IPA Freshness Question

Nah, thought process is rather simply, just providing explanation to supplement the though.

 

1 month average. Depends on the beer.

 

Usually I have a max of 2-3 months. If it's something hard to find, I won't take a chance and I'll only buy it under a month old. If it's something easier to find I might loosen it a bit and buy it a bit older. Some beers retain well longer than others, so it's just a matter of trial and error. I'm usually more lenient with cooler beers.

 

I ride on the coattails of "kansascitytrader" who beat me to the punch line...a true hop head would consume it before it's bottled, otherwise, it would be snobbishly classified as a "malt bomb".

 

Sounds more like he wants to drink good IPAs as the brewers intended.

3 months?? Wow. That's a lot of missing hop character, especially if the bottles aren't refrigerated. Heh, grab some Flower Power after 3 months on the shelf and talk to me about good IPAs.

One month, unless you're OK with getting a somewhat-stale IPA (which isn't the worst thing).

Non-dated IPAs... not a good idea for a style that depends so much on freshness.

 

1-3 Months

 

1 month, 16 days, 44 minutes and 21 secs is my absolute max.

 

60 days

 

2 months maybe if there is nothing else that I like that is fresher - but I',m not going to expect that its in top shape. Sometimes it will actually depend on price - $9 six pack, I will give more leeway to than a $12-15 six pack - which I expect to be in impeccable condition in order to garner the premium.

 

After reading most the posts in here, in my opinion, it looks like 3 months is tops for the concensus, and I would agree with that. Remember hops are a preservative.

 

Which has absolutely nothing to do with hop flavor/aroma in a beer.

 

I'll usually check the shelf for the freshest available, assuming they bottle date, but don't have a problem buying an IPA that was bottled 3-4 months prior.

 

Oh.....my......GOD.

 

the "fading" talked about with IPAs is hop fading. do you think hops preserve hops? think about it a bit more. what's being "preserved"?

anyway, around a month is usually my limit these days. notice, i barely like IPAs to start with, so they have to be at least fresh.

 

To be honest, I would purchase the latest at around 1.5 months if I really liked it or wanted to try it. I wouldn't review an IPA that is over a month old. I have had a few IPA packs that lasted me around a month. There is a big enough difference between super-fresh and month old that I just don't feel right reviewing very hop forward beers that are that old.

 

I know, right? Call the beer cops!

 

there are exceptions though. squall IPA i'd buy any time i see it, and it doesn't exist fresh. celebration remains good for a long time (and since i like to put bourbon in it anyway, the freshness doesn't make a huge difference). in years past, aprihop only got better with time (though i'm sure it passes a point of no return in under a year).

also, refrigeration is crucial.

 

I only chew on hops that were freshly harvested. Don't even touch beer. It's way too old.

 

Wow that was powerful prose,,Did you take all day to write that?. now we all know when to buy ipa's... thanks Buddy

 

this too. for a first time try, these days i won't go past a month. for some beers, depending on the overall flavor profile (balance, etc; it's not an exact science), it matters less.

it's one thing to like older IPAs. it's another to find a beer whose recipe is focused toward drinking it fresh, try it old, and say "that beer is bad." the latter is stupid.