concerned about freshness I always ALWAYS ask my trade partner about bottles dates or when they got it from the brewery. If this was an IPA then I can kinda see why he would be mad only because that is a style most people are familiar with but a gose isn't something that the everyday beer trader knows a ton about.

 

IMO and not that it matters, i trade for Westbrook Gose all the time, i know it has an expiration but it has never bothered me its not the same as an IPA. I will drink it all day everyday regardless of the "drink by" date. In fact i have been steadily drinking it since it was stopped being made for the year, and i barely taste a difference. I love me some Gose.

 

I can see both sides here, he wanted Gose he got Gose, he didn't ask about the can date, being it wasn't a Pale Ale or Ipa, I doubt it's a major issue. The OP learned a lesson too check the date where you can. No ones at fault here, just a minor glitch. To be honest I would have done the same thing, I wouldn't figure the style would be time sensitive, so I learned something here too.

 

Perfect response on both sides.

 

I love it when there's actually a happy ending to a thread in this forum.

 

I have old westbrook gose in my cold storage in the garage. It's still tasty, but it's also a seasonal beer, and isn't gonna be fresh obviously.

Call it foul on both sides for not being aware of it.

Glad it got worked out.

 

Good grief. The OP comes on here seeking advice with a personally reasonable question and you chide him like you're his daddy. First of all, anyone who's looking for Westbrook Gose in late February is going to get 6+ month old Gose. Second, anyone who's had WB Gose knows it'll be tasty as hell after 6+ months.

 

Thanks for your input, we'll agree to,disagree!

Cheers!

 

Westbrook just came to NC, and stores are selling Gose like it's never going to be brewed again. I think it tastes just as delicious now as it did back in the fall.

 

Spuyten Duyvil is more than 8 months old. I'd hate if somebody sent me one of those without letting me know