Important info on bottles?

All I really want is a clearly printed bottling date that won't rub off or smear. I don't want a best before date or some hard to read code.

 

I rather enjoy the essays on the back of Stone's brews, especially AB.

 

Date is most important to me. Still way too many places not putting that on there and it really annoys me. I'm in a smaller location so the beer doesn't fly off shelves as quick, meaning it's possible something sits there a while and I risk buying it not knowing. A recent example was Hop Stoopid. I bought it and it was absolutely horrible and I'm guessing was sitting in the cooler for some time. IDK if Lagunitas dates bottles, but I didn't find a date anywhere so I took a chance.

 

"Nutrition Facts"

I find it interesting that people are voting that they like to see nutrition facts on beer labels when in fact this information is never found on beer labels.

 

The OP's thread title and original post are worded differently. In his post he says what info do you wish was on labels.

 

I voted for bottled on date.

One detail that was not specifically listed which I personally think should be provided on the bottle is the actual location where the beer was brewed (preferably with the specific name of the brewery). For example, I think that Sixpoint Brewery beers that are not brewed at the Brooklyn Brewery should be labeled like:

Sixpoint Brewery
This beer was brewed at City Brewing Company Memphis, TN

Cheers!

 

Bottling date and abv are a must. A little background info is nice,if it's from a brewery you don't know.

 

Not only would I like to see bottling date, but it should be in a visible (and consistent) location. This weekend I actually updated my beer inventory spreadsheet (yes, I have one of those) with the bottling date to help me quickly prioritize what to drink when. And going through what I had on hand and trying to find the date was something of a challenge.

Some beers have the bottling date clearly printed on the label (which is easiest to see and seems logical), some have an enjoy by date on the label (not as good, but still tells me something), some have it in tiny letters on the actual bottle (which can be difficult to read, especially with a darker beer), and some (Lagunitas was mentioned above, Rogue is another) either did not have a date that I could find or had one that I could not decipher.

And for stouts or other styles that are better with age, there could just be an N/A in place of the date.

 

I voted for date, story behind the beer and ingredients. But I should clarify:

When I say I want the story behind the beer, I really am just looking for a brief writeup about the beer. No origin story or anything that crazy, but essentially, what makes that beer more worthy of my purchase than the umpteen other beers sitting on the shelf next to it. This is especially useful for brewers who don't want to hamstring themselves with a specific style. Don't want to list the style? That's cool, but give me some way of determining what I'm about to purchase.

And ingredients, I don't need the FDA-style itemized listing of every ingredient in the beer, but I would love to know what hops and grains are used, and if any additives are included. Again, it's about setting my expectations for what I'm about to purchase.

Edit: I would've voted for ABV if it had been an option, but I also can't recall coming across many bottles that didn't already have ABV on the label.

 

It is now allowable according to new TTB rules -

Voluntary Nutrient Content Statements in the Labeling and Advertising of Wines, Distilled Spirits, and Malt Beverages​

MillerCoors was the first brewer to take advantage of the changes:

Miller64 First U.S. Beer to Adopt New Voluntary Nutritional Labeling​

 

I like to have style born on date IBU and abv. Today trying to take back some titan born on date was October 2013 and titan should not be rated world class

 

I definitely enjoy the essay on the Stone bottles. I also like the sentence or two that sometimes appears on the neck label of various beers. Usually just a note about flavors or how it is seasonally applicable.

As for the rest, I put bottled-on date and serving temp suggestion. I at least like to know what the brewery had in mind before deciding at what temp I prefer the beer.

 

Not that I look or even expect a background about the beer/brewery but I always get a kick out of reading them if they are ever present. Sometimes they're hilarious

 

Might be so, but I don't know how many times I've looked at labels and didn't see ABV. Usually it's a sign of low ABV.

 

Date here.

 

Other than what I checked(date/IBU/main ingredients or spices), things that weren't in the poll that I think are important are the ABV and the Style of beer it is supposed to be. IPA, Pale Ale, Belgian Strong ale, Amber ale, Wit etc.

 

Stone bottles need to say a lot less. Most of it comes off as bragging. Just give me the ingredients and date. Ingredients are important, newcastle has caramel coloring in it. Explains why it taste like a shit lager and has great color.

 

A bottle must have the bottle on date or a best buy date. Freshness is a top priority when choosing to try something new.

 

Bottled-on date. Everything else I need can be found here.