Fresh IPAs...Does it really matter?

Yes

 

I went to VT and brought back plenty of Heady. I drank them over the course of the next 2 months. With each week, they seemed to be worse and worse: Less hop-forward nose and diminishing floral taste, and more just standard resiny bitter IIPA flavors (still good, but missing that earthy floral hop thing). I thought maybe I was just getting bored with drinking the same thing.

During this time I traded with someone near VT and as an extra I got a presumably much fresher Heady. On the first smell it brought me back to those nights in Burlington, VT 2 months prior, drinking fresh cans at bars and restaurants (and Sip of Sunshine on tap...). Remarkably different than those in my fridge.

So I would say it definitely matters, but would agree keeping it cold and out of sun is more important.