Beers you want to try but can't find fresh

Wookie Jack for me. I have seen it in more than a few stores. It has always been at the 6 month old mark.

 

A lot of German and English imports. Some Belgians too. I know they age well but I want to try them fresh to compare.

 

I had a great case of Hoptimum last year, but this year I missed the boat and couldnt find anything fresh enough to invest in. And Ballast Sculpin... @60 a case needs to be fresher than APRIL!

 

Any Firestone Walker IPAs. Can't get them less than a month of 2 off.

 

Green Flash Palate Wrecker, West Coast IPA, and Hop Head Red.

Always at least two months old, but usually much older when I see them.

 

You got that shit right.
For me: The Crisp and Pivo!
Freshness not an issue, not available in my state.
Sorry ...couldn't help myself.

 

Off the top of my head, Its hard to ever find anything from Green Flash fresh here. Freshest I've seen was 1 month old, I bought it, It was good, I just want fresher.

 

Alesmith IPA.

It is 6+ months old everywhere and I swear they hold back new batches until the old ones sell, so it's always old.

 

AleSmith IPA. I've been lucky enough to get the YuleSmith Summer and Winter right when they hit the shelves and they were both outstanding. The best of their IPA I have seen recently is June.

 

Nearly forgotten imports that are no longer distributed to the US. When I stumble upon one, I still try it anyway if not too expensive.

 

Great Divide Hurcules DIPA. seems like even when "new" bottles come in, they are at least 2 months old.

 

Augustiner Edelstoff. When fresh it's a world class beer. After the very first batch Denver received all I've ever had are skunky old bottles.

 

Still havent got to try Heady (fresh or otherwise). Anyone want to do a quick trade...fresh HT for some fresh west coast ipa's?

 

Firestone Walker wins this thread. It's a constant struggle on east coast to get their hoppy stuff fresh.

 

Sculpin

 

Firestone Walker in MA, but I will take them at two months. Usually they are more like six. Founders Centennial is seemingly always old here too.

 

Double Simcoe here, too- I guess we're close, but not close enough.

 

Agree with Sculpin, and about a million other West Coast IPAs that I can't get in SC

 

For me is more like beers that i want to try but dont have access to

 

Pretty much any US IPA. We will on rare occasion see some fairly fresh ones here, but most of the time they are at least 6 months old...

 

I've found one bottle of Double Jack that was fresh, and it was superb, it's lousy old, and of course when I'm in a place where it is available it's usually 3 months old.

 

Few IPAs have I come across deteriorate as fast as Hoptimum. You make a good point. Even Pallet Wrecker stands a better test of time. No one has mentioned Pliny but interestingly I've had 2 bottles in the past one being a week old and another 2 weeks old and the difference (blind taste test) was very noticeable.

 

My immediate thought was Weyerbacher Double Simcoe. Right there with ya, @PSU_Mike!

 

Had an old Jai Alai. Wish I could try it fresh because I really didn't like it that much.

 

Fou Foune...but mostly cause everyone wants to rape me for it

 

Racer 5 for me. I've heard great things, and maybe it's just my particular luck, but it always seems to be at least five months old when I see it.

 

Victory Prima Pils
Firestone Walker Pivo Pils

 

This thread makes me happy I live on the west coast. Finding fresh sculpin, and Union Jack are beers that are staples in my regular lineup. Green flash and double jack not so much, so +1 on that.

For me the beer I consistently reach for and can't find fresh is drakes 1500. I found bottles from 2013. I contacted drakes and next thing you know they had 1 month old 1500. Since then I find that exact same batch sitting on the shelf. It's a shame because that is a gret brew.

 

FWIW, I found a random bottle of Double Simcoe buried in my parents' fridge last time I visited home. I can't remember how old it was but it had to be at least 4 months old. I expected it to be all faded and no good but it was delicious and I've had the beer multiple times so I know what it should taste like. Freshness should be a preference, not a rule. Buy a single and experience your favorite hop.

Edit: I do realize that it being in the fridge kept it from deteriorating as much as it would on a shelf but still, it was quite old.

 

Anything with a Rain Man bottling date that I can't figure out.

 

Sculpin. Lately have been able to find it less than a month old. This stuff is best fresh. Old Sculpin no good.

 

Pretty much anything from Firestone (on east coast at least for me). I spoke with a rep from there once and they came off almost like "what did you expect, you're all the way out there."

 

Anything from Catamount. Can't find anything less than 10 years old.

 

Odd question - but how old are we thinking the east coast kegs are then?

 

Not to hijack the thread, but on the same note, what do you guys consider to optimum freshness for an IPA (I know the fresher the better, but say less than 2 months?) and at what amount of time do you not even consider buying it?

 

I always blamed the retailer for the situation. I figured they didn't sell and had just sat around. After what diamondlie says I may not be right. My first thought was " yeah those wagon trains move slow going east."

 

I try to avoid buying anything more than 45-60 days after if it's an IPA. If it is something rare I don't usually see that I've been wanting to try, I will on rare occasion buy it at slightly outside that window. Anything more and it really is a pretty significant drop-off.

 

I was having a real hard time finding Sam Adam Double Agent IPL for a long long time. Finally got some that werent too old

 

Anything from USA or Europe