Fresh IPAs...Does it really matter?

Yes, yes, and yes all around!! The fresher the better!!

 

If i'm going to spend $40-$60 or more a case the distibuters could at least have that beer on the block fast. Don't be lazy. Over a month and you fail at first.

 

As a homebrewer that brews a different IPA almost every week, I can say without a doubt that freshness matters! My IPAs are awesome and juicy when kegged around 2-3 weeks after brewing, but fall off quickly starting at around 3 weeks. At 6 weeks, an IPA is a shell of its former hoppy self and at 3 months, many of them start to take on that crappy sweet feed and indistinguishable hop bitterness that most commercial beers get around the same age. The nose from the dry hops fades faster than the flavor hop additions, and as mentioned, at extended age most hops start to take on a uniform flavor and bitterness that isn't tasty to me. If I ever have an IPA go past its prime, I tend to growler it up and give it to my less discriminating friends.

 

I bottle my IPAs and I obtain a bit longer shelf life than you. At 6 weeks post the bottling date my IPAs still have a prominent hop aroma/flavor. My IPAs do significantly 'fall off' between 2.5 - 3 months after the bottling date. I make it a point to consume all of my IPA beers within the 3 month timeframe.

Cheers!

 

this is almost an oxy moron, because IPAs were invented by the british to hold up better for the long journeys to the indian trading routes, or am I just dreaming, im definitely drinking!

 

This is more of a myth than the reality of the "invention" of the IPA.

 

It seems to stand the test of time...

 

you could be right

 

Has anyone blind taste tested the same IPA at different ages? (other than Sixpoint)

1 week, 1 month, 3 months...etc.? Properly stored of course, in the fridge. I might try this with beer I purchase from a local brewery (to ensure proper storage the entire time). I'm curious if I'd notice/what my preferences are.

 

you really can taste a difference but for most its not that big of a difference. obviously if its skunked then yes

 

Correct. IPA wasn't 'invented' for the trip to India..that is myth.
Hops were already long recognized at the time as a kind of preservative, and besides, most of the pale ale which went over to India (along with far greater amounts of porter) were already aged for considerable lengths of time. And significantly, they weren't necessarily brewed to be any stronger than the normal vatted ales of the day.

As far as freshness...it's fine for the bastard versions of IPA (ie., American IPA). The IPA I've brewed at home since the early '80s is brewed to be cold aged and to reach prime at 8-12 months. The only modern concession I make is to dry hop it and dose it with some aromatic fraction hop oil about a month before tapping it, for the sake of aroma.

 

Freshness can be that big of a difference....it can be a huge diffence. I can mention tons of examples where freshness dramatically changed the flavor of a beer.

For me, freshness is king, no questions asked.

 

Even though it has all been addressed, I would say fresher is better the majority of the time, but "freshness" varies widely from beer to beer. Some are fine for 3-4 months. Some taste drastically different in 3-4 weeks

 

You hit the nail on the head in terms of light/heat degradation. Cold cans stay much better than room temp bottles.

 

Maybe I'm crazy/spoiled but I think you're mind is NOT playing tricks on you and that IPAs should be drank within a month of packaging. Canned FW Union Jack is great but it does fade after a month, even when refrigerated.

 

Really questioning whether a fresh IPA is better than an old one is really getting bizarre. Try for yourself , it really is that simple.

 

Answer to this is every palate is different. Do a blind taste test with your favorite go-to's at different intervals and the same storage conditions/different storage conditions. Some beers hold up better than others. Take a mental note.

Next time you go to the store, buy what held up best as fresh as possible if you're in no hurry to drink it. Fresher is always, always, always better if you've never tried it before or if you plan on having it sit in your fridge. If it's a go-to, find out what stands up better in your eyes. I absolutely love Fat Head's Head Hunter. If it's not refrigerated in the store (usually takes a week or 2 to GET to the store - and I'm guessing it's warm in transport/warehouse stored), I find my palate says "no thank you" after a month. If it's refrigerated, add a month.

However, Bell's Two Hearted - if it's in a grocery store fridge under the bright fluorescent lights, I can't tell the difference between 1 month or 2.5. That's my go-to now if I'm at a place with bad selection because of taste tests I've conducted under different conditions.

Do some experimenting with your favorites - you'll be shocked at how resilient these beers are, and you'll learn something for future buying preferences.

 

Yes. And I encourage others to do the same. It sounds like the freshness fanatics have NOT, and are going on anecdotal evidence to convince themselves it's extremely important. Different palates, different beers, different conditions = different results. Try for yourself (BLIND), and be shocked. In both directions. Some beers hold up better than others, and some don't. Buy cold when you can, buy cold and dark when you can - that's not always an option. Also, you never know how it was treated in transport.

 

Obviously a matter of preference. But i can appreciate the John Kimmich video earlier in this thread. I work at a bottle shop and what irks me is when certain customers will turn their nose up at beer if it was canned more than a month prior. If you want really fresh hops you are best going to the source. Someone recently told he had been drain pouring ipas that were more than a month old and I'm was like cmon man. There is something to be said for freshness, but don't go too crazy over it

 

Yes, fresh IPAs do matter. Freshest IPA I've ever had is Pliny the Elder about a week after bottling. Really good, lots of pop on the flavors. IPAs, writing from experience, do fade pretty quick, I'm talking 2-3 months can make a real difference. The fresher the better.