IPA's - when does freshness beat brand

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Tucquan, Jun 14, 2012.

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  1. Tucquan

    Tucquan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,116) Oct 11, 2007 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Suppose right now you had a choice between Troegs Nugget Nectar with a bottled date of February 15, 2012 or a Sierra Nevada Torpedo with a bottled date of June 1, 2012, which would you pick?

    As another example, suppose right now you had a choice between a Three Floyds Zombie Dust with a bottled date of February 15, 2012 or a Bear Republic Racer 5 with a bottled date of June 1, 2012, which would you pick?

    I'm sure you get the idea, which is at what point would you pass on a high-rated whale in favor of a known-quantity, known-good, known-good-price-point brew?

    I'm encountering this situation right now. I bought 3 cases of Nugget Nectar in February and enjoyed the first two, but the flavor has gotten a lot maltier and it just isn't the same brew. Still good, but I'd rather have the Torpedo.

    So if you went into your fridge right now and on the left side were 4-month+ whale IPAs and on the right were readily-available and very good+ IPAs, which would you pick?
     
    #1 Tucquan, Jun 14, 2012
  2. Hophead717

    Hophead717 Initiate (0) Oct 21, 2011 Massachusetts

    Freshest IPA every time!

    I'm the guy at the store who goes through a dozen six packs looking for the closest bottling date. Freshness doesn't always win when we're talking about a week or two difference, I suppose, but I am very unlikely to buy an IPA when there is one that is a month fresher sitting next to it. So, I'd take the Torpedo and Racer 5 in the above scenarios in a heartbeat.
     
    #2 Hophead717, Jun 14, 2012
  3. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,710) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Torpedo because I prefer it anyway.
    Zombie Dust for the tick, with a Racer 5 chaser.
    In general, I'm w/ Hophead717. I'll pass up a superior but outdated IPA every single time. With a few months on it, it's not even the same beer anyway.
     
    #3 Orca, Jun 14, 2012
  4. gatornation

    gatornation Grand High Pooh-Bah (10,388) Apr 18, 2007 Arizona
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    i always check dates on brew even in my basement fridge
     
    #4 gatornation, Jun 14, 2012
  5. ThisWangsChung

    ThisWangsChung Pooh-Bah (2,988) Oct 15, 2011 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah

    I feel like an 'outdated' IPA, on occasion, can still be excellent IF it's bottle conditioned well (Hop Wallop), but as a rule of thumb, I try not to take a chance on an older IPA just for the 20% chance it'll still be good.
     
    #5 ThisWangsChung, Jun 14, 2012
  6. SunDevilBeer

    SunDevilBeer Pooh-Bah (1,945) May 9, 2003 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah

    No question - the Torpedo with the June 1 date wins over a past-its-prime beer, however good NN was when fresh.
     
    #6 SunDevilBeer, Jun 14, 2012
  7. Pahn

    Pahn Initiate (0) Dec 2, 2009 New York

    false dichotomies. if i don't like the brand, i won't buy it fresh or aged. if i like the brand but need it to be fresh, i won't buy it aged.

    that said, if the torpedo was bottled june 1st and so was the nugget nectar, i'd buy the torpedo.
     
    #7 Pahn, Jun 14, 2012
    harrymel likes this.
  8. VncentLIFE

    VncentLIFE Initiate (0) Feb 16, 2011 North Carolina

    It all comes down to the hop profile (when its at its freshest). Ive had some decent batches of Sculpin, and some that I couldnt stand. Ive had bottles of GLBC Commodore Perry that made me rethink my top IPAs, then Ive had some that are just meh. But that meh Commodore Perry is still better than ok Sculpin.

    Ive never been the biggest fan of 90 Minute as well. But Lake Erie Monster is just fantastic.

    I guess I wouldnt touch that NN now.
     
    #8 VncentLIFE, Jun 14, 2012
  9. TomTwanks

    TomTwanks Initiate (0) Apr 5, 2011 Ohio

    Am I the only person that doesn't like LEM this year? Tastes like overwhelming butterscotch to me and it never has in previous years. :astonished:
     
    #9 TomTwanks, Jun 14, 2012
  10. paulys55

    paulys55 Initiate (0) Aug 2, 2010 Pennsylvania

    Freshness comes first for me when it comes to the styles you are mentioning. I don't know how many times I've been in a bottle shop and seen a beer I love from a distance only to be let down when I found out it was past it's prime.
     
    #10 paulys55, Jun 14, 2012
  11. bpd2001

    bpd2001 Aspirant (241) Jun 14, 2012 New York

    I'm all for freshness, so I'll take the newer beer. But just question: where does everyone draw the line? One month, two, three?
     
    #11 bpd2001, Jun 14, 2012
  12. raffels

    raffels Initiate (0) Dec 12, 2009 West Virginia

    It took you 4 months to work thru 3 cases of NN? What exactly were you expecting it to taste like now?

    Not to bust your chops, but you're kinda comparing apples to oranges. Me, I'd drink the whale on the left first. It must be feeling neglected by now..
     
    #12 raffels, Jun 15, 2012
  13. BrianTheBrewer30

    BrianTheBrewer30 Initiate (0) Nov 17, 2009 Massachusetts

    If it is older than two days old...toss it.
     
    #13 BrianTheBrewer30, Jun 15, 2012
  14. DoubleSunshine610

    DoubleSunshine610 Initiate (0) Mar 29, 2012 Pennsylvania

    Did OP refer to NN as a whale?
     
    #14 DoubleSunshine610, Jun 15, 2012
  15. TongoRad

    TongoRad Grand Pooh-Bah (3,884) Jun 3, 2004 New Jersey
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    If you mean the difference when comparing beers- one month. I bounce between Ithaca Flower Power, Torpedo, ST IPA and ST 2XIPA all the time. Usually one of the bunch is a month fresher than the rest, and that's the one I pick up. If they are close in dates then I'll just go with what I'm in the mood for, but since I like them all the freshness is usually the decider.
     
    #15 TongoRad, Jun 15, 2012
  16. oldp0rt

    oldp0rt Initiate (0) Feb 24, 2011 Canada (QC)

    The car ride home is enough to make it go bad. Drink it in the car and toss the left overs when you get home :stuck_out_tongue:
     
    #16 oldp0rt, Jun 15, 2012
  17. BrianTheBrewer30

    BrianTheBrewer30 Initiate (0) Nov 17, 2009 Massachusetts

    No way...be nice and toss the left over at a bum. At least your helping the economy.
     
    #17 BrianTheBrewer30, Jun 15, 2012
  18. Tucquan

    Tucquan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,116) Oct 11, 2007 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    The Nugget Nectar is still a few days short of the best-buy date. I know my rate of consumption and about what to expect in terms of the hop profile fading and the maltiness to increase but this change is more than I expected. In general, and in order to keep the calories and my weight in line, my fridge has significantly more sessionable brews than 7+% ABV brews. At the moment, this means I'm having more 21A Bitter Americans, SN Pale Ales, SN Summerfest, Victory Pils, DFH Festina Peches and German beers than IPAs, DIPAs and RIS's.

    I view the higher ABVs as a once-per-day-day treat and consequently, want them as good as can be. For perspective, in the las month I've also had IPA/DIPAs by Hill Farmstead, The Alchemist, Kern River, Fat Head's, Lawson's, Russian River, Three Floyds, Surly and Alpine. I like to keep some top-notch PA-available brews in the fridge, supplemented by tastings of other brews (thank you Philly Beer Week).

    I suppose an aspect of my original question relates to purchasing whale beers in anticipation of future consumption vs getting fresh beers more frequently.
     
    #18 Tucquan, Jun 15, 2012
  19. immobilisme

    immobilisme Initiate (0) Nov 8, 2005 Illinois

    "obligatory smart-ass post about how FFF doesn't bottle date"
     
    #19 immobilisme, Jun 15, 2012
  20. RBassSFHOPit2ME

    RBassSFHOPit2ME Initiate (0) Mar 1, 2009 California

    The fresher beer always for me. I'll bet February Zombie Dust is a malty off-putting mess right now, although fantastic fresh. Could be wrong about ZD...
     
    #20 RBassSFHOPit2ME, Jun 15, 2012
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