Do you check for freshness?

It would have been helpful that a poll was included as part of this thread.

Below is from my reckoning of the above posts:

A couple people posted that for certain styles they don't bother to check the dates.

About five people posted they don't bother checking dates or they will sometimes check dates when they purchase.

So, not everybody is conscientious in checking dates.

Cheers!

 

If I'm grabbing beer for a BIF or trade, sure. But for myself, rarely. I just don't care that much.

 

Everyone should absolutely be checking dates. Some of the stuff legitimately does come off the truck with the expiration date being a week later. We got 6 cases of 12 packs of O'Dell lager in the beginning of March and its expired at the end of March. Unless its a fancy barrel aged beer or something I highly recommend checking especially for hoppier beer

 

100% of time. I can tell too I drink a ton of German imports and beers like that and the year date is good and all but it’s still best fresher

 

Not usually, for these reasons. I typically either buy direct from a brewery (usually tree house), so there’s no real concern for checking freshness OR, I buy something like snpa / jacks Abby / Von trapp which don’t really have freshness issues

If I’m buying an ipa off the shelf, absolutely

 

normal people don't, such as my friends and my parents. Only us beer nerds look for it.

I just buys ipas from the brewery, simple solution. haha.

 

Well don't say that. If everyone checks, who's going to buy all the OoC beer?

The rare retailers who do care often can't get the distributors to take it back/exchange it.

You don't shop where I shop...

 

Maine Beer Company, sorry, my bad, bottling date!

 

I’ve had this experience too many times
Me:*i walk into liquor store and take a look around myself* “do you have anything new in?”

Clerk: “yeah, we have this ____”

Me: “oh, yeah I saw that...the date on it is 8 months old”

Clerk: * looks at me like I’m an asshole*

Me: “so do you actually have anything fresher?”M

Clerk: * continues to look at me like an asshole* “ we just got in___(repeats beer brand)”

I mean I too am at fault here for being the jerk, but yeah a lot of places don’t care.

Point is, i always check.

 

That's what first came to mind for me, but then I saw "South Dakota" and figured, "Nah..."

Once, years ago, I came across a half full case of a Maine beer on the floor (probably Lunch), as if the employee had been putting them on the shelf and got called away. Check the date and it was only a week or so old. Despite the price I bought it. That was the first and last time I ever saw it fresh enough to purchase (I did stop looking...).

 

I'm working in VA right now, so I'm getting spoiled w/ all these great East coast breweries! Kane is next on my list!
Cheers

 

Always!
I'm not paying premium pricing for brews that have been sitting for months

 

Sometimes. But, I often get carried away with the beer that I just found and forget to check the date. Unfortunately, I have bought beer as old as 1.5 years. Having said that, most beers that I bought that were old were still drinkable and enjoyable.

 

I was so excited to see Toppling Goliath in town. The Pseudo Sue and King Sue was best by the month that I saw them, August of last year. The Lager, I forgot the name, was best before May of last year. I told the beer gal when I saw them. They all sat there for months.

 

Almost every time. Especially IPAs. Not as much for impy stouts or Belgian triples.

 

Always check dates on IPAs. Occasionally I’ll check a date on a pilsner or lager is it looks suspect.

 

Wow, talk about a thread that was begging for a survey at the top. Although I think we all can predict what it would have looked like by now.

 

Always.. even when buying Stella,Corona or Hamm’s

 

Hell yes, always do. Im that crazy in the middle of the aisle holding a bottle of beer to the light trying to figure out the julian date code stamped on it's neck.

 

OK, what was/is your prediction for the percentage of folks who stated they don't always check for dates?

Cheers!